Do you have an air fryer? If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t quite understand the craze for the longest time, but now I’m obsessed! If you haven’t tried cooking with an air fryer, I highly recommend you change that with this flavor-packed buffalo cauliflower air fryer recipe. You won’t be disappointed!

Since these photos were taken, I’ve upgraded my air fryer to this COSORI Air Fryer Max XL and I’m loving it. It’s a bit larger than the average air fryer and the square base (as opposed to the circle that many others have) seems to fit a lot more food in it.

I’m having so much fun experimenting with making new and different air fryer recipes and there are LOTS coming your way in the next few months.

Now, let’s talk about this air fryer buffalo cauliflower. It’s pretty striking, guys! The air fryer perfectly crisps the outside of the cauliflower, while cooking the inside until tender. No sogginess or mushy cauliflower here! And the sauce is to die for!

air fryer buffalo cauliflower served with a white dipping sauce

Key ingredients for buffalo cauliflower air fryer:

Grab your grocery list! For this buffalo cauliflower that’s made in the air fryer, you’ll need:

Cauliflower. Using cauliflower instead of chicken, keeps this dish completely vegan. As an added plus, the cauliflower is packed with nutrients.
Unsweetened almond milk. I like to use unsweetened almond milk, but you can use any milk you’d like.
All purpose flour. The breading is made with a bit of flour. Feel free to use an all purpose GF flour if you’d like.
Seasonings. A blend of garlic powder, paprika and salt add flavor-packed flavor to the cauliflower.
Buffalo sauce. This unfussy from-scratch sauce is a simple mix of butter, hot sauce, and garlic powder. My go-to brand of hot sauce is Frank’s Red Hot, but any kind works.

How to make air fryer buffalo cauliflower:

Making this method is especially simple! Here’s a short rundown of what’s involved, but you can find the complete recipe at the bottom of the post.

Prep the cauliflower. Start out by making the outside coating for the cauliflower. Mix together the almond milk, flour, garlic powder, paprika, and salt. Then, dip the cauliflower florets into the batter, making sure to let any excess drip off.

dipping cauliflower in milk/flour mixture

Cook the cauliflower. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and place the cauliflower in the air fryer, making sure not to overcrowd them. Cook for 14-16 minutes, or until the cauliflower is crisp and golden brown.

cauliflower florets in an air fryer basket

Make the buffalo sauce. While the cauliflower is cooking, you can make the buffalo sauce. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Then, turn off the heat and add the hot sauce and garlic powder. Whisk until combined and warmed. Set it aside to cool for a few minutes (2-3 minutes).

Serve and enjoy! Once the cauliflower is cooked and the sauce is ready, place the cauliflower and buffalo sauce in a large bowl and toss to combine. Serve immediately with your go-to dipping sauce and enjoy!

Tips for making air fryer buffalo cauliflower:

Don’t forget to line the air fryer with parchment paper! This will keep the cauliflower from sticking to the bottom of the basket and it makes for straightforward cleanup.
There’s no need to preheat your air fryer. Only turn it on and go!
If you’re sensitive to spiciness, choose a buffalo sauce that is labeled “mild”.
Buffalo cauliflower cooked in the air fryer is dependable enjoyed immediately, but you can reheat leftovers in the air fryer for about 5 minutes, until heated through and crispy.
If you love this this dish as much as I do, but sure to try my original buffalo cauliflower recipe as well!

Dipping sauce for buffalo cauliflower:

Spicy snacks like this one, pair wonderfully with a cool dip and keep the spiciness to a reasonable level. A regular here buffalo cauliflower served with my from-scratch vegan ranch dressing. Blue cheese is also a great choice and there are several brands that make a vegan blue cheese dressing. Feel free to use your regular store-bought ranch dip too!