These Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are perfectly crisped on the surface, tender through the center, and sauced with the familiar flavor of everyone’s favorite chicken wing sauce. These tangy, fiery morsels are an excellent low carb side dish and a crowd pleasing appetizer to serve with your favorite dips.
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Check out my Air Fryer Carrot Chips and my Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes for more delicious air fryer recipes!
Cooking perfectly crispy cauliflower has never been easier, thanks to the air fryer. The even circulation of high heat around the florets creates a texture that you just can’t achieve in the oven. They aren’t overly crunchy or soft but just the right canvas for drenching in creamy buffalo sauce.
If you do not eat chicken, air fryer buffalo cauliflower is the answer to a buffalo wing craving. For a dairy-free version, simply use your favorite vegan buffalo sauce and vegan butter. In under 15 minutes, you’ll have a batch of crisp and juicy vegan buffalo wings for game day gatherings, afterschool snacks, or to enjoy all to yourself.
Considering everything cauliflower is capable of, like becoming the best cauliflower stuffing, copycat Chipotle cauliflower rice, dairy free mashed potatoes, Margherita pizza cauliflower crust, and more - turning cauliflower into vegan buffalo wings in the air fryer shouldn't come as much of a surprise. I should mention that these cauliflower wings are NOT breaded, so they’re great for keto too!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The texture. The bites turn out perfect every time - no need for breading or frying in heavy oil.
- The ease. You will only need 5 ingredients and 15 minutes of your time (although your air fryer does most of the work!).
- This is a great way to get in more veggies. There’s something about spicy buffalo sauce that keeps you going back for more, no matter what it’s tossed with.
- It’s adaptable. If you’re not a huge fan of buffalo sauce, you can swap it with your go-to hot wing flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cauliflower: One small head of cauliflower yields just the right amount of florets for two 1-cup servings of cauliflower wings. If you end up with more than 2 cups of florets, scale the buffalo sauce ingredients accordingly. There’s no harm in using a bag of pre-cut fresh cauliflower florets.
- Wing Sauce: Use your favorite bottle of buffalo sauce. I love Frank’s Red Hot Wing Sauce, but brands like Sweet Baby Rays, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Texas Pete are also tasty and easy to find in stores.
- Butter: Basting the cauliflower in butter helps crisp the surface while the center stays tender and juicy -just like chicken wings!
- Garlic Powder & Salt: These seasonings are standard in wing sauce. Adding extra makes the hot and tangy buffalo flavor even more mouthwatering.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep cauliflower for air frying. Cut the cauliflower head in half, then cut the halves in half to make quarters. Remove the outer leaves and core from each piece. Then, use your hands to break the pieces apart into florets. Rinse the florets in a colander under cool running water and dry them thoroughly.
Step 2: Coat florets in buffalo sauce. Stir buffalo sauce, melted butter, garlic powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the cauliflower and toss until the florets are fully coated in sauce.
Step 3: Grease the air fryer basket. Remove the basket from your air fryer and coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 4: Air fryer sauced florets. Using tongs, arrange the sauced florets in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving a bit of room in between each piece, and air fry at 400 ℉ until the cauliflower is tender-crisp through the center and the sauce forms a light crust along the edges (about 10-12 minutes).
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- Pre-cut cauliflower florets. You can buy a head of cauliflower and cut the florets yourself, or grab pre-cut bagged florets. You should be able to find just the florets prepackaged and ready to go in the produce section of your grocery store.
- Preheat your air fryer. If the basket is preheated, the cauliflower wings will begin to crisp on the outside immediately, resulting in the best texture.
- Keep an eye on the air fryer. Remember, not all air fryer brands are created equal and cook at different rates, so please don’t leave your equipment unattended.
- Do not overcrowd the basket. For the florets to crisp evenly on all sides, air fry them in a single layer with space in between. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the florets in batches. If you overcrowd the basket, the cauliflower bites will not get crispy.
Variations
You know better than anyone how you like your chicken wings, so enjoy your cauliflower wings the same way. Carrot and celery sticks, creamy ranch dip, and blue cheese dressing are always a good idea when buffalo sauce is involved -and if buffalo sauce isn’t your favorite, fortunately, there’s more than one way to flavor a cauliflower wing. Here are a few ideas:
- Wet “wings” – To keep things saucy, substitute buffalo sauce with a good vinegar-based BBQ sauce, teriyaki sauce, soy-ginger sauce, spicy ranch, mango habanero sauce, etc.
