When developing a recipe for air-fried Buffalo cauliflower, the one thing I knew it needed to be was crispy. But just how crispy could an air fryer make them? Would the florets crunch like popcorn chicken? Could they ever crunch without the intense sizzle of deep-frying? I had a vision, and although I was skeptical, I wanted to challenge myself. Actually crispy air-fryer cauliflower bites, here I come.
For my first attempt I called upon breadcrumbs to provide the crunch factor, but this method only got me so far. Next I tried breading the florets in a go-to mix of egg wash and flour. But alas, the florets were barely crisp. For my final attempt I did something a bit left field for air frying: I tossed the florets in a wet dredge not unlike a batter you might use for deep-fried foods. I dipped the florets in the batter, scattered them in the air fryer, and let them cook. Lo and behold the florets turned out remarkably crisp with a crunch factor that rivals deep frying. I cracked the air-fryer code, and the crunchy florets were prime for tossing in Buffalo sauce.
The inspiration came from these impossibly crispy cauliflower bites served at my local movie theater, my go-to order when seeing a film. The florets are so thoroughly enveloped in crunch that they couldn’t possibly be coated in anything other than a wet batter. And while I can guarantee those florets are deep-fried, I thought: why not try this same technique in an air fryer? I threw my hands in the air and gave it a shot.
To pull this off without a vat of boiling-hot oil, I decided to try a blend of flour, cornstarch, oil, and water to mimic the shell that forms when you batter and deep-fry vegetables. An equal amount of all-purpose flour and cornstarch provides both structure and crunch to the batter. Cornstarch is a go-to ingredient for many fried foods (think crispy chicken wings), and using it to bolster the crisping power of flour resulted in a thinner, crispier, and sturdier (yet still delicate) breading. This is because cornstarch prevents gluten from forming as you mix up the batter (too much gluten can make the coating turn out bready and tough instead of tender and delicate). The olive oil in my wet dredge helps the florets of cauliflower brown evenly in the air fryer.
If your air fryer has a wire-like basket, the batter has a tendency to drip into it and make cleanup difficult. Before you scatter the battered florets into it, lay down a sheet of parchment paper. You can air fry the florets directly on the parchment without sacrificing any crispness.
While I used cauliflower for my recipe, this batter would surely work wonders on broccoli—or any other vegetable you want to enrobe in a crispy shell for that matter: brussels sprout halves, carrot coins, and even sweet potato chunks would all be fair game.
As for what to do with your new crispy cauliflower bites: Toss them in a mixture of melted butter and hot sauce to snack on during the next football game. You can also go rogue and toss them in barbecue sauce, teriyaki, or serve them with a side of marinara for a veggie riff on fried calamari.
