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Zesty Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower is a delicious appetizer, side dish, or snack! Thanks to the air fryer, this easy buffalo cauliflower bites recipe is simple to make and cooks in only 9 minutes. No air fryer? You’ll find oven baking instructions as well.
This crispy and spicy air fryer buffalo cauliflower couldn’t be any simpler to make! You’re going to whip it up in one bowl (aka, limited dirty dishes) and then sit back and watch these disappear in a hot second.
Easily adaptable to various eating styles – Whole30, paleo, dairy-free, vegan, and even keto/low-carb, this is the kind of snack that makes everyone happy! Except, you know…people who don’t like delicious food.
Just like my Air Fryer Egg Rolls, Air Fryer Pretzel Bites, and Air Fryer Zucchini Chips, this recipe takes something simple and makes it bonkers delicious.
Ready to take my traditional Air Fryer Cauliflower recipe and flip it on its head? Let’s do this!
Buffalo Cauliflower Ingredients
- Cauliflower – fresh
- Butter – use ghee for lactose-free, or olive oil for dairy-free/vegan
- Buffalo sauce or Franks Red Hot
- Panko – the mayor of crunch town
- Dried celery seed (optional, but delicious)
Traditionally, buffalo sauce is made from hot sauce and melted butter. I did use a premade buffalo sauce but still chose to use butter because I love the extra flavor it gives this dish. You can choose to leave it out if you’re using premade buffalo sauce.
Use any leftover buffalo sauce to make a batch of this amazing Buffalo Hummus, Buffalo Chicken Fries, and Mac and Cheese Egg Rolls with Buffalo Ranch.
How to Make Buffalo Cauliflower
*This is sooooo easy. I’ll walk you through it now but you’ll also find a detailed and printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’re going to start by cutting up your cauliflower into medium florets. Do your best to get uniform pieces as much as possible. Large cuts will take longer to cook, and smaller ones may cook too fast and burn.
Then, microwave your buffalo sauce and butter (I used my favorite bowl for this) until the butter is melted. Stir to combine and add the cauliflower. Then give that a gentle stir until all the nooks and crannies are coated with the sauce.
Sprinkle half of the panko and celery seed on top and stir everything around. Add the rest of the panko and celery seed and stir to coat.
Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil (I used my Misto) and place half of the batch in. Don’t overcrowd the basket or things will get soggy instead of crispy. You can also use this parchment made for air fryers if you’d like.
Cook for 6 minutes, and then flip and cook for an additional 2-4 depending on the size of your florets. Serve with your favorite dip – I suggest Yogurt Ranch Dressing!
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- I personally have not made this using frozen cauliflower, but I would not thaw it first.
- Don’t use celery salt in place of the celery seed as it will make your cauliflower waaaaaay too salty!
- Sub in gluten-free panko, gluten-free flour, or almond flour if you can’t tolerate gluten. Using almond flour would make this dish Whole30 compliant, paleo, and keto-friendly.
MORE DELICIOUS APPETIZERS YOU’LL LOVE
- See all our Air Fryer Appetizers here!
- Air Fryer Ravioli
- Easy Air Fryer Pickles
- Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
- Fried Artichoke Hearts
- Crispy Air Fryer Green Bean Fries
- Air Fryer Fries
- Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Easy Homemade Pub Cheese
- Healthy Deviled Eggs
More Amazing Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
- Crispy Fried Onions
- Air Fryer Roasted Garlic
- Check out all my air fryer vegetable recipes
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower {Vegetarian}
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 tbsp butter {use ghee or olive oil if dairy-free}
- 1/4 cup buffalo sauce
- 1/2 cup panko {use almond flour for GF/Whole30/Keto}
- 1/4 tsp celery seed {optional}
Instructions
- Cut cauliflower into uniform medium pieces.
- Microwave buffalo sauce and butter until the butter has melted (~20 seconds). Stir to combine.
- Add the cauliflower. Gently stir until all the nooks and crannies are coated with the sauce.
- Sprinkle half of the panko and celery seed on top and stir everything around. Add the rest of the panko and celery seed and stir to coat.
- Spray the air fryer basket with olive oil and place half of the batch in. Don't overcrowd the basket or things will get soggy instead of crispy.
- Cook at 370 degrees F for 6 minutes, and then flip and cook for an additional 2-4 depending on the size of your florets. Serve with your favorite dip
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Yum! I was so excited to find this recipe! I’m vegetarian and love buffalo sauce! It was so great to have a yummy wing alternative! My family really like them. Next time I make them I will try the almond flour version and share with a gluten free vegan friend. Yum!
Buffalo sauce on everything, Emily! I’m glad they were a hit with and the GF version is super tasty too.