Looking for an appetizer that’s a delicious low-carb crowd pleaser? This Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower is totally it. I couldn’t believe how much we enjoyed making this in our air fryer and talk about FAST….holy cow. It is done in minutes!
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe
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Howdy. Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’…..Shall We?? 🙂
This is the easiest air fryer appetizer you’ll likely EVER make. The cauliflower is delicious, cooked just until crisp-tender and buffalo sauce has just the right amount of heat.
I was surprised at how quickly we scarfed down an entire head of cauliflower when we made this recipe!
What to Love About This Recipe –
- It’s addictively good.
- It’s healthy.
- It’s fast!
What Ingredients Will You Need to Make Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower?
- Raw (not frozen) cauliflower
- Butter
- Hot sauce
- Panko crumbs
- Ranch dressing
What’s So Great About an Air Fryer?
After we looked at the reviews for several air fryers and did a little research on our own, we purchased Cuisinart TOA-60 Air Fryer. The basket is big enough to make 4 grilled cheese sandwiches at once which is perfect for our family.
We love how CRISPY the air fryer makes our favorite foods and how it doesn’t heat up the kitchen. Just wait until you reheat leftover pizza in your air fryer – it’s like brand new! You will also fall in love at how the air fryer makes such delicious BACON.
We make all kinds of things in the air fryer – calzones, turnovers, sweet potato chips, cheese sticks, French fries, roasted vegetables, and even chocolate chip cookies!
How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower in 3 Easy Steps
- Melt the butter, then whisk in the buffalo sauce.
- Dip the cauliflower pieces into the butter sauce, then into panko crumbs.
- Place the cauliflower onto the air fryer rack and cook for 12-15 minutes or until fork-tender and golden brown. Serve!
Easy Recipe Tips –
- How should I cut the head of cauliflower?
- Why can’t I use frozen cauliflower in this recipe?
- What are panko crumbs? Can I substitute regular bread crumbs instead?
- Can I use other raw vegetables in this recipe?
- Are there other dressings I can use to dip the cauliflower in?
Cut the head of cauliflower into fairly large pieces that have some of the stem attached – this it easier to dip them into the buffalo sauce mixture and then into the breadcrumbs.
Frozen cauliflower won’t work in this recipe because it’s par-boiled before it’s frozen, so it gets to mushy when you try to dip it and cook it.
Panko crumbs are Japanese bread crumbs. They are irregular in size so they make a nice, crispy coating. Regular bread crumbs can be substituted but the coating won’t be as crunchy.
Just about any raw vegetable used in this recipe would be delicious – broccoli, asparagus, bell pepper strips, zucchini, squash….the list goes on!
As for dressings or a sauce for dipping, you can use any type you prefer. We like Ranch dressing but feel free to use what you fancy – bleu cheese, honey mustard, Caesar, vinaigrettes- anything!
Other Recipe Favorites to Enjoy –
-
Spicy-Sweet Hawaiian Cheese Ball with Gingersnap Cookies
-
Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli Parmesan
-
Savory-Sweet Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders
-
Air Fryer Churro Stix
-
Crispy Potato Skins
-
Good and Saucy Venison Bacon Poppers
-
Pepperoni Pizza Cheese Ball
Printable Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe –
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 4 cups small cauliflower florets
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs mixed with 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
- Your Favorite Ranch Dressing, for dipping
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the butter with the buffalo sauce.Holding each piece of cauliflower by the stem, dip each one in the butter/buffalo sauce mixture, getting most of it coated in the sauce. (Don’t worry if a bit of the stem doesn't get dipped.) Hold the cauliflower over the bowl until it stops dripping.
- Now dredge the dipped cauliflower in the panko, coating it as much as you like.; place into the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry the cauliflower at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, shaking or tossing a few times, and checking the progress as you go. The cauliflower is done when the florets are a little bit browned.
- Serve with the creamy dipping sauce of your choice.
Notes
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Question – Does the Cruisinart Air Fryer use any oil? I thought some used a small amount. Is it basically a powerful convection oven with air circulating? Do you need to stir or turn the food? I’m weighing the cost & counterspace vs advantages. Thanks for the help, love reading your posts.
Hi Jan – The only oil I use in my Cuisinart Air Fryer is what I brush onto the items I’m air frying. And, yes, at least as far as what we’ve experienced, the Cuisinart Air Fryer is a miniature version of a convection oven. We do find that we need to turn what we air fry, approx. half way through the cooking time, and it’s perfect….lovely golden brown and nicely crisped. I’ve been shocked at how much we are actually using our air fryer – especially the men in my family. They have adapted to using it much more quickly than I have, but I know it’s because of how fast it’s hot and ready to go – almost instantaneously! I totally understand your concern regarding cost and the amount of counter space you have to give up. I think that once we made a deep-dish quiche in it as well as a couple of rib-eye steaks (oh, and BACON!), we were completely and totally SOLD. I think we will use it even more in the summer months when we don’t want to heat up the kitchen from oven use. Let me know what else I can help you with. Chef Alli
thanks, Alli – I think I’ll put it on my wish list!