Easy air fryer buffalo cauliflower is light on the batter and simple to make with a satisfying crunch and plenty of that buffalo heat! Dip it in vegan ranch or your favorite creamy vegan dressing.
Servings 4servings (as an appetizer)
Author Becky Striepe
Ingredients
For the cauliflower
4cupscauliflower floretsEach one should be approx. the size of two baby carrots, if you put the baby carrots side-by-side.
1cuppanko breadcrumbs mixed with 1 teaspoon sea saltI would not use regular salt here. Sea salt grains are bigger, and they add a little extra crunch to the breading.
For the buffalo coating
¼cupmelted vegan butter¼ cup after melting
¼cupvegan Buffalo sauceCheck the ingredients for butter. I used Frank's Red Hot
Instructions
If you are baking, preheat the oven to 375° F.
Melt the vegan butter in a mug in the microwave, then whisk in the buffalo sauce.
Holding by the stem, dip each floret in the butter/buffalo sauce mixture, getting most of the floret coated in sauce. It's fine if a bit of the stem doesn't get saucy. Hold the floret over the mug until it pretty much stops dripping. A few drips are OK, but if it's raining sauce, your panko is going to get clumpy and stop sticking as well.
Dredge the dipped floret in the panko/salt mixture, coating as much as you like, then place in the air fryer. No need to worry about a single layer. Just place it in there.
To air fry: Cook at 350° F (do not preheat) for 14-17 minutes, shaking gently a few times (see note), and checking their progress when you shake. Your cauliflower is done when the florets are a little bit browned.
To bake:Arrange the coated florets in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375° F for 30-35 minutes, until the coating browns slightly.
Video
Notes
About the Prep Time: The 5-minute prep time assumes that you bought pre-cut, fresh cauliflower. If you're using a whole head, they will take longer. Frozen cauliflower will not work in this recipe.About the Shaking: You'll want to shake these gently, especially at first. The batter will get firmer as it cooks, but if you shake too vigorously, it will fall off in the early stages of cooking.How to Reheat: Buffalo cauliflower doesn't stay crunchy for long, so eat these immediately for maximum goodness. You can reheat these in the air fryer, so they'll get crunchy again. I gave some of these to my neighbor during testing, and he reheated them in the oven with good results, also. If you reheat in the microwave, they'll definitely be mushy.