Buffalo Cauliflower

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Start by whisking the flour in a shallow bowl with the seasonings and spices.

Then you'll add the water, and you'll whisk for a smooth, slightly thick consistency. It should look like a thick pancake batter.

Coat Evenly

Fully cover the florets with the batter and toss to coat really well. You don't want a clumpy batter, so shake off any excess you find.

The cauliflower will look evenly coated and chunky.

Arrange the coated cauliflower in a single layer on a cookie sheet or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You need to make sure that the pieces don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

First Cook (Bake/Air Fry/Fry)

Cook until lightly golden and the crust has set. This is the first round of baking, so it will be crispy but not the final crisp. You need to look out for no soft crust or mushy coating. The first bake is about 25 minutes.

Make the buffalo sauce coating by melting in some buffalo hot sauce or sriracha, some butter for richness and honey for sweetness. Just warm the sauce until the mixture is well blended together but not boiling or bubbly.

It should be well balanced in terms of tang, acidity, sharpness, salty and slightly balanced with sweetness.

You want to now coat the cauliflower bites evenly with that luscious buffalo sauce. Make sure to brush or coat evenly but don’t oversaturate because it will make them soggy.

You can optionally also sprinkle some panko bread crumbs over the coated cauliflower before the second bake or air fry.

The second bake returns crispness after saucing, and it makes the flavors stick to the cauliflower. Bake with the sauce for an extra 15 minutes or so.

These are best served right away for peak crispness. You can serve it with endless sauces, something like a store bought ranch or homemade Spicy Mayo, Harissa Aioli, or Garlic Sauce.