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My air fryer Cauliflower Wings are the perfect gluten-free, dairy-free, and meat-free alternative to buffalo chicken wings! Popping with flavor, these easy cauliflower wings are ready in under 30 minutes using low-cost simple ingredients. I guarantee you and your family will love them!
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Cauliflower Wings in Air fryer
One of my favorite appetizers of all time has to be buffalo wings. What could be better than crispy wings slathered in tangy buffalo sauce, and dipped in creamy blue cheese dressing?
I have always wondered how I could enjoy that same buffalo wings experience using a different main ingredient from chicken and found my answer in cauliflower. My cauliflower buffalo wings recipe is everything you love about buffalo wings made into crispy cauliflower wings!
Cauliflower is the perfect vessel for buffalo sauce, and crisps up so nicely in the air fryer or oven. Every bite is so buttery and delicious, filled with buffalo sauce flavor ideal for dipping in your favorite creamy sauce!
This recipe is amazing. It is totally our new favorite wing recipe!
Kari on Pinterest
Air Fry Cauliflower Wings Ingredients
- Cauliflower
- Gluten-free flour
- Unsweetened soy milk
- Gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper
- BBQ sauce of choice
- Buffalo sauce of choice
- Spring onion (for garnish)
For my cauliflower wings recipe, I used gluten-free and vegan ingredients to make wings everyone can enjoy! However, you can use any variation of these ingredients you prefer. If you don’t need the wings to be gluten-free or vegan, you can swap out the flour, milk, and breadcrumbs for those of your choosing.
Cauliflower Wings Recipe
- Cut cauliflower into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, combine your flour, milk, and seasonings. Stir well until combined. Keep your breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.
- Dip each piece of cauliflower to coat them in batter, then into the breadcrumbs. Cover them completely.
- Transfer cauliflower pieces to your air fryer. Make sure not to overcrowd and fry in batches if need be. I fry half of my cauliflower wings at a time.
- Air fry at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until golden-brown and crisp. A couple of times during the cooking process, stop and give the basket a good shake so all parts are browned. If you have an air fryer with a tray and not a basket, flip the wings halfway through.
- While the cauliflower wings are cooking, mix BBQ sauce with buffalo sauce in a separate bowl. Taste and adjust as you prefer.
- When the buffalo cauliflower wings are done cooking, toss them to coat each piece completely with the buffalo-BBQ sauce mixture. Serve immediately, sprinkled with spring onions (optional).
Cauliflower Wings in the Oven
You can also make cauliflower wings in the oven. To do so, prepare wings as instructed, then place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. I recommend using a baking sheet with a rack for the crispiest cauliflower wings, if possible. Bake at 390°F for 15-20 minutes until crispy and golden brown, then toss in the buffalo-BBQ sauce mixture and serve. Gently stir halfway through the cooking process.
Cauliflower Buffalo Wings Recipe Tips
- Try my favorite 10-Quart Air Fryer for this recipe.
- Make sure not to crowd the air fryer. If you do, the cauliflower bites will turn out soggy. It is vital you cook them in batches.
- All vegan and gluten-free options can be swapped out as you prefer. Regular milk and flour can be used.
What are Cauliflower Wings?
Buffalo cauliflower wings are bite-sized pieces of cauliflower cooked in a manner to resemble buffalo chicken wings. They consist of chopped cauliflower mixed with flour and milk (in the case of this recipe, gluten-free flour, and soy milk), as well as seasonings and breadcrumbs. They are then fried and tossed in buffalo sauce.
Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings FAQs
Cauliflower buffalo wings emulate the exterior crispy texture and buffalo taste of chicken wings but have their own flavor and texture separate from chicken. Cauliflower is both buttery and earthy, and pairs very well with buffalo sauce. You may find yourself enjoying them even more than chicken wings!
Reheat leftover cauliflower wings by heating them for 4 minutes in the air fryer at 350°F, or straight from frozen by air frying them at 400°F for 10-15 minutes.
Sauce for Wings
I make a homemade buffalo sauce for wings that is just out-of-this-world delicious! You can easily make it vegan by using vegan butter rather than regular butter. Find my recipe here: How to Make Buffalo Sauce.
I also love a great Bleu Cheese Dressing or a Buttermilk Ranch Dressing to dip the cauliflower wings in!
Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
- Air Fryer Asparagus Fries
- Air Fryer Chick-fil-A Nuggets
- Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
Check out all my favorite Air Fryer Recipes!
📋 Recipe
Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings
Equipment
- optional Baking sheet with rack (if not using air fryer)
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- ¾ cup gluten-free flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened soy milk
- ¾ cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup vegan BBQ sauce
- ½ cup vegan buffalo sauce
- 2 small spring onions for garnish (optional)
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
- Cut cauliflower into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, combine your flour, milk, and seasonings. Stir well until combined. Keep your breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.¾ cup gluten-free flour, ¾ cup unsweetened soy milk, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 head cauliflower
- Dip each piece of cauliflower to coat them in batter, then into the breadcrumbs. cover them completely.¾ cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- Transfer cauliflower pieces to your air fryer. Make sure not to overcrowd and fry in batches if need be. I fry half of my cauliflower wings at a time.
- Air fry at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, until golden-brown and crisp. A couple of times during the cooking process, stop and give the basket a good shake so all parts are browned. If you have an air fryer with a tray and not a basket, flip the wings halfway through.
- While the cauliflower wings are cooking, mix BBQ sauce with buffalo sauce in a separate bowl. Taste and adjust as you prefer.½ cup vegan buffalo sauce, ½ cup vegan BBQ sauce
- When the buffalo cauliflower wings are done cooking, toss them to coat each piece completely with the buffalo-BBQ sauce mixture. Serve immediately, sprinkled with spring onions (optional).2 small spring onions
Notes
- Calculated nutrition will vary depending on the sauces you use for your cauliflower wings and if you use dairy or non gluten-free alternatives for your ingredients.
- Make sure not to crowd the air fryer. If you do, the cauliflower bites will turn out soggy. It is vital you cook them in batches.
- All vegan and gluten-free options can be swapped out as you prefer. Regular milk and flour can be used.
- I make a homemade buffalo sauce for wings that is just out-of-this-world delicious! You can easily make it vegan by using vegan butter rather than regular butter. Find my recipe here: How to Make Buffalo Sauce
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!