Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
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Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside! This recipe for Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower is cauliflower florets coated in a seasoned batter, cooked in the air fryer and then tossed in an easy, homemade buffalo sauce. Serve with your favorite dip for the perfect appetizer or main meal!
Do you have an air fryer? If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t quite understand the craze for the longest time, but now I’m obsessed! If you haven’t tried cooking with an air fryer, I highly recommend you change that with this delicious buffalo cauliflower air fryer recipe. You won’t be disappointed!
Since these photos were taken, I’ve upgraded my air fryer to this COSORI Air Fryer Max XL and I’m loving it. It’s a bit larger than the average air fryer and the square base (as opposed to the circle that many others have) seems to fit a lot more food in it.
I’m having so much fun experimenting with making new and different air fryer recipes and there are LOTS coming your way in the next few months.
Now, let’s talk about this air fryer buffalo cauliflower. It’s pretty incredible, guys! The air fryer perfectly crisps the outside of the cauliflower, while cooking the inside until tender. No sogginess or mushy cauliflower here! And the sauce is to die for!
Key ingredients for buffalo cauliflower air fryer:
Grab your grocery list! For this buffalo cauliflower that’s made in the air fryer, you’ll need:
- Cauliflower. Using cauliflower instead of chicken, keeps this recipe completely vegan. As an added plus, the cauliflower is packed with nutrients.
- Unsweetened almond milk. I like to use unsweetened almond milk, but you can use any milk you’d like.
- All purpose flour. The breading is made with a bit of flour. Feel free to use an all purpose GF flour if you’d like.
- Seasonings. A blend of garlic powder, paprika and salt add delicious flavor to the cauliflower.
- Buffalo sauce. This easy homemade sauce is a simple mix of butter, hot sauce, and garlic powder. My favorite brand of hot sauce is Frank’s Red Hot, but any kind works.
How to make air fryer buffalo cauliflower:
Making this recipe is super simple! Here’s a quick rundown of what’s involved, but you can find the complete recipe at the bottom of the post.
Prep the cauliflower. Start out by making the outside coating for the cauliflower. Mix together the almond milk, flour, garlic powder, paprika, and salt. Then, dip the cauliflower florets into the batter, making sure to let any excess drip off.
Cook the cauliflower. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and place the cauliflower in the air fryer, making sure not to overcrowd them. Cook for 14-16 minutes, or until the cauliflower is crisp and golden brown.
Make the buffalo sauce. While the cauliflower is cooking, you can make the buffalo sauce. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Then, turn off the heat and add the hot sauce and garlic powder. Whisk until combined and warmed. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes (2-3 minutes).
Serve and enjoy! Once the cauliflower is cooked and the sauce is ready, place the cauliflower and buffalo sauce in a large bowl and toss to combine. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
Tips for making air fryer buffalo cauliflower:
- Don’t forget to line the air fryer with parchment paper! This will keep the cauliflower from sticking to the bottom of the basket and it makes for easy cleanup.
- There’s no need to preheat your air fryer. Just turn it on and go!
- If you’re sensitive to spiciness, choose a buffalo sauce that is labeled “mild”.
- Buffalo cauliflower cooked in the air fryer is best enjoyed immediately, but you can reheat leftovers in the air fryer for about 5 minutes, until heated through and crispy.
- If you love this this recipe as much as I do, but sure to try my original buffalo cauliflower recipe as well!
Dipping sauce for buffalo cauliflower:
Spicy snacks like this one, pair wonderfully with a cool dip and keep the spiciness to a reasonable level. I love buffalo cauliflower served with my homemade vegan ranch dressing. Blue cheese is also a great choice and there are several brands that make a vegan blue cheese dressing. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought ranch dip too!
As usual, PLEASE let me know if you make this recipe and let me know how you like it! You can come back here and leave a comment or tag me on instagram (@foodwithfeeling).
More delicious cauliflower recipes to try:
- 10 Minute Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Sweet and Sour Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Nashville Hot “Chicken”
- Cauliflower Cilantro Rice
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Buffalo Sauce
- 3 tablespoons dairy free butter
- ½ cup hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
For the Cauliflower
- Pre-heat your air fryer to 375 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, mix together the almond milk, flour, garlic powder, paprika, and salt.
- Dip the cauliflower florets into the batter, making sure to let any excess drip off.
- Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and place the cauliflower in the air fryer, making sure not to overcrowd them. Cook for 14-16 minutes, or until the cauliflower is crisp and golden brown.
- Remove the cauliflower from the air fryer, and let it cool for a few minutes (2-3 minutes) before saucing.
For the Buffalo Sauce
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
- Turn off the heat and add the hot sauce and garlic powder. Whisk until combined and warmed. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes (2-3 minutes).
- Place the cauliflower and buffalo sauce in a large bowl and toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Notes
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
