Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower

This article has links to products that we may make commission from.

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.

>> You might try these Air Fryer Chicken Wings or these Air Fryer Portobello Mushrooms.

Buffalo Cauliflower with Dipping Sauce

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.

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.

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 coloured 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, savoury and intense flavour to the batter.
  • Onion powder: Onion also has a savoury flavour 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, savoury flavour with a kick of spice. You can use any brand’s buffalo sauce. My favourite is Frank’s Red Hot buffalo sauce.
  • Blue cheese dressing: Serve these florets with blue cheese dressing.
Cosori air fryer

OUR FAVORITE AIR FRYER

COSORI PRO LE 5-QT AIR FRYER

There are a lot of features to love about this air fryer, but top of our list are the tempered glass display, super easy to clean basket, and ability to add shake reminders.

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: 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.

Cut up cauliflower

Step 2: 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.

Cauliflower batter

Step 3: 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.

Cauliflower on a wire rack

Step 4: 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.

Raw Cauliflower in the air fryer basket

Step 5: 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.

Cooked Cauliflower in the air fryer basket

Step 6: Let the pieces cook for about 15 minutes at 350 degree F. 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
Cauliflower being coated in hot sauce

Tools We Used

Buffalo Cauliflower with Dipping Sauce

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

How To Store Leftover Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower

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.

Buffalo Cauliflower with Dipping Sauce

Why Use an Air Fryer

An air fryer is an incredibly easy way to cook just about anything. You place the food in a fryer-style basket and hot air rapidly circulates all around the food, making the food crisp – much like deep-frying, but without the oil. You can cook anything you’d make in the oven.

Buffalo Cauliflower with Dipping Sauce

What Oil & Oil Sprayer is Best for the Air Fryer?

The biggest issue most air fryer lovers face is finding the right oil and oil sprayer to use on food cooked in the air fryer. A fine mist of oil will help the entire piece of food crisp evenly, so it’s very important.

My personal preference is to use canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, or avocado oil. I use both a refillable spray bottle like the Evo one pictured below and non-propellant extra virgin olive oil, which has not harmful aerosols or chemicals.

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.

20 Delicious Air Fryer Main Dishes to Try

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

4.9 from 27 votes
Frozen Egg Rolls in the Air Fryer
5 from 43 votes
Air Fryer Tater Tots
4.8 from 76 votes
Air Fryer Crispy Artichokes
5 from 1 vote
Air Fryer Pizza Rolls (from frozen)

Like this recipe? We’d love for you to share it with your friends on social media. For more great recipes, follow us on Pinterest and Facebook, where we share our recipes daily.

Buffalo Cauliflower with Dipping Sauce

Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower

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.
4.8 from 116 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 144 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup Frank’s red hot buffalo sauce
  • 1/4 cup 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

You can substitute the flour for almond flour or gluten-free flour, if you want.

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

Calories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 6gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1402mgPotassium: 490mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 247IUVitamin C: 69mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Cauliflower
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

🥧 If you’re interested in more great recipes, I share all my favorite recipes over at A Food Lover’s Kitchen, and you’ll find Instant Pot recipes at A Pressure Cooker Kitchen, and cocktails and drinks at Savored Sips. Check it out today!

Like this recipe? Pin it for later!

14 thoughts on “Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower

  1. Kathryn says:

    5 stars
    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!

  2. Alyssa says:

    5 stars
    So good! We used this recipe to make Buffalo cauliflower tacos and it was delicious. Crispy and the cauliflower cooked through nicely.

  3. Gina says:

    5 stars
    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!

  4. Clarev says:

    5 stars
    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!

  5. Karen Paulsen says:

    5 stars
    Perfect Recipe !
    This is just what I wanted, easy and delicious. Can’t go wrong with this recipe. Thank you for sharing.

  6. Jamie says:

    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?

    • Angela Morris says:

      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.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating