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This Air Fryer Cauliflower is a perfect mix of crispy outside and tender inside. The flavours are absolutely incredible while the recipe itself is low carb and so nutritious! All of this and ready in under 20 minutes? What are you waiting for?!
Recipe Difficulty – Very Easy
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
The air fryer has been an absolute game-changer for me! It is so much faster than the oven and gives your vegetables a perfectly crispy outside with a dreamy, tender inside. You get that deliciously fried taste without nearly as much oil as would be used in a deep fried recipe.
One thing that really sets this recipe apart is the breading. It makes for the most delicious and crispy cauliflower bites. Most cauliflower air fryer recipes have some great seasonings thrown on, but this recipe will change your world with some gluten-free flour to add a bit more crunch.
This roasted cauliflower air fryer style is so versatile! You can keep it simple or step it up! Some enjoy it as a snack while others love it as a side. It pairs well with pastas, proteins, etc. If you aren’t vegan, it’s great alongside a steak or other meat!
If you really want to mix things up, use the vegan cauliflower bites as a meat substitute of sorts. Miss buffalo wings? Add some wing sauce or buffalo sauce to dip in, and you have some air fryer cauliflower wings. There are so many flavour options! Try teriyaki, buffalo cauliflower wings, General Tso’s cauliflower, BBQ cauliflower, etc.
Ingredients to make Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Head of Cauliflower – Cauliflower is the star of this recipe! If you have spare then try making my Cauliflower Curry or Bang Bang Cauliflower.
- Cornflour – helps to give a crispy outside to the air fryer cauliflower.
- Gram/Chickpea Flour – is a great binder, helping to hold the cornflour to the cauliflower and give it a breaded texture. And it’s naturally gluten-free.
- Paprika – gives a great smoky and slightly spicy flavour.
- Chilli Flakes – give a nice kick to this dish.
- Salt – brings out all of the flavours perfectly.
- Garlic Granules – is a bit courser than garlic powder and is perfect for this recipe.
- Almond or Dairy Free Milk – helps to stick the breading to the cauliflower.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – crisps up those edges perfectly.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Cornflour – Gluten-free panko will also make this a nice breaded cauliflower recipe.
- Seasonings – There are so many great ways to add some variety to this cauliflower and seasonings are the best way to do it. Some other flavours to play with are turmeric, curry powder, cumin, coriander, onion powder,
- Olive Oil – Other neutral oils with a high smoke point will also work well.
Variations
- Spicy – For a spicier air fryer roasted cauliflower recipe, use spicier spices! Try cayenne, cumin, etc. to make some spicy cauliflower in air fryer.
- Deluxe – Serve this with your favourite dipping sauce! Try my vegan sour cream, ranch, chipotle, or Vegan Tzatziki etc. You could also keep it simple with a drizzle of lemon juice. Another yummy option is to add some grated parmesan cheese a few minutes before it finishes. Top it with some fresh parsley when it is ready, and you are set!
- Kid friendly – While kids may be worried about trying cauliflower at first, one try of these flavourful air fryer cauliflower bites will have them begging for more! Serve it up with their favourite dip for them to enjoy.
For a different take on cauliflower, try my Cauliflower Soup recipe on this site.
How to make Air Fryer Cauliflower
Step 1: Firstly, cut the cauliflower into florets. If there are large pieces, cut them in half to help with cooking time.
Step 2: Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk well until the batter is smooth.
Step 3: Put the cauliflower florets into the mixture and make sure that each floret is evenly covered in the batter.
Empty the mixture into the tray of your air fryer. Cook at 200c for 15 minutes. Stir halfway through. The cauliflower should be crispy once cooked.
Serve with Homemade Vegan Sour Cream.
Hint: Cooking times may vary depending on the air fryer. Check that they’re cooked by poking a skewer through the largest floret.
Leftovers
This roast cauliflower in air fryer is definitely best fresh, but can be kept for a few days in the fridge. Store in an airtight container and reheat in the air fryer or microwave.
Recipe FAQs
There could be a few different reasons for this. You need to make sure your florets are completely dry before seasoning and cooking the cauliflower. Another possible problem could be overcrowding in the air fryer basket. Make sure all florets are in a single layer with some space between them for the crispiest cauliflower. Remember to use a bit of oil to make crispy edges. And finally, don’t allow the cauliflower to overcook.
Air fryer cauliflower is great on its own, in a dip, or leveled up. Cauliflower wings air fryer style are an amazing vegan take on wings that you don’t want to miss. You could lean toward an Asian style dinner with sesame cauliflower. Boil the cauliflower first and mix it with the rest of the ingredients, and you’re well on your way to cauliflower fritters. Simply make them into patties and air fry. For cauliflower steaks, rather than cutting into small florets, slice larger pieces off of the cauliflower and follow the same seasoning instructions.
It depends on who you ask. Some people prefer to thaw it first as they feel it gets too mushy. Others say that starting from frozen works just fine! As long as you leave plenty of room for the air to crisp up the cauliflower, cooking from frozen should work well.
There could be a few reasons for this. It is very important to make sure cauliflower florets are cut evenly. If some are larger than others, they aren’t likely to cook evenly. Another thing to be sure of is that your cauliflower is in a single layer and has even spacing between it so the air can reach all of the florets equally.
Perfecting Air Fryer Vegetables
If you’re looking to perfect how to cook vegetables in the air-fryer then these recipes will really help you!
- Air Fryer Corn on the Cob
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Jacket Potato
- Air Fryer Chips
- Air Fryer Roast Potatoes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer Baby Potatoes
- Air Fryer Kale Chips
- Air Fryer Tenderstem Broccoli
- Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes
- Air Fryer Aubergine
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Air Fryer Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 45 g cornflour
- 30 g chickpea flour
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic granules
- 100 ml almond milk, or dairy free milk
- 1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Begin by cutting the cauliflower into florets. Ensure any large ones are cut in half to help with the cooking time.
- In a bowl combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk well to ensure that the batter is smooth.
- Add the cauliflower florets and combine well ensuring each floret is evenly covered in the batter.
- Empty into the tray of your air fryer and cook at 200° C for 15 minutes, stirring them halfway through. Cooking times may vary dependent on the air fryer, so check they’re cooked by poking a skewer through the largest floret to see if it’s cooked. The cauliflower should be crispy once cooked.
Notes
Nutrition
This sounds delicious but I don’t have an air fryer, what timing and heat would you suggest James for an oven?
Thanks Jane
Hey Jane, I would suggest double the time at 200C 🙂 generally air fryers take half the time. Enjoy!
Can you use normal wheat flour instead of gram flour? I have 00 flour also
That should be fine Trish 🙂 enjoy!
Hi James can I use regular gluten free flour instead of gram flour? Also can’t find your vegan sour cream recipe
Yes that would be fine 🙂 the sour cream recipe coming this week!
These are delicious!
Thanks Gina 🙂