- Dry “wings” – Swap the sauce with dry seasoning blends like dry buffalo seasoning, ranch seasoning, Old Bay seasoning, lemon pepper, etc.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Air-fried buffalo cauliflower is best enjoyed immediately. If you have leftovers, let them cool and keep them in a glass, airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, return them to the air fryer set at 400 ℉, and cook until their original crispiness is restored. This will only take a couple of minutes.
Freezing: Freezing extra buffalo cauliflower is also an option. Let cool completely, then freeze the florets in an airtight container for up to 10 months. Do not thaw frozen buffalo cauliflower before reheating. Instead, add them directly from the freezer to the preheated 400 ℉ air fryer basket and cook for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes, until crispy.
Recipe FAQ‘s
To achieve a perfectly crispy cauliflower wing, cut the florets into 1-2” wide pieces and coat them with quality cooking fat with a high smoke point, like melted butter, coconut oil, or avocado oil. You can roast the florets in the oven at 425 ℉, but if you have an air fryer, that is the way to go. Just be sure not to crowd the cauliflower in the basket.
There are many plant-based wing-like foods you can consider vegan buffalo wings. These vegan buffalo wings are made from unbreaded cauliflower florets soaked in wing sauce, then roasted in the air fryer until hot and crispy.
No. Butter is a standard ingredient in most buffalo sauce recipes. So to make these cauliflower wings truly vegan, you must use a dairy-free substitution. The New Primal and Primal Kitchens both offer fantastic vegan bottled buffalo sauce.
More Healthy Air Fried Finger Foods
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cauliflower florets
- 4 ounces hot wing sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower head in half, then cut the halves in half to make quarters. Remove the outer leaves and core from each piece. Then, use your hands to break the pieces apart into florets. Rinse the florets in a colander under cool running water and dry them thoroughly.
- Stir buffalo sauce, melted butter, garlic powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the cauliflower and toss until the florets are fully coated in sauce.
- Remove the basket from your air fryer and coat lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Using tongs, arrange the sauced florets in the air fryer basket in a single layer, leaving a bit of room in between each piece, and air fry at 400°F until the cauliflower is tender-crisp through the center and the sauce forms a light crust along the edges (about 10-12 minutes).
Notes
- You can buy a head of cauliflower and cut the florets yourself, or grab pre-cut bagged florets. You should be able to find just the florets prepackaged and ready to go in the produce section of your grocery store.
- If the basket is preheated, the cauliflower wings will begin to crisp on the outside immediately, resulting in the best texture.
- Remember, not all air fryer brands are created equal and cook at different rates, so please don’t leave your equipment unattended.
- For the florets to crisp evenly on all sides, air fry them in a single layer with space in between. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the florets in batches. If you overcrowd the basket, the cauliflower bites will not get crispy.
- Storing: It is best enjoyed immediately. If you have leftovers, let them cool and keep them in a glass, airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, return them to the air fryer set at 400°F, and cook until their original crispiness is restored. This will only take a couple of minutes.
- Freezing: Freezing extra buffalo cauliflower is also an option. Let cool completely, then freeze the florets in an airtight container for up to 10 months. Do not thaw frozen buffalo cauliflower before reheating. Instead, add them directly from the freezer to the preheated 400°F air fryer basket and cook for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket every 5 minutes, until crispy.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Tina
Can't wait to try this! I'm not sure that 85 calories for a serving size of 1 gram is correct. I'm assuming it's for an 8 or 9 ounce servings?? Either way, what a great snack idea!
Kate
Thanks for pointing that out! The nutrition facts are estimated assuming 2 portions from the ingredients listed... but they actual nutrition will vary on the brand of hot wing sauce you use, exact amounts of ingredients. etc. Give them a try and enjoy!
Jill
I love my air fryer so much. But I haven't tried cauliflower in it yet. This recipe makes me want to try it!
Cindy
Our family has been taken advantage of the extra time during quarantine. We have been searching recipes to make and the kids help select and make them. Today we made your recipe! It was a hit! My kids love cooking in our air fryer because it is so easy! They loved cooking up some cauliflower for lunch today!
kim
I loved this recipe! It was super flavorful and way easier than I thought it would be! Will definitely make again!
Pam
Perfect timing as I just got my air fryer. I'm excited to try these. They look perfect for a healthy app.
Marlynn
Such a delicious, easy appetizer and side dish! Love the flavors in this recipe.