This air fryer buffalo cauliflower is spicy, saucy, and delicious. It's the perfect healthy game-day appetizer, and you can't even tell you're eating cauliflower. We use olive oil potato chips to coat the cauliflower, so it's gluten-free, paleo, and Whole30-friendly.
We love the Alamo Drafthouse Buffalo Cauliflower, but wanted a Whole30-friendly version. I came up with this air fryer buffalo cauliflower, which I bread with olive oil potato chips instead of flour or breadcrumbs.
This gluten-free buffalo cauliflower is also the perfect healthy Super bowl snack. It's easy to make, healthy, and super tasty. Pair it with our greek yogurt blue cheese dressing or your favorite ranch dressing, and you've got a winning appetizer.
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Key Ingredients
- Potato chips- If you want to make this Whole30-compliant, make sure you use potato chips fried in a compliant oil. We use olive oil potato chips from Trader Joe's.
- Cauliflower- We use an entire head cut into florets. You can just buy pre-cut florets if you want to skip a step.
- Eggs
- Buffalo hot sauce- We use Frank's RedHot.
- Butter- Use ghee for Whole30 and dairy-free.
- Spices: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground cayenne
See recipe card for amounts.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Crush your potato chips. We put ours into a baggie and beat it with a meat tenderizer. You could also use a rolling pin. Choose your favorite method of destruction. Once your chips are crushed into crumbs, put them in a bowl. Add the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground cayenne and stir to combine.
Step 2: Add the egg to another bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Step 3: Dip each of your cauliflower florets into the egg, then spoon the potato chip mixture over the dipped florets until they're covered with chips.
Step 4: Air fry the florets in a single layer for 7 minutes at 390°F, or until the coating is golden brown and the cauliflower is tender.
Step 5: While the cauliflower is in the air fryer, combine the buffalo hot sauce and melted butter in a large mixing bowl.
Step 6: Right before serving, add the cauliflower to the mixing bowl with the hot sauce and butter. Toss to coat, then transfer to a serving plate. Serve immediately with a side of your favorite dipping sauce. We like using our greek yogurt blue cheese dressing.
Frequently asked questions
Use a spoon to drop the potato chips onto the cauliflower so that the egg doesn't come into contact with the dry chips. If your chips get wet with egg, they become pretty hard to use.
You can use whatever potato chip is your favorite. We like kettle cooked potato chips that have been cooked in olive oil, but any potato chip will work.
If you don't have an air fryer, bake the cauliflower on a sheet pan at 425°F until it is tender, around 15 minutes. Your cauliflower may not be as crispy.
Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe
This air fryer buffalo cauliflower is spicy, saucy, and delicious. It's the perfect healthy game-day appetizer, and you can't even tell you're eating cauliflower. We use olive oil potato chips to coat the cauliflower, so it's gluten-free, paleo, and Whole30 friendly.
4
servings20
minutes7
minutes220
kcal27
minutesPrevent your screen from going dark!
Ingredients
3 cups 3 potato chips
¼ teaspoon ¼ paprika
¼ teaspoon ¼ garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ¼ onion powder
⅛ teaspoon ⅛ ground cayenne
2 2 eggs
1 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tablespoons 2 butter (ghee for Whole30 and dairy-free), melted
1 cup 1 Frank's RedHot Sauce
Directions
- Crush your potato chips. We put ours into a baggie and beat it with a meat tenderizer. You could also use a rolling pin. Choose your favorite method of destruction. Once your chips are crushed into crumbs, put them in a bowl. Add the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground cayenne and stir to combine.
- Add the egg to another bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Dip each of your cauliflower florets into the egg, then spoon the potato chip mixture over the dipped florets until they're covered with chips.
- Air fry the florets in a single layer for 7 minutes at 390°F, or until the coating is golden brown and the cauliflower is tender.
- While the cauliflower is in the air fryer, combine the buffalo hot sauce and melted butter in a large mixing bowl.
- Right before serving, add the cauliflower to the mixing bowl with the hot sauce and butter. Toss to coat, then transfer to a serving plate. Serve immediately with a side of your favorite dipping sauce. We like using our greek yogurt blue cheese dressing.
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