These air fryer buffalo cauliflower bites are the BEST appetizer or game day snack! They're crispy, saucy, and spicy. You won't be able to get enough!
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This air fryer buffalo cauliflower is the ULTIMATE game day snack. It’s saucy, spicy, and crispy, the kind of finger food that packs a ton of flavor into a single bite. If you still need snack recs for the Super Bowl next weekend, here’s mine: make this!
I based this recipe on the baked buffalo cauliflower I shared last fall. After I posted it, I heard from so many of you asking for an air fryer version. I am SO GLAD I tried one, because this air fryer buffalo cauliflower might be even better than the oven version (which was already very delicious). The air fryer just makes it that much more crispy! Devour the florets on their own (warning: they’re seriously addictive!) or take them over the top with a creamy dipping sauce. This blue cheese dressing or vegan ranch is fantastic.
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe Ingredients
To make this air fryer buffalo cauliflower recipe, you’ll start by breaking a head of cauliflower into large florets.
Then, you’ll make a batter out of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and water. The cornstarch is the secret to getting the cauliflower nice and crisp!
After you air fry the cauliflower, you’ll brush it with buffalo sauce. I like to make a homemade one using Frank’s red hot sauce, melted butter, garlic powder, paprika, and honey. For a vegan alternative, sub vegan butter for regular butter and use agave instead of honey!
Don’t forget the blue cheese dressing or vegan ranch dressing for serving! For a full “buffalo wings” experience, carrots and celery sticks are fun too.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Tips
- Really coat that cauliflower! The batter is what gives the cauliflower its crispy, “fried” effect, so you want to get it into every nook and cranny of each floret. When you add the cauliflower to the thick flour mixture, stir well to make sure the florets are fully coated.
- Don’t crowd the basket. If it’s too crowded, the cauliflower will steam instead of getting browned and crisp. Arrange the florets in a single layer and leave a little space around each one. Work in batches if necessary. It takes me two batches to make this recipe in my air fryer.
- Flip it carefully. When you flip the cauliflower after the first few minutes of cooking, it might want to stick to the air fryer basket. That’s ok! If you use a spatula to loosen the cauliflower from the basket, you’ll be able to flip it without tearing off its crispy coating. To minimize sticking, you can also lightly grease the basket with cooking spray before adding the cauliflower.
- Sauce it twice. For the best buffalo flavor, you’ll need to sauce these cauliflower bites twice: once halfway through the cook time, and once just before serving. Don’t hold back here! Rotate the florets as you brush on the sauce in order to coat them on all sides.
- Eat it right away. This buffalo cauliflower is best hot from the air fryer, when it’s still nice and crisp. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, but they’ll lose some of their crispness. If you’re making this recipe for a party or game day, I recommend air frying the cauliflower just before serving.
More Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
If you love these air fryer buffalo cauliflower wings, try making one of these fun snacks in the air fryer next:
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅔ 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
- 1 head cauliflower, about 2 pounds, broken into large florets
- Buffalo Sauce, for brushing
- Vegan Ranch, for dipping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt. Add the water and whisk until smooth. Add the cauliflower and stir to coat.
- Lift the cauliflower florets out of the batter, allowing any excess batter to drip back into the bowl. Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving a little space around each floret. Don’t crowd the basket. Work in batches as necessary.
- Air fry for 9 minutes. Remove from the air fryer and use a spatula to carefully flip the florets. Brush with some of the buffalo sauce. Air fry for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is dark and crisp around the edges.
- Remove from the air fryer and brush with additional buffalo sauce. If desired, serve with vegan ranch for dipping.
So, my cauliflower did not turn out crisp. I think it might have been:
1) the mixture was too goopy. I think I may have used more flour than I should have.
2) they weren’t spread apart as recommended in the Air Fryer.
I’ll definitely try it again, but I’m wondering about a more simpler approach by coating with olive oil and buffalo sauce then dipping in panko mixture.
Hi, you might like our regular air fryer cauliflower recipe: https://strong-nights.today/air-fryer-cauliflower/%3C/a%3E. It has a panko coating and would be great with buffalo sauce on the side for dipping!
These were so delicious! No adjustment made to the recipe and I cleaned my plate. Will definitely be in regular rotation for lunch or as an appetizer.
I’m glad you loved it!
