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Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower is delicious and super easy to make. The cauliflower florets are breaded and air fried to crispy perfection, then drenched in tasty buffalo sauce and dipped in blue cheese dip.
Just wait until you try these. Before I made them, I was wondering what all the fuss was about, but they are so good you’ll definitely be plotting the next time you’ll make them before they’re even gone.
Why You’ll Love It
- The best thing about this recipe is that everyone loves it. You don’t need any fancy ingredients, and you can enjoy it as a snack or side. It is a great way to add more vegetables to your diet or to indulge in a meatless Monday.
- This cauliflower is delicious in tacos, either with the buffalo sauce or without.
- This easy snack is cooked with minimal oil, resulting in a lighter and healthier snack without excess grease.
Karen Paulsen says: 
Perfect Recipe !
This is just what I wanted, easy and delicious. Can’t go wrong with this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Alyssa says: So good! We used this recipe to make Buffalo cauliflower tacos and it was delicious. Crispy and the cauliflower cooked through nicely.
Ingredients You Need
For this vegetarian recipe, you’ll need a few simple ingredients. See below for the list of items and any substitutions you could make, if necessary.
- Cauliflower: The main ingredient for this recipe is cauliflower. I have used a medium-sized head of cauliflower. Cut it so that the florets separate. When buying cauliflower for this recipe, make sure you choose a fresh head. It shouldn’t have green or brown colored patches on it.
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour sets the base for the batter. It is easily available in every grocery store and is a staple in every kitchen pantry.
- Garlic powder: It adds a garlicky, savory and intense flavor to the batter.
- Onion powder: Onion also has a savory flavor with a hint of sweetness.
- Spanish paprika: Spanish paprika has a sweet, smoky flavour with a heat we all love.
- Salt: Salt balances out the flavour.
- Water: You will need water to smooth out the batter.
- Buffalo sauce: Buffalo sauce has a delicious sweet, savory flavor with a kick of spice. You can use any brand’s buffalo sauce. My favorite is Frank’s Red Hot buffalo sauce.
- Blue cheese dressing: Serve these florets with blue cheese dressing.
Equipment Information
- Air fryer: I use the 5.5-quart Ninja MaxXL basket-style air fryer. Angie uses this 5-quart Cosori Pro LE air fryer. We also both occasionally use the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill that has an air fryer setting.
- Kitchen tongs: It’s very easy to remove food from your air fryer with kitchen tongs. I use these kitchen tongs that are silicon coated so they don’t scratch the interior.
Helpful Tips
- You can substitute the flour for almond flour or gluten-free flour, if you want.
- Cut the cauliflower in fairly large pieces, about the size of a golf ball.
- Use parchment paper round into the bottom of the air fryer. This will prevent a big mess when the batter gets baked onto the basket. If you don’t make sure to spray the air fryer basket well with cooking spray to keep the cauliflower from sticking.
- Make sure the pieces don’t overlap or touch each other. If they stick together, they’ll be difficult to pull apart.
How to Make Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
You can effortlessly make this delicious and crispy buffalo cauliflower. Here are a few steps you have to follow:
Step 1: Prep the cauliflower
Start by separating the cauliflower florets from the head, keeping them in fairly large pieces, about the size of a golf ball. Wash the florets thoroughly and let them dry in a colander.
Step 2: Make the batter
In a large bowl, add all-purpose flour, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt. Mix well using a fork or a whisk. Slowly pour in the water and whisk the mixture until you get a smooth and lump-free batter.
Step 3: Coat the cauliflower
Add the cauliflower florets to the batter and stir so that the batter coats every single floret. Take each floret out of the batter and place it on a wire rack so that the excess batter drips off. Make sure you place paper towels or paper underneath the rack to avoid mess.
Step 4: Fill the basket
Put a parchment paper round into the bottom of the air fryer. This will prevent a big mess when the batter gets baked onto the basket. It’s so much easier to clean up, trust me! If you don’t have parchment paper, you can spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray instead.
Place the cauliflower florets in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Make sure the pieces don’t overlap or touch each other. If they stick together, they’ll be difficult to pull apart, and won’t get as crispy.
Step 5: Air fry
Let the pieces cook for about 15 minutes at 350 F(175°C). Once done, take them out for the basket and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle buffalo sauce on top and toss so that the sauce coats the cauliflower florets. Serve with blue cheese dressing and enjoy!
Dips to Pair with Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
While blue cheese dressing is a dip for these cauliflowers, feel free and get creative with your dip options. You can also try the following:
- Buffalo ranch dip
- Hummus
- Tahini sauce
- Salsa
- Sour cream and chives
- Roasted red pepper dip
- Garlic Aioli
- Baba Ganoush
- Cilantro Lime Dip
How To Store Leftovers
Transfer the leftover buffalo cauliflower to an airtight container with fitting lids to prevent excess air from getting in, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Store the extra sauce separately to prevent the cauliflower from becoming soggy.
