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Experience the bold and zesty flavors of Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, a tasty vegetarian alternative to classic buffalo wings. These bites are not only delicious and light but also boast the perfect kick of spice. Plus, they’re incredibly easy to make, even in the oven.
Spice up your kitchen with the vibrant flavors of buffalo cauliflower cooked in the trusty air fryer. If you’re wondering how to make air fryer buffalo cauliflower, you’re in for a treat! Thanks to their delicious similarity to traditional buffalo chicken wings, I’d like to introduce you to these buffalo cauliflower bites, often dubbed buffalo cauliflower wings.
They’re a fantastic alternative to the beloved buffalo essence, secretly incorporating veggies and bypassing the need for deep-frying. Prepared with flour breading and a buttery wing sauce, these cauliflower bites are incredible! They make a great addition to salads or wraps!
If you’re looking for some classics, though, click over to this creamy stovetop buffalo chicken dip. And while you’re here, grab this similar recipe for sticky sesame cauliflower bites – it’s a GOOD one.
Why You’ll Enjoy These Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
- Nutritious: It’s a lighter take on a fan-favorite – the buffalo chicken wing. You’re getting all the tantalizing flavors of the classic dish but with a hefty dose of veggies and fewer calories.
- Customizable: Whether you’re catering to a vegan, vegetarian, or keto-friendly, this dish fits the bill. The fact that it can be prepared in the air fryer or baked in the oven only adds to the love.
- Versatile: Each bite offers a crispy, tangy flavor that can be enjoyed as a snack, appetizer, or side dish.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cauliflower: Separate a head of cauliflower into florets, or grab some pre-cut florets, about 5 cups.
- For the buffalo sauce, you’ll need butter, olive oil, and hot sauce.
- If using the crunchy breading, you will need flour, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and dried parsley.
How To Make Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
- Prep the cauliflower. Start with cutting up a head of cauliflower into florets and put those in a large mixing bowl.
- Prepare the wing sauce. Next, melt some butter and mix in a good dose of hot sauce into it. I use Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. Pour the hot sauce mixture over the cauliflower florets and mix them around.
- Make the breading. Whisk together all-purpose flour or almond flour with seasoning salt, garlic powder, and dried parsley.
- Toss the florets with the breading. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the cauliflower florets and gently stir them around so that all florets are coated.
- Cook the cauliflower in the Air Fryer. Air Fry half of the cauliflower bites at 350˚F for 15 minutes, shaking the florets a couple of times during the cooking process. If you want them crispier, try cooking for 2 minutes longer.
- Or, roast them in the oven. Place prepared cauliflower florets on a foil-lined pan in one single layer and bake them for 15 minutes at 450˚F. Gently stir the cauliflower halfway through cooking.
- Serve. Serve immediately with a side of celery sticks and a creamy dipping sauce like ranch dressing or bleu cheese dressing, and more hot sauce.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Size Matters: When cutting your cauliflower into florets, try to keep them about the same size for even cooking.
- Spice It Up: You can easily adjust the spiciness of your buffalo sauce to match your preference. Feel free to add extra hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or even a touch of Sriracha. You could also add onion powder and paprika to the seasoning mix.
- Toss, Don’t Drown: When coating the cauliflower in sauce, make sure every piece gets a bit of flavor, but avoid drenching them. Too much sauce will make the florets mushy and soggy.
- Prep Ahead: You can prepare your cauliflower and sauce ahead of time. Store them separately in the fridge and toss them just before cooking to keep everything fresh. You will need to heat up the hot sauce and give it a good stir before using
- Avoid crowding: Don’t cram the air fryer basket so to prevent your cauliflower bites from turning soggy. Cook in two batches to ensure adequate airflow around each piece.
- Crunch: If the crunch factor isn’t meeting your expectation, a quick 2-minute re-run in the air fryer should do the trick. Alternatively, a couple of minutes under the broiler works too.
Proper Storage
While cauliflower bites taste best when served immediately, you can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months. To freeze, spread the cooled cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and flash freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven or air fryer for the best texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soaking the cauliflower in water before air frying is not necessary.
Yes, you can use frozen cauliflower to make your air fryer cauliflower bites. For the best texture, thaw the frozen cauliflower first. You can do this by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight or using the defrost option on your microwave.
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Cauliflower Tots
- Lemon Paprika Roasted Cauliflower
- Instant Pot Loaded Mashed Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Cheese Soup
- Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
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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 all-purpose flour, or almond 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.
Oven Method
- Toss the cauliflower florets in the hot sauce mixture and the breading. Arrange the cauliflower florets on a foil-lined pan and bake for 15 minutes at 450˚F. Gently stir the cauliflower halfway through cooking.
Notes
- Florets: When cutting your cauliflower into florets, try to keep them about the same size for even cooking.
- Spice: You can adjust the seasonings and spices of your buffalo sauce. Feel free to add extra hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or even a touch of Sriracha.
- Sauce: When coating the cauliflower in sauce, make sure every piece gets a bit of flavor, but avoid drenching them. Too much sauce can make the florets soggy.
- Prep Ahead: You can prepare your cauliflower and sauce ahead of time. Store them separately in the fridge and toss them just before cooking to keep everything fresh.
- Serving Ideas: Buffalo cauliflower pairs perfectly with classic dipping sauces like ranch or blue cheese dressing. For a fun twist, try serving it with a yogurt-based dip or hummus.
- Oven Method: Place prepared cauliflower florets on a foil-lined pan and bake for 15 minutes at 450˚F. Gently stir the cauliflower halfway through cooking.
- Leftovers: While these cauliflower bites taste best when served immediately, you can still refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Leftover buffalo cauliflower can be reheated in the oven or air fryer to bring back its crispness.
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.
Followed the recipe exactly. Mine didnโt look anything like the picture but the flavor was really good. This is my very first time using my Cuisenart air fryer; they didnโt really seem that crispy. Maybe my expectations of the air fryer are too high. Iโll keep trying to work out the kinks. Will make this again.
Same! Once we mixed all the ingredients together at ONCE and then dipped the cauliflower โ they were perfectly coated and the taste was stronger.
Yes I did the same. Really good!!
I cooked 8 min at 350, shook them up and then back at 390 for 4-5 more minutes!
These were SO GOOD!!! I did add a little too much seasoning salt, but that was my bad and I’ll know better for the next time…which will probably be tomorrow!
I love how easy and mess-free this recipe is! Gave this 4-stars because it was too salty for my taste. Will need to modify next time I make it.
Really enjoyed this recipe! Curious though, I used regular flour instead and felt like I thoroughly coated in the prep process but didn’t seem to bind as well as I’d hoped and seemed a little dry. Could this be due to the regular flour &/or not enough?
Mine didnโt turn out as saucy but still tasted good
Hi! Is it really 3 tablespoons of parsley in with the almond flour? I did 3 and it was so much my cauliflower was mostly green and looked nothing like the photo. Just wanted to check to see if Iโm missing something
The amount of flour listed ended up making it too dry. The sauce just turned to dust when put in the air fryer. But good flavor
Could almond flour be substituted for coconut flour or would that throw off the flavor
Hi! Yep, there will be a bit of difference in taste and texture, but almond flour does work in this recipe.
These are amazing! My go-to for game day grub!
These tasted absolutely delicious! Looking forward to making these again
These were fantastic. I just used Italian breadcrumbs for the seasoned almond flour and it was still great. Super quick and easy to put together and definitely satisfies that buffalo craving!