Air fryer buffalo cauliflower bites are the perfect snack and a great way to enjoy a fave veggie!
Bites of cauliflower are dredged and lightly breaded and air fried. Finally, they’re tossed in buffalo sauce for the perfect snack food. Serve with carrots & celery sticks and ranch or blue cheese dip.
A Favorite Snack
The perfect alternative to buffalo wings, buffalo cauliflower bites are savory and snackable!
- We love them because they taste SO GOOD!
- They’re air fried (and not deep fried) for extra crisp without all of the fat.
- They can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and cooked just before eating.
- Toss them in buffalo sauce or save a few without sauce for anyone in your group who doesn’t eat spice!
Ingredients
CAULIFLOWER Cauliflower is a low-carb and keto superstar! Packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, cauliflower is our favorite veggie for its mild flavor and versatility!
BREADING This recipe is a take on our oven version. Lightly breaded and air fried to crispy perfection.
BUFFALO SAUCE Toss or dip these into Buffalo sauce for their signature flavor!
How to Make Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
This is the easy part!
- Prepare cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.
- Whisk batter ingredients. Stir breading ingredients together; set aside.
- Toss cauliflower into the batter & let excess batter drip off.
- Gently roll each cauliflower piece in breading mixture & place in air fryer. Cook until crispy (per the recipe below.)
- Remove cauliflower bites & toss in Buffalo sauce. Return to air fryer & cook another 2-3 minutes.
Buffalo cauliflower bites aren’t the same without a few dips and sauces! Ranch dressing, homemade aioli, honey mustard sauce, and creamy cheese sauce are some of our faves.
No Air Fryer? No Problem!
Oven-Baked Buffalo Cauliflower or Crispy Cauliflower Wings are just as easy as the air fryer version!
Tips for Perfection
- Cut or break cauliflower pieces into uniform sizes so they all cook at the same rate.
- The batter is very thick, be sure to allow excess to drip off (or even give it a little shake if needed).
- Do not overcrowd the basket, cook in batches if needed to ensure that the air has lots of space to circulate.
- For a crisper breading, serve with hot sauce on the side for dipping. (Garlicky Aioli is another favorite dip).
Air Fryer Appies
- Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks
- Crispy Air Fryer Dill Pickles – perfect for dipping
- Crispy Air Fryer French Fries
- Air Fryer Nachos
- Air Fryer Onion Rings – so crispy & flavorful
- Air Fryer Stuffed Mushrooms
Did you love these Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup buffalo sauce
Batter
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash, dry, and cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.
- Whisk batter ingredients until smooth and toss with cauliflower.
- Combine Panko bread crumbs, seasoned bread crumbs, olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste.
- Remove cauliflower from the batter and allow excess to drip off. Gently roll cauliflower in the bread crumb mixture. Repeat with remaining cauliflower.
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F. Place cauliflower in a single layer in the air fryer.
- Cook for 5 minutes. Increase heat to 400°F and cook an additional 5-7 minutes or until cauliflower is tender inside and crisp outside.
- Toss with sauce and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Serve with carrot sticks, celery and blue cheese or ranch dressing if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Appetizer, Party Food, Snack
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This recipe was a great substitute for chicken wings. I made half with the sauce on the side and they got super crispy. I think I used too much wing sauce on the other half because they were a little less crispy but still awesome. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for posting such great recipes!
So happy you enjoyed it, Sandy!