Easy and delicious. Great crispy batter. My guests loved it.
Big hit at the super bowl party. The batter + the air fryer makes it genuinely crispy which is really hard to achieve in the oven! Will be making it again!
Yay! So glad the recipe was a hit!
As with most air fryer recipes the cook times are way too long. No more than 5 minutes at 400F or 7 minutes at 350F or hey get bitter.
These turned out very bland don’t care for him at all.I’m trying to adjust the recipe so I don’t waste it.
And I cook everyday all day
This was an excellent appetizer ❤️ We absolutely loved it!!! 🤌🏻❤️!
So glad you loved it, Stephanie!
These were so delicious. I didn’t have Frank’s Red Hot sauce so used sirachia sauce instead. They crisped up so well; after taking one batch out too soon for fear of burning, learned importance of having dark edges. Have a request to make this again- which I’m definitely going to do.
Great recipe. Didn’t get super crispy, but still delicious. Careful if you use air frier liners like I do, these stick terribly to them. My second batch I oiled it a little and it was fine from there. Also, for the love of all that is good in the world, let these cool. They look so harmless but that cauliflower inside WILL attack you if you try to eat them too quickly after air frying 🤣
How many calories and carbs are there in this recipe
Hi Matthew, I’m sorry, we don’t calculate nutrition facts but you can plug the ingredients into an online nutrition calculator.
I have now made this recipe three times and I think I’ve dialed in to PERFECTION ❤️
I realized that it’s crucial that the cauliflower is perfectly dry before coating with the batter or else the coating will simply slide off.
Secondly, I agree that it’s not quite enough batter for a good-sized cauliflower, so making 1.5x to 2x the batter is best to ensure excellent coating.
Thirdly, using plant milk (or dairy milk) instead of water makes for an even richer batter, though using water is perfectly fine too.
Lastly, because I like things spicier than your average toaster, I added about 1/2 tsp black pepper to the batter, and I use a mix of Frank’s and Cholula or spicier hot sauce.
These are crazy-delicious and incredibly more-ish…I have eaten an entire cauliflower before and I’ll do it again without guilt 😀
Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Alicia, I’m so glad you loved them so much!
These worked out super great! I used non alcoholic beer instead of water, they were so crispy and delicious, will definitely make again!
I’m glad you loved it!
Total fail. Not enough batter for a whole cauliflower… Batter dripping through frying basket even after letting excess drip off which glued pieces down. No fat/oil in batter so there was no crisping effect – even after glazing with sauce. I am an experienced cook and should have known better. Another internet recipe fail with a good rating…
Will try a crumbed exterior next time – less messy and it might actually crisp up.
Hi, I’m so sorry to hear you were disappointed with the results. Just so I can help troubleshoot, did you change anything about the recipe?
So yummy. I dislike when people modify a recipe before making it for the first time buuuut here goes. 🙁 I had some panko and parmesan crumbs left over from a tofu recipe so after putting cauliflower through the flour slurry, I dipped some in panto. Both were good, but extra extra crispy for those ones. Dont ask me about leftovers cause we wolfed them down. Homemade buffalo wing sauce was a great combo. Thank you
Hi! this looks delicious! Is it possible to make the with frozen cauliflower?
Hi Sara, I think frozen cauliflower will be too wet (these will become more mushy) and I don’t think the florets will be large enough. I really recommend fresh cauliflower for this one.
Was still soggy coming out of the oven and the flour hadn’t cooked through.
Worked out great, even though I did crowd the air fryer. I love how the coating actually stuck!
Quite liked this! Would just recommend people do a separation and flip about 5 minutes in to prevent the sticking
Came here to spite comment the haters that this actually worked even with crowding the air fryer lol I just made sure to drain them before putting them in
Hi, so glad you enjoyed it!
Terrible. Stuck the the air fryer and a total mess to clean up. Not worth it at all.
Really?? I just made this and only the one in the very middle of my air fryer stuck. All others came up somewhat easily with a rubber spatula. I came on here to comment on how great these are and was surprised to see this comment. Do you have a non-stick air fryer? To make this more WFPB friendly, I did use whole wheat flour and it was still great! For the buffalo sauce, i used Frank’s hot sauce. YUM! Also, great job on the timing for this recipe. After flipping, mine only needed 7 minutes longer. Inside was nice and soft.