These buffalo cauliflower wings are an irresistible facet dish or recreation day snack! They’ve scrumptious crispy edges and a tremendous spicy, tangy taste.
Buffalo cauliflower wings—a plant-based spin on buffalo hen wings—are a basic recreation day snack. However after testing and perfecting this recipe, I’m right here to inform you that buffalo cauliflower is wayyyy too good to solely make on recreation day. I’ve been whipping it up for fall gatherings and film nights, for TV binge periods and even the occasional lunch or dinner.
It’s crispy on the sides and tender within the center, spicy, tangy, and a bit bit candy. Attempt one floret erm, wing, and I promise, you’ll be again for extra earlier than it.
My Buffalo Cauliflower Wing Sauce
Earlier than I break down the steps to this buffalo cauliflower recipe, let’s speak buffalo sauce. Named after Buffalo, New York, its metropolis of origin, this wealthy, tangy, spicy condiment earned its fame as a sauce for normal hen wings. It’s historically made with a cayenne pepper sizzling sauce like Frank’s RedHot, melted butter, and vinegar.
You should purchase ready buffalo sauce at many grocery shops. However for this buffalo cauliflower recipe, I choose to make my very own.
Like most recipes, I begin with Frank’s RedHot and melted butter, however I forego any further vinegar as a result of I discover the new sauce to be tangy sufficient by itself. As a substitute, I stir in honey, which makes the sauce thick and shiny, and I add garlic powder and paprika for savory complexity. It’s tremendous straightforward to stir collectively and so scrumptious!
Don’t do butter or honey? Take a look at my buffalo sauce recipe for a vegan possibility.
The way to Make Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
When you put together your sauce, you will get happening the buffalo wings!
1. Prep the cauliflower.
Break it into massive, wing-size florets. Cautious to not make the items too small. In the event you do, the cauliflower will overcook earlier than the coating will get crispy.
2. Make the batter and coat the cauliflower.
A easy batter provides this cauliflower a enjoyable fried impact with none frying. Simply whisk collectively water, flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt to make it. The flour makes the combination thick sufficient to coat the cauliflower florets, and the cornstarch helps them bake up good and crispy. Clearly, the spices add nice taste!
Toss the cauliflower florets within the batter and prepare them in a single layer on two massive, parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Tip: Make the recipe gluten-free. Although I haven’t tried this myself, a number of readers have efficiently used a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour mix instead of the all-purpose flour.
3. Bake the cauliflower at a excessive temperature.
Bake the cauliflower at 450°F for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for 10 minutes extra.
4. Add sauce and bake once more.
Take away from the oven and brush on a few of the buffalo sauce. Bake till the cauliflower wings are darkish and crisp across the edges, 12 to fifteen minutes. Don’t skimp on this bake time! You need to give the florets loads of time to caramelize and crisp up across the edges.
5. Brush with extra buffalo sauce and serve!
The wings are a implausible appetizer or snack on their very own, however we additionally love them with ranch dressing or vegan ranch dressing for dipping. I don’t have a recipe for blue cheese dressing, however it’s a basic pairing with buffalo wings. In the event you choose it to ranch as a dip, by all means, go for it! Take pleasure in with carrot and/or celery sticks on the facet.
Discover the entire recipe with measurements under.
Ideas for Making the BEST Buffalo Cauliflower
- Don’t skip the parchment paper. For this recipe, it’s important. With out it, the cauliflower wings will stick with the sheet pan once you attempt to flip them. Even with the parchment, be sure to make use of a spatula and flip them fastidiously. After simply 10 minutes of baking, the batter surrounding them continues to be delicate, and it could actually simply tear in the course of the flipping course of.
- Brush with extra sauce earlier than serving. Let’s be sincere: nearly as good as buffalo cauliflower wings are, they’re largely a car for buffalo sauce. To essentially pack in that crave-worthy buffalo taste, you’ll brush the wings with the sauce twice, as soon as mid-bake and as soon as proper earlier than serving. FYI, this isn’t a napkins-optional snack scenario.
- Eat them immediately. Nicely, perhaps not immediately, as a result of these buffalo cauliflower bites are tremendous sizzling once they come out of the oven. However they’re finest inside a couple of minutes of baking, once they’re nonetheless heat and their edges are deliciously crisp. If you find yourself with leftovers, retailer them in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. They received’t be crispy, however they’ll nonetheless style nice!
Extra Favourite Snacks and Appetizers
In the event you love these baked buffalo cauliflower wings, strive certainly one of these tasty snacks or appetizers subsequent:
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Serves 4
These baked buffalo cauliflower wings are such a enjoyable appetizer or snack! They’ve irresistible crispy edges and a scrumptious spicy, tangy taste. Move the napkins!
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup water
- 1 cauliflower, about 2 kilos, damaged into massive florets
- Buffalo Sauce, for brushing
- Ranch dressing or vegan ranch, for dipping, optionally available
Forestall your display from going darkish
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Preheat the oven to 450°F and line two massive baking sheets with parchment paper.
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In a big bowl, whisk collectively the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt. Add the water and whisk till easy. Add the cauliflower florets and stir to coat.
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Elevate the cauliflower florets out of the batter, permitting any extra batter to drip again into the bowl. Prepare in a single layer on the ready baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes. Use a spatula to fastidiously flip the florets. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, swapping the pans on the oven racks.
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Take away the cauliflower from the oven and brush with a few of the buffalo sauce. Bake for an additional 12 to fifteen minutes, or till the cauliflower is darkish and crisp across the edges.
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Take away from the oven and brush with further buffalo sauce. If desired, serve with ranch for dipping.
