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This recipe for Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower is so easy to make and is the perfect appetizer, snack, or side dish. It’s low in carbs and high in protein when you use nutritional yeast as breading. Even those who don’t love vegetables will eat these up–I’ve seen it happen in my own kitchen.
If you think this vegetarian snack looks delicious, you should also try our Vegetable Spring Rolls Recipe, this Elote Dip Recipe, or this Black Bean and Corn Salsa.
Why I Love These Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
I’m always on the lookout for a good recipe using buffalo sauce, and adding veggies is a huge bonus. That’s why I’m loving this Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower (from raw or frozen!)—a simple, family-friendly game day snack made with ingredients I can feel good about serving and enjoying myself.
I’m a huge fan of buffalo anything – my favorite buffalo recipes are this Buffalo Cauliflower Dip, Buffalo Chicken Breast Roll Ups, this Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip, Buffalo Mac And Cheese and this Buffalo Chicken Pasta Recipe.
Enjoy!
– Becca
Ingredients in Buffalo Cauliflower
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Cauliflower florets: You can use fresh cauliflower, but I actually prefer frozen. The moisture seems to help the batter stick, and I can always count on finding it in my freezer. I tend to leave out the smaller florets that would probably just fall through my air fryer basket, and just use the large pieces.
- Hot sauce: My go to is Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (not buffalo sauce and not wing sauce, because the ingredients in the Original version are better), but any hot sauce you prefer works.
- Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast with a cheesy and nutty flavor that is common in vegan recipes.
How to make Buffalo Cauliflower in the Air Fryer
These take about 25 minutes to make, but the cooking time will change depending on if you use fresh or frozen cauliflower and how many batches you make.
Step 1: Set your air fryer to 400 degrees F or medium high heat.
Pour 2 cups of cauliflower florets into a large mixing bowl. Spray liberally with cooking spray or toss with melted butter, shaking to coat the cauliflower on all sides.
Step 2: Add Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.
Toss and stir until all of your cauliflower is coated with hot sauce.
Step 3: Add nutritional yeast and toss one last time. You can also use panko, bread crumbs or crushed crackers.
Add the cauliflower in a single layer to the air fryer basket – don’t overpack the air fryer, as the hot air has to travel around the cauliflower to cook it.
The cauliflower can take anywhere from 10-25 minutes to cook depending on if you use fresh or frozen cauliflower.
Step 4: Gently toss your cauliflower every 5 minutes to promote even cooking and browning.
Your cauliflower should be nicely browned and crispy when it’s ready to eat. If it seems soggy, continue cooking in 5 minute increments. Different air fryers yield different results, so yours might take more or less time.
Use tongs to carefully remove the cauliflower when it’s lightly browned and crispy.
Recipe Tips
- If your cauliflower was cooked from frozen and seems soggy, it needs to cook longer. This is a normal part of the cooking process when you use frozen veggies.
- Want even more flavor? You can sprinkle some garlic powder or try this homemade ranch seasoning recipe on top of your cauliflower before cooking if you’d like something extra. Also add salt and pepper to taste, if you feel it needs it.
- I usually serve this just as I’d serve traditional chicken wings, with celery sticks, carrots, and my favorite dipping sauces: BBQ sauce, creamy blue cheese dressing, or this homemade Ranch Dip Recipe.
- For breaded cauliflower, if you don’t have nutritional yeast you can use panko bread crumbs, regular bread crumbs, or crushed crackers in its place. But, I have to mention that I highly recommend the nutritional yeast flakes. It gives it that authentic melted butter buffalo taste that we all love in classic wings.
Buffalo Cauliflower FAQs
While they’re cooking, yes. When cooking frozen vegetables in the air fryer, they go from frozen to soggy to cooked to crispy. They take a little longer to cook, but I love that it’s pretty much hands off.
You can use this recipe for any frozen vegetables–not just cauliflower! Try air frying your favorite veggies today!
These are delicious with or without breading. I love that the nutritional yeast adds some cheesy flavor as well as protein, so I typically use that. Making frozen breaded cauliflower with nutritional yeast is one of my favorite snacks.
