Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings
Published 1/31/2025
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If you’re a wing lover, this air fryer cauliflower wings recipe is gong to be a game changer! Speaking of games, this is one of our favorite game day apps to whip up for friends and family.
The cauliflower is tossed in an almond meal + spice mixture and then air-fried until crunchy in the outside and cooked on the inside. Then you toss them in a quick and simple buffalo sauce and bam 💥
You guys love our Baked Cauliflower Wings so much, we thought we’d do an air fryer variation. Honestly, I haven’t put my air fryer away in months because we use it so much! I’m a crunch gal and air frying really does the trick.
These cauliflower wings are so fun and the air fryer makes them a healthier way to enjoy cauli wings — no deep frying!
Almond Flour vs. Panko Breadcrumbs
We did a little poll on Instagram and it turns out you guys wanted a Panko coating instead of an almond flour coating for these air fryer buffalo cauliflower wings.
We’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the almond flour coating turned out so much better! We tested both methods and the Panko didn’t work as well for a few reasons:
- It had a hard time sticking to the cauliflower.
- It didn’t get as crispy in the air fryer.
If you still want to use Panko breadcrumbs, feel free to swap it 1:1 for the almond flour.
Tips for Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings You Don’t Want to Skip!
Bite-Sized Pieces: make sure that you cut your cauliflower into bite-sized pieces, rather than large florets. You can even cut their stems off to be more wing-like.
Evenly coat: dip florets into the egg wash and then dredge the florets in the almond flour mixture to evenly coat.
Cook in Batches: cooking in batches is huge! You want to make sure your cauliflower wings are stacked on top of each other in the air fryer. They can be touching a little because they will shrink while cooking, but make sure to cook them in batches.
Toss Halfway: Toss air fryer cauliflower wings at around the 6 minute mark. We literally just remove the basket from the air fryer and shake/toss them around.
Cook until golden brown: like ovens, all air fryers are different. Air fry your cauliflower until golden brown and crispy.
Want to caramelize your cauliflower wings?
Once your air fryer cauliflower is done air fryer and they’ve been tossed in buffalo sauce you can eat them immediately, or you can spread them out on a baking sheet and broil them for 2-4 minutes to get them extra caramelized and sticky.
More Flavor Combinations
Not digging buffalo sauce? Here are some other fun sauces that you can toss your cauliflower in after they’re done in the air fryer:
Honey Sriracha – mix together 1 part honey to 1 part sriracha for a sweet and sour flare.
BBQ Sauce – use your favorite pre-made bbq sauce or make your own!
Sauceless – not a huge sauce person? Simply eat these air fryer cauliflower wings naked –> with no sauce!
Dipping Sauce Ideas
- Ranch Dressing – buy store-bought ranch dressing or make your own homemade ranch!
- Blue Cheese Dressing – we’re blue cheese people and make our Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing whenever we make buffalo wings.
- Hummus – mix some hummus with a little bit of water and you’ve got yourself a semi-homemade dip!
- Greek Yogurt + Franks – 1/4 cup nonfrat Greek yogurt + 1/2 tablespoon Frank’s hot sauce is another favorite of ours.
Storage
Got leftover buffalo cauliflower? Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings (Buffalo)
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower
- 4 cups cauliflower florets, ~1 medium head
- 1 cup blanched superfine almond meal
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 large eggs
For the Buffalo Sauce
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 cup Franks Hot Sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- First, prepare cauliflower by cutting it into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Next, place almond meal, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk 2 eggs in another medium bowl.
- Prepare cauliflower wings by tossing cauliflower pieces in the egg wash to fully coat them. Then, place a couple of pieces of cauliflower into the almond meal bowl at a time. Use a spoon to carefully spoon the mixture on top of the cauliflower, coating it fully. Repeat until all cauliflower is coated in the mixture.
- Preheat the air fryer to 370ºF and spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Once preheated, place half of your cauliflower wings onto the bottom of the pan and spray the tops with nonstick cooking spray. It’s okay if they are touching, but you’ll have to cook these wings in 2 separate batches.
- Air fry cauliflower wings at 370ºF (or 375ºF depending on the air fryer) for 12-15 minutes, tossing halfway through. You know your wings are done when they begin to brown and crisp up.
- While your wings are air frying, prepare buffalo sauce. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and then mix it with Frank’s Hot Sauce and honey. Stir to combine.
- Once your wings are done air frying, toss them in the buffalo sauce.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Tips & Notes
- Almond meal vs. panko breadcrumbs: we tested both coatings and we much preferred the almond meal. Panko didn’t seem to stick as well. If you want to use panko, go for it! Feel free to swap 1:1.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Can I substitute maple sugar in place of honey?
This was so delicious!!! Cooked mine a little longer cuz I like them crispy! Also didn’t dress some as my hubby prefers BBQ sauce so we tried them with that too. It was delicious. Definitely making this recipe again!
Can I use a convection oven. I don’t own an air fryer.