Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower (Printable)

Golden, crispy cauliflower tossed in tangy buffalo sauce for a flavorful vegetarian appetizer or snack.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

→ Batter

02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - ½ cup water
04 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
05 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
06 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - ½ teaspoon salt
08 - ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Buffalo Sauce

09 - ¼ cup hot sauce (such as Frank's RedHot)
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
11 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)

→ For Serving

12 - Celery sticks
13 - Blue cheese or ranch dressing (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, water, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until smooth batter forms.
03 - Add cauliflower florets to batter, tossing until evenly coated.
04 - Shake off excess batter and arrange florets in single layer in air fryer basket. Work in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
05 - Air fry for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking basket halfway through, until golden and crisp.
06 - Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix hot sauce, melted butter, and honey or maple syrup if using.
07 - Transfer cooked cauliflower to clean bowl, drizzle with buffalo sauce, and toss to coat evenly.
08 - Return sauced cauliflower to air fryer for another 3 to 5 minutes to set sauce and crisp further.
09 - Serve immediately with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The air fryer gives you restaurant-level crunch without the mess of deep frying
  • You can adjust the heat to suit everyone at the table
  • These reheat surprisingly well for next-day lunches
02 -
  • Overcrowding the basket makes cauliflower steam instead of crisp, so work in batches
  • That second quick fry after saucing is what makes the coating stick instead of sliding off
03 -
  • Pat cauliflower completely dry before battering or the coating wont stick properly
  • Use tongs to flip and toss everything, keeping your hands clean of sauce

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