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Buffalo cauliflower wings

Buffalo cauliflower wings

High in dietary fibre
Nut free
Peanut free
Seafood free
Sesame free
Shellfish free
Vegetarian
3 serves veg or fruit

Searching for a tasty, meat-free side dish or snack? Deliciously crispy and packed with tangy flavour, these air fryer Buffalo cauliflower wings will get dinner off to a flying start.

Serves4
Cook time30 minutes
Prep time10 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
1/2 cup (75g) cornflour
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
Lemon wedges, to serve
Crudites, to serve
Dill sprigs and chopped chives, to serve

Buffalo sauce

2 tbs barbecue sauce
1 tbs tomato sauce
1 tbs maple syrup
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Ranch dressing

1/3 cup (100g) mayonnaise
2 tbs sour cream
1 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp finely chopped dill
2 tsp finely chopped chives

Nutritional information

Per serve: Energy: 1887 kJ/451 Cals (22%), Protein: 5g (10%), Fat: 26g (37%), Sat Fat: 5g (21%), Carb: 47g (15%), Sugar: 15g (17%), Dietary Fibre: 4g (13%), Sodium: 516mg (26%).

Check ingredient labels to make sure they meet your specific dietary requirements and always consult a health professional before changing your diet. View dietary information here.

Percentage Daily Intake information on our recipes is calculated using the nutrition reference values for an average Australian adult.

Method

Step 1
Preheat air fryer to 200°C. Line base with baking paper (do not line the sides as the air and heat still need to circulate).
Step 2
Combine the plain flour, cornflour, garlic powder and onion powder in a large bowl. Add 3/4 cup (185ml) water and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Season. Add cauliflower and toss to coat.
Step 3
Arrange cauliflower in a single layer in the lined air fryer. Spray generously with olive oil. Season. Bake, turning and spraying with oil spray halfway, for 20 mins or until light golden.
Step 4
Meanwhile, to make buffalo sauce, combine barbecue sauce, tomato sauce, maple syrup, paprika, cumin and chilli flakes in a large bowl. Add cauliflower and toss to coat. Return to air fryer and cook for a further 10 mins or until sauce caramelises.
Step 5
To make the ranch dressing, place the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, mustard, dill and chives in a small bowl. Stir until well combined. Season.
Step 6
Arrange the Buffalo cauliflower on a large serving plate. Serve with the ranch dressing, lemon wedges and crudites. Sprinkle with dill and chives.

Recipe tip

COOK. STORE. SAVE.
Clever storage: Air frying Buffalo cauliflower means it’s at its crispy best and ready to serve. But what if you have leftovers? First, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Then, the best way to reheat cauliflower Buffalo wings is to return them to the air fryer for 5 minutes. Alternatively, place them on a baking tray in a hot oven for 8 minutes for (a second time around) crispy cauliflower bites.

Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the cauliflower in batches.
To cook this dish in the oven, arrange cauliflower on a baking paper-lined oven tray. Cook at 200ºC for 40 mins, turning halfway through, then toss in sauce and cook for a further 10 mins.
For a quick shortcut, replace the ranch dressing with simple sour cream.

Can you make Buffalo wings with cauliflower?

Named after Buffalo, New York, traditional Buffalo wings – deep-fried chicken wings served with hot pepper sauce – rate highly as family favourites. A delicious twist on the classic Buffalo chicken wing, cauliflower offers a vegetarian alternative that packs all the flavour and texture of the original. A star of the plant-based kitchen, cauliflower is loved for its versatility, its low-carb, gluten-free status, and its protein-like texture, which makes Buffalo cauliflower wings a popular way to get the family to eat more veggies.

Tips for extra crispy cauliflower Buffalo wings

The secret to crispy Buffalo cauliflower wings is in the batter. This simple batter recipe is thick enough to easily coat the florets and includes cornflour that will add the requisite starch for a golden colour and a lovely crunch. Pat the florets with a paper towel to make sure they’re completely dry before coating. The best batter is freshly prepared, so make it right before you’re ready to cook. Don’t forget to spray the coated cauliflower Buffalo florets generously with oil before cooking to ensure the crispiest result.

How to make the best Buffalo sauce

Buffalo sauce is easy to make – it’s a case of stirring together the ingredients in a large bowl so you have plenty of room to dip in the battered cauliflower florets. This cauliflower Buffalo sauce recipe includes maple syrup that will give that lovely glossy consistency in place of honey, and spices including paprika and chilli flakes (optional) for a spicy, savoury flavour. Cheat’s tip: You can buy prepared Buffalo sauce in the pantry aisle at Coles.

What to serve with Buffalo cauliflower air fryer wings

This deliciously crispy dipping snack is perfect for starters, share plates and those afternoons spent watching a sports game on TV with family and friends. But Buffalo cauliflower wings also play nicely with other flavours, making them a great side for a range of main dishes from chicken to steak. Carry on the meat-free theme by serving cauliflower wings with Greek salad or slaw and crusty bread, or let them be the hero of a finger food grazing plate alongside carrot and celery batons, air-fried meatballs or salt and pepper squid. And don’t forget the homemade ranch dressing! If you want to serve a selection of dipping sauces, add blue cheese and sweet chilli to the table.

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