Buffalo Cauliflower
Valentina P
The best spicy buffalo cauliflower with an ultra satisfying crispy crunch! Gluten-free and vegan. See the notes below on how to make this in a frying pan, air fryer, or oven.
How To MakeDiet Type: Plant-based
Shopping List
- 1 large head cauliflower (or about 1.5 pounds florets)
- 1 cup white rice flour
- 5 tablespoons buffalo sauce (we recommend Frank's Red Hot)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pepper, to taste
- cooking oil, for frying (such as avocado oil)
Instructions
- Step 1: Chop the cauliflower into smaller florets, each about the size of a chicken nugget.
- Step 2: In a medium bowl stir together the rice flour, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Add 1.25 cups of very cold water (Note 1). Stir until a smooth, runny batter forms. It should be the consistency of a very thin pancake batter.
- Step 3: Toss the cauliflower florets in the batter so that they are coated on all sides. Note: If your cauliflower was very large, you may need to make a little more batter.
- Step 4: Heat a generous layer of avocado oil or grapeseed oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Once a drop of water sizzles immediately on contact with the oil, add in the battered cauliflower floret in a single layer. Leave space between each floret and cook any additional cauliflower in a later batch.
- Step 5: Fry the cauliflower in the oil until all of the sides are crispy and golden, about 5 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully flip the cauliflower as each side cooks. Lower the heat if it is browning too quickly. Note: You will need to cook the cauliflower in several batches to avoid over-crowding.
- Step 6: Use tongs to transfer the cooked cauliflower to a mixing bowl. Toss with the buffalo sauce until fully coated.
- Serve: Enjoy immediately. This is great with vegan ranch and celery sticks.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Want a little more crunch? Try using very cold seltzer water or substitute 1.5 tablespoons of the water with 1.5 tablespoons of vodka. Note 2: Pan-frying yielded the tastiest results, but this Buffalo Cauliflower can also be made in an air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 11 to 13 minutes (shake the basket every 5 minutes). Alternatively, bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes and carefully flip halfway through the cooking time. Toss the baked cauliflower in the buffalo sauce and then bake and additional 5 to 8 minutes, or until crisp.
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