Active Time

　　15 minutes

　　Total Time

　　30 minutes

　　Buffalo wings are a crowd-pleaser for a reason. There’s something about the spicy, vinegary sauce mellowed out with melted butter that can’t be beat. This recipe uses that winning combination of flavors with cauliflower in place of chicken to create a vegetarian game-day snack that’s a cinch to make. The trick is to dredge the cauliflower florets in a wet batter made with both flour and cornstarch. The latter ingredient helps provide a shatteringly crisp exterior without having to fry anything. Once coated, the florets are air-fried until crunchy on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. Tossed in a mixture of hot sauce, melted butter, and a touch of honey, the cauliflower delivers all the beloved flavors and textures of classic buffalo wings. Go all in and serve with celery and carrot sticks, green onions, and blue cheese dressing.

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What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　Air Fryer

　　$100 At Amazon

　　Frank's RedHot Original Hot Sauce

　　$3 At Amazon

　　Cornstarch

　　$2 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　¾ cup hot sauce (preferably Frank’s)

　　4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

　　2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar

　　Nonstick vegetable oil spray

　　⅔ cup all-purpose flour

　　⅔ cup cornstarch

　　¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more

　　2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more

　　2 tsp. smoked paprika

　　2 tsp. garlic powder

　　1 medium head of cauliflower (1½–1¾ lb.), cut into florets

　　Celery sticks, carrot sticks, sliced green onions, and/or blue cheese dressing (for serving; optional)

　　

Step 1

Whisk together ¾ cup hot sauce, 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, and 2 Tbsp. honey or agave nectar in a large bowl; set sauce aside.

　　

Step 2

Heat air fryer to 400°. Generously coat air-fryer basket with nonstick vegetable oil spray (if it has a mesh bottom, line it with a sheet of parchment paper). Whisk together ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup cornstarch, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, 2 tsp. smoked paprika, 2 tsp. garlic powder, and ¾ cup water in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 medium head of cauliflower (1½–1¾ lb.), cut into florets, to bowl and toss to coat evenly. (Mixture will be very thick.)

　　

Step 3

Working one at a time, transfer cauliflower florets to air-fryer basket, letting excess batter drip back into bowl, and arrange in a single layer. Air-fry, shaking halfway through, until golden brown and a crunchy shell forms, 15–18 minutes. (If your air fryer is too small to fit all of the cauliflower in a single layer, cook in 2 batches; reheat the first batch in the air fryer 2 minutes before tossing all of the florets in the reserved sauce.)

　　

Step 4

Immediately transfer cauliflower to reserved sauce and toss to coat on all sides. (If the sauce is cold by the time you are ready to use it, reheat in the microwave 15 seconds before tossing the cauliflower in it.) Arrange on a plate and serve with celery sticks, carrot sticks, sliced green onions, and/or blue cheese dressing if desired.