Easy, healthy, perfectly spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites prepared in the Air Fryer!
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Cauliflower stands as a delicious vegetarian alternative to chicken wings in this recipe for spicy Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. Prepared with a flour breading and a buttery hot sauce, these cauliflower bites are low carb, Keto-friendly, and truly delicious!!
If you’re looking for the classics, click over to this creamy Stovetop Buffalo Chicken Dip.
Also? Grab this recipe for Sticky Sesame Cauliflower Bites – it’s a GOOD one.
Actually, this dish tastes like you’re sitting at your fave hangout and having the best appetizer of EV.errr. Hot sauce and garlic set the tone for the cauliflower, a side of celery sticks join in, and some incredible bleu cheese dressing ties it ALL together. HOT DAMN! 🔥
How To Make Cauliflower Bites in the Air Fryer
- Start with cutting up a head of cauliflower into florets and put those in a large mixing bowl.
- Next, melt some butter and mix in a good dose of hot sauce into it. I use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. It’s DA best.
- Pour the hot sauce mixture over the cauliflower florets and mix them around. I use my hands for this part, but I make sure to wash my hands three times after mixing because it would freakin’ HURT if I touched my eyes without washing off the hot sauce, first. Been there, done that… still remember it. 🙄
- Then, you’ll want to whisk together a bit of all-purpose flour or almond flour with seasoning salt, garlic powder, and dried parsley.
- Sprinkle that over the cauliflower florets – use a handful of almond flour mix at a time and just gently stir them around so that all florets are coated.
- Air Fry HALF of the cauliflower bites at 350˚F (no need to preheat) for about 15 minutes. Stop and shake a couple of times during the cooking process. If you want them crispier, try cooking for 2 to 3 minutes longer.
- Remove cauliflower from the air fryer and keep covered while you cook the second batch.
- Serve immediately with a side of celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing. And more hot sauce. 🙃
Tips for Making Cauliflower Bites in the Air Fryer
- DO NOT crowd the air fryer pan. If you crowd it, the cauliflower bites will turn out soggy. This is why you want to cook the cauliflower in two batches. You need to have enough airflow to go around each piece.
- If you’re not satisfied with the crunch, put cauliflower bites back in the air fryer for 2 minutes, then serve. You can also put them under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
How To Make in the Oven
- Place prepared cauliflower florets on a foil-lined pan and bake for 15 minutes at 450˚F. Gently stir the cauliflower halfway through cooking.
How To Make Ahead
- Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are also great to make ahead. Prepare each element beforehand – cut up the cauliflower, make the sauce, prepare the breading – and keep them in separate containers until ready to use.
- You WILL need to heat up the hot sauce and give it a good stir before using.
How To Store Leftovers
- While Cauliflower Bites taste best when served immediately, you can still refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Now, let’s stuff our faces with cauliflower that pretends it’s chicken, and really, really LOVE IT! I think you will. This hot mess doesn’t even taste like cauliflower.
For real, though – in this recipe, wings or cauliflower, they just serve as the gateway, or the vessel, into Buffalo sauce. 😀
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Cauliflower Tots
- Lemon Paprika Roasted Cauliflower
- Instant Pot Loaded Mashed Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Cheese Soup
ENJOY!
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (you'll need about 4 to 5 cups)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce
- ½ cup almond flour, or all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons dried parsley
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Instructions
- Place cauliflower florets in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Melt butter; stir in olive oil and hot sauce until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the hot sauce mixture over the cauliflower; mix around until all cauliflower florets are coated.
- In a separate bowl whisk together almond flour, dried parsley, garlic powder, and seasoning salt.
- Sprinkle about a handful at a time of almond flour mixture over the cauliflower; gently mix until everything is coated.
- Transfer half of the prepared cauliflower to the air fryer.
- Air fry at 350˚F for 15 minutes, shaking a couple times during the cooking process. Cauliflower is done when the florets are a bit browned, but not mushy.
- Remove cauliflower from the Air Fryer; set aside and keep covered.
- Repeat the same process with the remaining cauliflower florets.
- Serve with celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing.
Notes
- DO NOT crowd the air fryer pan. If you crowd it, the cauliflower bites will turn out soggy. This is why you want to cook the cauliflower in two batches. You need to have enough airflow to go all around each piece.
- For more crunch, put cauliflower bites under the broiler for 2 minutes, then serve.
- Place prepared cauliflower florets on a foil-lined pan and bake for 15 minutes at 450˚F. Gently stir the cauliflower halfway through cooking.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Delicious!!! Did you add additional sauce when taking that main picture? Mine turned out a lot drier.
Can you tell me how much is considered a serving? 🙂
About 1 cup.
Delish! Made exactly to the recipe.
Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
How do you get the breading to stay on the cauli? Mine didn’t stay on and majority of it fell off in the air fryer
Hi there, can you give me an equivalent for hot sauce – we’re in the UK and can’t get Franks? Sriracha?
Yes, Sriracha is great! Any hot sauce will work, just use your favorite.
Fiancé said these were the best ones we’ve ever made! Delicious!