Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe

We’re big fans of cauliflower around here and our baked Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe is a dish we’re so excited to share! It’s a delicious recipe that results in little flavor packed bites! Not only is this recipe vegetarian friendly, but it’s also baked and not fried, so it’s a little better for you too! They’re seriously the best little appetizer bites!

We’ve included air-fryer instructions because we know everyone loves options! We also include our recipe for homemade buffalo sauce because nothing beats a delicious hot sauce and butter based sauce fully of tangy heat! If you’re a big fan of buffalo chicken wings, we promise you’ll love our cauliflower version!

What is Buffalo Cauliflower?

Buffalo cauliflower is a vegetarian friendly version of buffalo wings. For our buffalo cauliflower recipe, our panko crusted cauliflower florets are baked until lightly browned and crisp. The florets are then gently tossed together with buffalo sauce.

Important Ingredients to Note for Our Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe

• rice flour – this is one of my favorite flours to use when you’re trying to maximize crunch without creating a thick coating
• tapioca starch – helps to retain a more lasting crunch as well as help the coating stick to the cauliflower
• egg – will also help the overall coating adhere to the cauliflower, without everything falling off when coated in buffalo sauce
• panko breadcrumbs – give a better crunch over plain breadcrumbs, especially when used for baking
• buffalo sauce – We recently posted a very simple recipe for buffalo sauce! We played a lot with the ingredient proportions and we think we nailed it!

How to Make Our Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe

Process

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Pour some panko into a food processor and blend until finely ground.
3. Add ground panko to other half of panko.

4. Mix both panko breadcrumbs together until evenly mixed. Set aside.
5. Place rice flour, tapioca starch, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.

6. Add buttermilk and egg and whisk together until evenly combined and no lumps remain.
7. Add cauliflower florets into batter.

8. Fold together until every pieces is completely coated.
9. Working in small batches, remove cauliflower florets from batter, shaking off as much excess batter possible. Transfer florets to panko and evenly coat.
10. Shake off any excess panko and transfer coated florets to prepared baking sheet, spacing each piece about 1/2” to 1” apart.
11. Once all cauliflower pieces are coated and on the baking sheet, spray with cooking spray until well coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

12. Bake florets in oven until lightly browned and tender.
13. Pour some buffalo sauce into a large bowl and add some of the florets. Gently toss florets until evenly and lightly coated. The heavier the coating, the less crispy your buffalo cauliflower will be. (Alternatively, use a pastry brush, lightly brush sauce onto each floret for a more crisp result). Repeat until all florets have been coated.
14. Transfer florets back to the baking sheet and bake for an additional 4 minutes.

15. Transfer buffalo cauliflower to a platter. Sprinkle cauliflower with sliced green onions.

Tools You Will Need

• cutting board
• knife
• mixing bowls
• whisk
• measuring spoons
• liquid measuring cup
• dry measuring cups
• wooden spoons
• tongs
• baking sheet
• pastry brush

Tips and Tricks for Baked Buffalo Cauliflower Success

• Adding an egg to the batter will help the coating stick to the cauliflower.
• Processing half of the panko in a food processor, to create a finer crumb, will also help the panko from falling off the cauliflower once baked. Leaving the other half coarse will help with the crunchy exterior.
• Really shake off as much excess batter and panko during the dredging process to create a thin and even coating and prevent a gummy exterior.
• Keep the breading from sliding off the cauliflower florets by brushing sauce onto each floret individually with a pastry brush (similar to the way Korean fried chicken is sauced) instead of tossing them all together with the sauce.
• Maximize crunch by simply skipping coating the florets with the sauce as well as the additional baking step. Instead, drizzle the buffalo sauce over the florets OR serve the buffalo sauce on the side, so you can dip your crunchy florets.

Freezing Instructions for Our Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe

Yes, you can freeze our buffalo cauliflower recipe! Transfer breaded florets to a parchment lined baking sheet, 1/2 inch apart, and place in the freezer until florets are fully frozen. Then transfer frozen florets to a resealable freezer bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat, preheat oven to 425˚F. Transfer frozen cauliflower to a baking sheet, 1/2 inch apart, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, spray florets with cooking spray and return to oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until browned and tender. Remove florets from oven and brush with buffalo sauce.

Buffalo Cauliflower Air Fryer Instructions

To air-fry our buffalo cauliflower recipe: Set the air fryer to 375˚F and air fry for about 10 minutes (this may need to be done in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer). Then fry for an additional 2 minutes once coated in sauce.

If using from frozen air fry for 12 to 14 minutes. Then an additional 2 minutes once coated in sauce.

More Delicious Cauliflower Recipes You Will Love:

• Crispy Baked Cauliflower Tots
• Giant Baked Cauliflower Arancini
• Cauliflower “Mac” and Cheese
• Honey-Garlic Cauliflower over Steamed Rice
• Roasted Cauliflower and Parsnip Soup

Check out our Buffalo Cauliflower Web Story!