It is! Always double check the hot sauce you use, but the rest of the ingredients are Vegan. I find that this recipe is a great way to satisfy my craving for hot wings without the chicken.
Healthy Eating Plans
Weight Watchers Points
The entire recipe is 1 2025 Point
21 Day Fix Containers
The entire recipe is 2 Green Containers and ½ Red Container. Nutritional yeast is free in small amounts, but for the amount used in this recipe I’d count it towards your daily red container.
2B Mindset
This recipe is a delicious side dish for a veggies most diet!
If you tried this recipe for Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower or any other recipe on my site please leave a rating and let me know how it went in the comments!
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Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower (from frozen!)
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Equipment
- Nutritional Yeast
- Ninja Foodi
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cups cauliflower frozen florets, thawed, or raw
- coconut oil spray or butter
- ½ cup hot sauce I use Frank's regular hot sauce, not buffalo sauce.
- ¾ cup nutritional yeast or panko breadcrumbs (optional)
Instructions
Air Fryer
- Set your air fryer to 400° F.
- Pour 2 cups of cauliflower florets into a large mixing bowl. Spray liberally with cooking spray or toss with melted butter, shaking to coat the cauliflower on all sides. Add frank's red hot sauce. 2 cups cauliflower, coconut oil spray, ½ cup hot sauce
- Toss and stir until all of your cauliflower is coated with hot sauce.
- Add nutritional yeast and toss one last time.You can also use bread crumbs or crushed crackers. ¾ cup nutritional yeast
- Add the cauliflower in a single layer to the air fryer basket. Don't overpack the air fryer, as the hot air has to travel around the cauliflower to cook it.
- The cauliflower can take anywhere from 10-25 minutes to cook depending on if you use fresh or frozen cauliflower. Gently toss your cauliflower every 5 minutes to promote even cooking and browning.
- Your cauliflower should be nicely browned and crispy when it's ready to eat. If it seems soggy, continue cooking in 5 minute increments. Different air fryers yield different results, so yours might take more or less time.
- Remove the cauliflower when it's slightly browned and crispy.
Oven
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Pour 2 cups of cauliflower into a large bowl. Spray liberally with cooking spray, shaking to make sure it is well coated on all sides, then add your hot sauce. Toss and stir until all of your cauliflower is coated with hot sauce, then add your nutritional yeast and toss one last time.
- Transfer your cauliflower to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, until browned and crispy.
Notes
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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Do you think it would taste as good to put the sauce on after it’s cooked? To save on mess in the air fryer. Also that’s a good idea to put it in the microwave and then finishing it off in the air fryer. How many minutes do you think it would need then? I’m new to my air fryer, but love it!
You can definitely put the sauce on after it’s cooked. I’d play a bit with your air fryer times, as they’re all a little different. :)
I’m about to make this. Can I ask why you use regular hot sauce and not Buffalo? I’m debating which to use. Thanks in advance. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Buffalo has a lot of extra ingredients that aren’t necessary. If you’re on a specific diet, it may be an issue – if not, you’re good to go :)
This is one of the best recipes, that I have made with an air fryer!! Though I have used the homemade buffalo sauce, it tastes great..
Absolutely amazing. LOVE this recipe
Seriously one of the best things I’ve made lately! This will definitely be in regular rotation. Thank you for the recipe!
This is a fast and easy recipe. I ran the cauliflower through the microwave and poured off the water, it was frozen and used both crumbs and brewer’s yeast. Will do again.
Brewer’s yeast is not the same things as nutritional yeast… =\
How long did you cook your cauliflower in the microwave?
3-4 minutes? 5-6? Whatever the bag of frozen cauliflower said–I’d have to look and am not home for a few days :)
Love twists on things and this one is a keeper, even the kids ate it up!
what a fun new way to eat cauliflower! these look so good
Thank you for this delicious air fryer buffalo cauliflower recipe. Since I received an air fryer this past Christmas, I can’t use it enough. I’m super excited to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing.
I love using my air fryer for recipes like this one. These are great for a party or just to snack on….so yummy!