These Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Wings are a tangy, spicy, delicious appetizer with creamy mayonnaise or ranch dressing. They’re easy, vegan-friendly, and quick – ready in 30 minutes!
Cauliflower wings are the perfect finger-food option for a summer afternoon party and extra satisfying served with a crisp ice-cold beer or cider. They’re an awesome snack choice for the Superbowl or the Aussie equivalent – Grand Final Day; they’re so easy and quick to make for a low-fuss entertaining option. Serve them alongside some of my other easy appetizers like the viral TikTok Crispy Smashed Potatoes, my Hummus Potatoes, Jalapeno Mac n Cheese Bites, or for a healthier option, Carrot Fries!
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But of course, feel free to host guests to make these – treat yourself! They’re a fab treat to look forward to on a Friday night after a long work week, or can even be eaten as a main meal for two people. If you’d like to make them a main course, try serving them alongside my viral Brown Rice Salad or pairing them with something creamy like Pumpkin Mac n Cheese or Avocado Pasta Salad. They also make a delicious filling for tacos with some guacamole, shredded cabbage, and jalapenos!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavor Bomb: Bold spices, tangy sriracha sauce, and a creamy vegan mayonnaise make these cauliflower wings SO more-ish! They will impress even the biggest meat eaters and make the perfect party snack.
- Vegan Friendly: These plant-based wings prove that vegan alternatives can sometimes be even more delicious than the original meat-based recipe! You don’t need to pick over bones; bite straight in and enjoy.
- Healthier: These wings are air-fried and made without dairy or meat, so they are much healthier than the original chicken version.
- Quick and Easy: Simple prep and a quick cooking time means these are on the table in just 30 minutes. A great recipe for easy entertaining.
- Versatile Crowd-Pleaser: Whether it’s a party, movie night, or grand final day celebration (aka the Aussie version of the superbowl hehe), these buffalo cauliflower wings will be a big hit.
Ingredients
Unlike some vegan recipes that require a bunch of niche specialty ingredients, cauliflower wings are very simple. There’s a detailed list of ingredients with exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here’s a shopping list for your convenience:
- Cauliflower
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened plant-based milk (e.g., almond milk or soy milk)
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Panko bread crumbs
- Sriracha sauce
- Soy sauce
- Vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
- Optional: Fresh cilantro or green onions for garnish
How To Make Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
Making Buffalo Cauliflower using an air fryer is very quick. Detailed instructions are included in the recipe card and video at the bottom of this post, but here are the step-by-step instructions with photos to make it even easier:
Prepare the cauliflower by cutting it into bite-sized florets. Remove any tough stems.
Whisk flour, plant-based milk, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper to make a smooth batter.
Coat the cauliflower in the batter, then coat in panko breadcrumbs.
Air fry the cauliflower wings for 15 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
Combine sriracha, soy sauce, and vegetable oil to make the buffalo sauce.
Coat cauliflower in buffalo sauce and return it to the air fryer for 5 minutes.
Garnish and serve with your dipping sauce of choice.
Hint: you *can* coat the florets in buffalo sauce in the air fryer basket to save yourself cleaning an extra bowl, but make sure to brush the buffalo sauce on (don’t pour it on as I do in the video below!!); otherwise half the sauce will fall through the grill of your air fryer and will be wasted. I learned this the hard way, haha. In case you haven’t invested in an air fryer, I like my Tefal Easy Fry & Grill Deluxe Air Fryer EY505D, and I recommend it!
How to Serve Cauliflower Wings
Because they have a tangy, spicy sauce and a crispy outer, Buffalo Cauliflower Wings are best served with something cooling to complement them. A creamy plant-based mayonnaise, ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, or even hummus with fresh accompaniments like carrot or celery sticks would be ideal. If you’re planning on eating this as a main meal (note – this recipe will only be enough for two people), then consider serving them with a creamy cold salad like my Avocado Pasta Salad or as a hearty addition to this Arugula Pumpkin Chickpea Salad.
Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Make this recipe gluten-free by replacing the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend, gluten-free bread crumbs instead of panko, and tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Sriracha: you can use any hot sauce you want to make the Buffalo Sauce. Frank’s Red Hot Sauce is also a great choice.
- Swap out the buffalo sauce: Instead of the buffalo sauce, you can coat the cauliflower wings with your favorite vegan BBQ sauce for a tangy and smoky twist. Or create an Asian-inspired sauce by combining sriracha with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and a touch of maple syrup or agave for sweetness.
- Use a different milk: Feel free to use other unsweetened plant-based milk options, such as oat milk. Of course, if you’re not vegan, you can use regular dairy milk.
- Make it extra crunchy: If you want an extra CRONCH, then why not replace the panko breadcrumbs with crushed cornflakes, crushed pretzels, or crushed tortilla chips? Yummmm.
Variations
- Bake or deep fry: While this recipe is for air frying, you can also opt to deep-fry the cauliflower wings for a more indulgent and crispy result. Keep in mind that deep-frying will require more oil and will increase the overall calorie content. For a healthier option, you can also bake these in an oven at 425°F (220°C) for 20-25 minutes, coat in the sauce, then bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Different dipping sauces: Besides vegan ranch and blue cheese dressings, you can explore other dipping sauce options like hummus, sriracha mayo, vegan tzatziki, guacamole, sweet chili sauce, peanut sauce, or vegan honey mustard.
- Buffalo cauliflower tacos: Use the buffalo cauliflower as a filling for tacos instead of serving it as wings. Add shredded lettuce or red cabbage, diced tomatoes, avocado, and a drizzle of vegan ranch.
- Spice it up: Experiment with different spices or blends to customize the flavor. For example, add cayenne pepper, chili powder, or a pinch of cumin for added heat and complexity.
How to Store Leftovers
These are best enjoyed straight out of the air fryer for the freshest and crispiest texture. But if you have leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3-4 days. Alternatively, freeze them on a baking sheet before transferring them to a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months. Reheat in the oven or air fryer to restore crispiness.
How to Prepare In Advance
If you’re hosting a party and want to do as much prep as possible before your guests arrive, then you can prepare buffalo cauliflower bites partially in advance. Work through the recipe up to the point where you are about to air fry the cauliflower bites. At this point, they should be coated in batter and panko crumbs but still raw. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days until you’re ready to cook. You can also pre-mix the buffalo sauce so it’s ready to go.
Expert Tips
Make sure to get the batter and buffalo sauce well coated on the florets; get into every nook and cranny for maximum flavor!
Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket – cook in batches if needed! Otherwise, the texture of the cauliflower will not be crispy, and it will not cook through to be tender. It should be one layer of cauliflower, and there should be a little bit of space between each floret.
FAQs
Buffalo cauliflower wings are a generally healthier option than real chicken wings as they are often lower calorie and contain less saturated fat. That said, keep in mind that cauliflower is lower in protein than chicken, and these are still made using some oil. Cauliflower wings are certainly not unhealthy, but also not a dish I would consider ‘diet’ food – enjoy in moderation 🙂
Air fry these veggie buffalo wings for 15 minutes, coat them in buffalo sauce, then return to the air fryer for an extra 5 minutes. 20 minutes in total.
Cauliflower wings could be considered a healthier option as they are lower in calories and saturated fat, but it’s important to note that cauliflower is a vegetable and does not contain the protein that chicken does. Both options can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Soggy wings are often due to overcrowding during baking or air frying, lack of oil, incorrect cooking time, or sauce application timing. Ensure to air fry or bake in a single layer with some space around each floret; use the recommended oil, and return to the oven or air fryer after coating in buffalo sauce. Depending on your appliances, you may need to increase the temperature and cook time until you get the desired texture. Keep an eye on the cauliflower and continue to cook until crispy.
I’m not going to lie to you – cauliflower wings are delicious, but they do NOT taste like chicken. The sauce flavor is the same, but the actual cauliflower texture and flavor are mild but much lighter and just totally different from the chicken. Don’t let that put you off, though – it’s still an absolutely delicious snack in its own right. If you want to make wings that taste more like chicken, try using seitan or chicken mock meat strips instead of cauliflower florets.
More vegan side dishes
Looking for more vegan side dishes? Try some of my other recipes:
Visual learner? Watch me make the recipe!
I hope you love this recipe for Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Wings! Steve and I always make this when we see cauliflower discounted at the supermarket – it’s so easy and delicious. Let me know in the comments below what you thought of the recipe or if you have tried any variations I can experiment with 🙂
Buffalo Tofu Fries
Equipment
- Air fryer optional
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra firm tofu (400g) pressed
- 1/3 cup cornstarch (40g)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plant-based milk (60ml) I use soy
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs (50g)
Buffalo Sauce
- 1/4 cup Franks red hot sauce (60ml)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (25ml)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil or sub melted vegan butter
- 1 tsp maple syrup
To serve
- chives finely sliced
- ranch dressing or mayo vegan
Instructions
- First, press the tofu for 10-20 minutes. To do this, place the tofu on paper towel or a clean, non-fluffy tea towel and weigh it down with a chopping board and some heavy objects (a heavy cast iron dish or cook books work nicely).
- Lightly grease the air fryer basket with cooking spray or a small amount of oil. If using an oven, preheat to 425°F (220°C).
- Slice the pressed tofu into 1/2 inch wide fingers.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, plant-based milk, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until you have a smooth batter.
- In a separate bowl, place the panko bread crumbs.
- Add the tofu pieces to the bowl of batter and carefully toss to coat. Next, roll the tofu pieces in the panko bread crumbs, pressing gently to help them adhere.
- Air fry tofu at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time, until they are crispy and golden brown. Or, if using the oven, bake for 25 minutes, flip, then bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the tofu is crispy.
- While the tofu is cooking, prepare the buffalo sauce. In a small bowl, combine the hot sauce, soy sauce, vegetable oil and maple syrup.
- When the tofu is done, transfer to a large mixing bowl or tray. Pour over the buffalo sauce and toss gently until thoroughly coated. Return the coated tofu to the air fryer or oven for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from the air fryer or oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh chives and serve with mayonnaise or ranch dressing.
Liz Douglas says
My favourite air-fryer snack yet!
sarah says
Scrumptious meal, epitome of comfort food.
Shawna says
These look so good! They’ll be a great snack for New Years Eve!
Hong Nguyen says
So, so good, trust me
Liz Douglas says
My fave hot snack – sooo good with a cold beer or crisp cider