Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower from Raw or Frozen

This Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower can be cooked from raw or frozen cauliflower! It’s a low carb snack or side dish. Instructions for baking this Buffalo Cauliflower are also included.

Servings: 2

Approximate Serving Size: 1 cup

Calories: 87kcal

Ingredients

2 cups cauliflower frozen florets, thawed, or raw
olive 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 Instructions

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.
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.
Add the cauliflower in a single layer to the air fryer basket and set the cook timer for 20 minutes. Don’t overpack the air fryer, as the hot air has to travel around the cauliflower to cook it. Gently toss your cauliflower every 5 minutes to promote even cooking and browning.
The cauliflower will take 10-15 minutes to cook.
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 Instructions

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

Healthy Eating Plans:

Weight Watchers: The entire recipe is 4 Blue Plan Points | 4 Green Plan Points | 4 Purple Plan Points
Keto: This entire recipe is low carb. It contains only 4g of carbohydrates.
Whole 30: Be sure and check the ingredients on your hot sauce and oil, but with the right ones these are compliant.
21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: 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!

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.
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. It gives it the authentic melted butter buffalo taste.
Missing something? You can sprinkle some garlic powder or homemade ranch seasonings on top of your cauliflower before cooking if you’d like something extra.
Add salt and pepper to taste, if you feel it needs it.
I love to serve this just as I’d serve traditional chicken wings, with celery sticks and carrots. You can dip these Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Wings in your favorite dipping sauce: BBQ sauce, creamy blue cheese dressing, or even homemade ranch dressing made with sour cream.
This recipe is best eaten the same day–they get a little soggy for meal prep.

Nutrition