Description
This Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower recipe offers a delightful, crispy, and spicy appetizer or snack that’s perfect for a game day treat or a flavorful vegan side dish. Coated in a seasoned batter and air fried to perfection before being brushed with tangy buffalo sauce, it delivers all the zest of buffalo wings without the meat, making it an excellent option for vegans and vegetarians alike.
Ingredients
Scale
Batter Ingredients
- â…” cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup water
Main Ingredient
- 1 head cauliflower, about 2 pounds, broken into large florets
Sauces
- Buffalo sauce, for brushing
- Vegan ranch, for dipping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer: Set your air fryer to 400°F to ensure it reaches the right temperature for crisping the cauliflower.
- Prepare the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sea salt, and water until smooth and well combined.
- Coat the cauliflower: Dip and evenly coat each cauliflower floret in the batter, ensuring they are fully covered to form a crispy exterior once air fried.
- Arrange florets in air fryer basket: Place the batter-coated cauliflower in a single layer inside the air fryer basket to allow hot air to circulate evenly around each piece.
- Air fry first side: Cook for 9 minutes at 400°F, allowing the cauliflower to start crisping up.
- Flip and sauce: Flip the florets carefully, brush them with buffalo sauce, and continue cooking in the air fryer for an additional 5-10 minutes until they are golden and crispy.
- Final sauce and serve: Remove the cauliflower from the air fryer, brush with more buffalo sauce to intensify flavor, and serve hot with vegan ranch dressing as an optional dip.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, make sure to spray the air fryer basket lightly with oil before placing the cauliflower.
- If you prefer a spicier kick, add cayenne pepper to the batter or buffalo sauce.
- The recipe is naturally vegan when using vegan buffalo sauce and ranch.
- Make sure the cauliflower florets are roughly the same size for even cooking.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket to ensure the florets become crispy rather than soggy.
