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If you love buffalo flavor, then you’ve gotta try these air fryer vegan cauliflower wings. Crispy and saucy– they are the best!
I got an Air Fryer for Christmas. Well, more to the point, I grabbed one impulsively on Black Friday at a major discount and it sat in my car for the following three weeks until our kitchen was finished. I finally pulled it out over the holidays and oh my gosh, where has this thing been all my life?
I need another appliance like I need a hole in my head. My kitchen is brimming with gadgets even though I actively try to whittle down as many necessities as I can. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever have an Air Fryer, but then I’d seen so many rave reviews from friends (and my sister!) that I knew I’d eventually be grabbing one.
Do you need an Air Fryer for this recipe? No. It’s essentially the same technique for my Sriracha Cauliflower Buffalo Wings, though these are made in a 1/4 of the time and without the need for frying. You know, because the Air Fryer does all of that for you!
It’s no secret that my husband loves buffalo wings. He asks for my cauliflower buffalo wings at least a few times a month during Football season and while I’m usually very happy to fulfill his food wishes, those things just take so much time to put together. There’s the baking of the cauliflower, the dredging, the frying, the sauce making. It’s great as a special occasion, but not something that I’m eager to take on every Sunday afternoon.
That’s the beauty of the Air Fryer! BL can request cauliflower wings and in ~30 minutes, I’m presenting him with a giant basket of crispy fried wings covered in whatever spicy sauce he’s into at the moment. I’m partial to classic Buffalo sauce, but we’ve also been known to make a honey BBQ sauce, a smokin’ Habanero sauce and a more mild Asian Chili sauce. All are fantastic on crispy, crunchy cauliflower wings!
I tested this recipe close to 15 times, mostly to get the timing right. Compared to cauliflower wings made in the oven and then the skillet, these are much easier to overcook. We found that 6-7 minutes is the optimal time for getting a crunchy outside while still keeping some texture of the actual cauliflower.
I also wanted to see if you needed to dredge the cauliflower first. So I made a batch without any coating (boring), a batch with a dry coating (fell off as soon as the sauce was added) and a batch that was already coated in flour and buffalo sauce (meh. Lacked crunch and saucy, lick-your-fingers-goodness.)
My classic way is still the best way. Yes, it adds another step but you are saving so much time by using the Air Fryer that I don’t think it matters. Make a thickened egg-like mixture by heating dairy-free milk and cornstarch together, then letting cool slightly. From there, you will do a triple dip: once in the flour, once in the thickened milk mixture and then back in the flour.
Tap off as much excess flour as you can before placing them into the Air Fryer. Then set for 7 minutes at 400 degrees F. and let fry while you whisk together the ingredients for the sauce. So much easier than pan frying, am I right?
I know you are going to love these buffalo wings as much as we do! They have already become a staple in our house over the last few weeks and I have a feeling I’m going to continue to make them almost weekly during Football/Baseball season.
Looking for more vegan appetizer recipes? Then try my vegan nuggets, my vegan chili queso dip, my vegan chorizo queso dip or my roasted tomato guacamole!
PrintAir Fryer Cauliflower Wings! Looking for healthy, vegan buffalo wings? These air fryer buffalo wings made from cauliflower are a MUST try!
Vegan Ranch Dressing
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I wanted to make cauliflower wings for my new air fryer. This recipe’s legit; It’s easy and simple with no special ingredients except the buffalo sauce. I recommend doubling the corn starch/almond milk liquid because I ran out after half a cauliflower. Nom nom nom!
★★★★★
Wow! The recipe is amazing. Thank you for sharing!
Wanda
★★★★★
Quick question … should the cauliflower still have white flour visible on the outside when it’s done air frying? Thanks!
★★★★★
Yes! It can have visible white flour on it after frying. It will get go away once you toss with the sauce!
Loved this recipe…delicious & healthier. Making again for sure!
These were absolutely delicious!!! We used them in tacos. We’ll be making them again for sure.
★★★★★
Just wondering what brand of air fryer you have as I’ve read some reviews about breaded foods and certain air fryers.
Hi Katie– it’s this one. We really like it!
We loved these! I didn’t have any all-purpose at the time so I used garbanzo flour. Worked great! My only question is you mention sriracha in the instructions, but I don’t see it on the ingredient list. Thanks!
★★★★★
Wow! These look incredibly good. Great pictures too.
Thanks Nick!
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