What to Serve with This Dish
There are so many options for main dishes to serve with this dish. You can make these all in the air fryer or in the oven, if you wish.
Questions About the Recipe
Can I make my own buffalo sauce?
I usually use store-bought Frank’s Red Hot sauce for this recipe because it’s easier to buy. But you can make it yourself. Here is a recipe for making your own buffalo sauce without Frank’s Red Hot.
Can we make this recipe gluten-free?
You can make this recipe gluten-free by using almond flour or any gluten-free flour. Along the same lines, substituting the flour can make it low-carb or keto-friendly. I like to use half almond and half coconut for the best texture.
Can the cauliflower be deep-fried or baked instead?
While you can deep fry and bake them in the oven, the best part about using the air fryer to make buffalo cauliflower is that it achieves a similar result, with a nice crispy exterior, without having to deep fry it.
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Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Equipment
- Kitchen Tongs
- Parchment paper optional
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 3/4 cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) onion powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) Spanish paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 3/4 cup (177 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) Frank’s red hot buffalo sauce
- 1/4 cup (59 ml) Blue cheese dressing
Instructions
- Mix the flour, garlic and onion powders, paprika and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the water and mix until smooth.
- Pour the cauliflower into the batter and stir to coat each piece.
- Take out the pieces of cauliflower and set them on a rack to let the excess batter drip off.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the air fryer basket, or spray it with cooking spray.
- Arrange the cauliflower pieces inside the basket in a single layer, not touching each other. Cook at 350º F (175º C) for 15 minutes. They don’t need to be flipped halfway through.
- When done, toss the cauliflower pieces in a bowl with the buffalo sauce until coated. Serve with blue cheese dressing.
Notes
- Cut the cauliflower in fairly large pieces, about the size of a golf ball.
- Use parchment paper round into the bottom of the air fryer. This will prevent a big mess when the batter gets baked onto the basket. If you don’t make sure to spray the air fryer basket well with cooking spray to keep the cauliflower from sticking.
- Make sure the pieces don’t overlap or touch each other. If they stick together, they’ll be difficult to pull apart.
All air fryers have different wattage and may cook at different rates. You may need to adjust the time or temp for the best results.
Nutrition
Laura is a passionate foodie and owner of Air Fry Anytime She is dedicated to sharing delicious recipes and helpful tips for using air fryers at home. With years of experience in the kitchen and a love for healthy, flavorful cooking, Laura has become an expert at using air fryers to create amazing meals that are both nutritious and delicious.
A yummy and creative way to cook cauliflower. Perfect appetizer for game day too. I gotta make a batch this weekend.
One of my favorite appetizers to make to entertain the crowd. I love how easy it is to make them, too!
This is a perfect vegetarian snack for game watching day!
Oh wow! The crispy coating on the cauliflower looks incredible! I especially love those flavors paired with the buffalo sauce and blue cheese dip.
I love how quick and easy this recipe is. I have all of the ingredients — and can make this for my family in under 15 minutes! Thank you for sharing!
So good! We used this recipe to make Buffalo cauliflower tacos and it was delicious. Crispy and the cauliflower cooked through nicely.
the BEST air fryer cauliflower I’ve found yet! I made this 2 different times. Once as “wings” & the other into tacos. Both were absolutely delicious. crispy & perfect with Franks Hot sauce. Highly suggest!
WOW absolutely delicious and ridiculously easy, thank you. Only difference I did was cut them smaller and added melted butter and honey to my Franks Buffalo sauce!
Perfect Recipe !
This is just what I wanted, easy and delicious. Can’t go wrong with this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you like it Karen!
Ohhhhh so yummy!!! I’m gonna make this again!
So good!! However, mine were not crispy. Not sure what I could’ve done wrong. I followed the recipe to a T. I ended up putting them in the broiler after I tossed with Buffalo sauce and they got crispy. Any ideas?
Hi Jamie, thanks for reaching out. Here are a few thoughts on the crispiness issue. We have definitely found that some air fryer models get things crispier than others. You can try cooking them a bit longer to see if they will crisp up or turn the heat up to 400° F for the last 5 minutes. You might also try putting them back in the air fryer after you sauce them for a few minutes. I hope this helps.
This recipe was a great way to use my airfryer! I am planning to make it again for our super bowl get together soon!
the ease of using the airfryer made the whole cooking process a breeze.
I can’t believe how crispy and flavorful the cauliflower turned out without all the extra oil
Glad you liked it!
The cauliflower was perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside
Do you have any recommendations for a dipping sauce that would go well with this dish besides blue cheese?
Ranch is always a great substitute here. It’s creamy but not so strong.
I used chickpea flour to make it gluten-free and it still came out super crispy!