These crispy air fryer cauliflower wings are coated in a spicy sesame garlic sauce. They’re easy to make, both vegan and gluten free and the perfect crowd pleasing appetizer.
Been on a major air fryer kick lately and I can’t wait to share all the delicious things I’ve been cooking up, staring with these air fryer cauliflower wings!
They’re baked/fried in the air fryer without any oil, just a simple gluten free breading, until crispy, then coated in a sticky, spicy and perfectly sweet sesame sauce.
You can easily forgo the sesame sauce and coat these wings in BBQ sauce or buffalo sauce instead for a different flavor profile. Or, for a lighter option, you can make these cauliflower wings with no breading at all.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Vegan & gluten free
- Easy to make
- Crispy
- Packed with flavor
How to make air fryer cauliflower
Cut the cauliflower into medium/small florets.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, garlic and salt. Add the cauliflower to the batter and toss to coat. Toss in the breadcrumbs and mix until well coated.
Preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees Fahrenheit. This should only take a couple of minutes.
Once ready, add half of the cauliflower to the air fryer basket in one layer. You will likely need to do 2 batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
Set the air fryer to 370 for 10-13 minutes depending on how crispy you like it.
Meanwhile, add the minced garlic to a small pot with the oil. Saute until lightly golden brown, then add in the ginger.
Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the water and cornstarch. Whisk well to combine.
In a small dish, whisk together the water and cornstarch and add to the sauce. bring to a low boil, then remove from heat to let thicken.
When both batches of the cauliflower are done, add to a large mixing bowl and toss with the sauce. Sprinkle on sesame seeds and chopped scallions and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these air fryer cauliflower wings either as an appetizer or main dish. If you’re going the appetizer route, I like to sprinkle them with some sesame seeds and finely chopped scallions.
If you’re going the main dish route, they’re delicious over some fresh jasmine rice or cauliflower rice for a lighter option!
Do they store well?
Unfortunately, no. Cauliflower wings in general don’t hold up very well so I don’t recommend making them ahead of time.
Once the sauce is added, they lose their crispness pretty quickly, so I recommend serving as soon as they’re ready!
Variations
No breading: If you want a lighter option, you can air fry the cauliflower with just a drizzle of oil, then toss in the sesame sauce. This will make it much lower in both carbs and calories.
Use broccoli: You can easily use broccoli instead of cauliflower, but of course they’re going to taste a bit different. Follow all of the same steps, but air fry for about 3 minutes less since broccoli cooks faster.
Try these next!
- Air Fryer Tofu
- Orange Cauliflower
- BBQ Cauliflower Wings
- Spicy Noodles
Lastly, if you try this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out! Be sure to follow me oninstagramandsubscribe to my newsletterfor more recipes.
5 from 11 votes
Air Fryer Sesame Cauliflower Wings
by: claire cary
These crispy air fryer cauliflower wings are coated in a spicy sesame garlic sauce. They're easy to make, both vegan and gluten free and the perfect crowd pleasing appetizer.
/ /
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 30 minutes mins
Total: 45 minutes mins
4
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- ⅔ cup gluten free all purpose flour or regular AP flour
- ⅔ cup plain non-dairy milk I used almond
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup plain gluten free breadcrumbs
Spicy Sesame Sauce
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons water or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons gochujang see notes
- 1-2 teaspoons sriracha
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon water
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Cut the cauliflower into medium/small florets.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, garlic powder and salt.
Add the cauliflower to the batter and toss to coat. Toss in the breadcrumbs and mix until well coated.
Preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees Fahrenheit. This should only take a couple of minutes.
Once ready, add half of the cauliflower to the air fryer basket in one layer. You will likely need to do 2 batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
Set the air fryer to 370 for 10-13 minutes depending on how crispy you like it.
Meanwhile, add the minced garlic to a small pot with the oil. Saute until lightly golden brown, then add in the ginger.
Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the water and cornstarch. Whisk well to combine.
In a small dish, whisk together the water and cornstarch and add to the sauce. bring to a low boil, then remove from heat to let thicken.
When both batches of the cauliflower are done, add to a large mixing bowl and toss with the sauce. Sprinkle on sesame seeds and chopped scallions and enjoy!
Notes
If you do not have or do not like gochujang (red chili paste) you can simply leave it out!
Serving: 1cup / Calories: 305kcal / Carbohydrates: 50g / Protein: 11g / Fat: 10g / Saturated Fat: 1g / Trans Fat: 1g / Fiber: 6g / Sugar: 11g
