Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Wings [Homemade]
Crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings tossed in a sweet-spicy honey sriracha sauce are a healthy, veggie-forward appetizer or meatless dinner everyone devours. They’re simple, flavorful, and ready in minutes.
Honey-Sriracha Cauliflower Wings
Meet my new obsession! Whenever I want something fun and a little spicy without deep-frying, I make Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Wings (from my air fryer cookbook). I wanted new sauce ideas and played around with a few options, and these Honey Sriracha Cauliflower Wings are now my go-to. They’re a lighter, vegetarian twist on classic game-day wings—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and coated in a sweet-spicy sauce that’s seriously addictive! Perfect for game night, as a side or an appetizer for any occasion.
Why This Recipe Works
While testing this air fryer cauliflower wing recipe, we devoured every batch—they’re that good. Once the florets turn golden, you toss them in a quick honey-sriracha glaze that hits all the right notes: heat, sweetness, and a little
tang. Even my husband, who hates cauliflower, loved them!
- Lighter, faster, and easier than deep frying, and they turn out crispier than when baked in the oven.
- Perfect for any occasion: Enjoy them as a healthy snack, at a gameday party, or as a side or vegetarian main for weeknight dinners.
- Versatile: Because cauliflower has a neutral flavor, it’s one of the best vegetables for mimicking classic chicken wings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients for the air fryer cauliflower wings and honey sriracha recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Cauliflower: Cut a head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets.
- Eggs help the coating stick to the vegetables.
- Flour: Use either all-purpose or gluten-free flour.
- Olive Oil Spray prevents the wings from sticking to the air fryer and helps them brown and crisp.
- Garnish: Cilantro and pickled red onions sprinkled on top make it even better, with ranch or chimichurri for dipping.
Honey Sriracha Wing Sauce
- Sriracha for heat
- Honey for sweetness
- Melted Butter for richness
- Soy Sauce for umami
- Rice Vinegar for acidity
- Garlic Powder for flavor
How to Make Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings
For maximum crispiness, make sure your cauliflower is mostly dry before coating it. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Make the honey sriracha sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Coat the cauliflower in eggs, then flour, shaking off the excess so it fries better. Spray both sides with oil.
- Air fry the cauliflower wings for 7 to 8 minutes at 380°F, flipping halfway through. Toss the veggies with the honey sriracha until evenly coated.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with ranch or chimichurri and pickled onions, if desired.
Air Fryer Tips
- Use perforated parchment paper to simplify cleanup and avoid sticking, which can be messy here. Just toss it when you’re done.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. Arrange the wings in a single layer to prevent them from steaming. Cook in 2 to 3 batches, depending on your machine’s size.
Need an air fryer rec? My favorite air fryer is this 8-quart model because it holds a lot and looks pretty on my counter. I love using it for everything from air frying vegetables to whole chickens.
Variations
- Egg allergy? Coat the vegetables in olive or avocado oil.
- Make them vegan: Substitute honey with agave or maple syrup.
- Dairy-Free: Swap butter for avocado or sesame oil.
- Vinegar Swap: Use apple cider vinegar or fresh lime juice.
- No garlic powder? Replace it with onion powder.
- Garnish with sesame seeds.
- Adjust the heat: Reduce the sriracha to 1/8 cup and add more soy sauce and rice vinegar. To make them spicier, serve with extra sriracha.
- Try it with another sauce, like gochujang or chili crisp, to switch up the flavors.
- Buffalo Cauliflower Wings: Omit the honey-sriracha sauce and toss them in buffalo sauce instead.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers
Having a party? Whip up a few of these appetizers to serve with the wings.
Shrimp Egg Rolls (Air Fryer or Baked)
Spicy Garlic Edamame
Spicy Crunchy Tuna Tartare
Chicken Summer Rolls
As a Vegetarian Entree
Serve it as a meatless main dish with one of the sides listed below.
Asian Edamame Fried Rice
Easy Wonton Soup
Bok Choy Stir Fry
Quinoa “Fried Rice”
As a Side Dish
Pair these healthy cauliflower wings with one of these proteins.
Air Fryer Asian-Glazed Boneless Chicken Thighs
Soy-Marinated Beef and Broccoli Skewers
Air Fryer Asian Meatballs
Honey Garlic Shrimp
Storage
- Refrigerate the cooled wings in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the air fryer at 350°F for about 4 minutes until warm. You can microwave them in a pinch, but they won’t be crispy.
- Freeze: First, flash-freeze the uncooked flour-coated cauliflower on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Once frozen, transfer them to a zip-top bag or an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- How to cook frozen wings: Air fry frozen cauliflower wings at 380°F for about 15 minutes. Then, toss them in the honey-sriracha sauce.
More Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes You’ll Love
For more side dish and dinner ideas, check out my Air Fryer Recipes collection, plus these five delicious air fryer vegetable recipes to inspire your next meal!
- Air Fryer Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
- Air Fryer Mushrooms
- Air Fryer Asparagus Recipe
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Green Beans
Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings with Honey Sriracha
WW Points
Ingredients
- 28 cauliflower florets , bite-sized, about 1 1/2 inches (16 ounces)
- 3 large eggs , beaten
- ½ cup all purpose flour , or gluten-free flour
- olive oil spray
Honey Sriracha Wing Sauce
- ¼ cup sriracha
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon butter , melted in the microwave for 15–20 sec if solid
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- cilantro , for garnish
- pickled red onions , optional for garnish
- ranch dipping sauce and chimichurri , optional for dipping
Instructions
-
Combine sauce base: In a small bowl combine sriracha, honey, butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar and garlic powder.
-
Make Cauliflower: Place the eggs in a bowl and mix well. Place the flour in another. Dip the cauliflower into the egg, then into the flour to coat, shaking off excess, then onto a work surface. Spray both sides with oil.
-
Air Fry: In batches as needed air fry cauliflower 380F 7 to 8 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and tender. Repeat with the second batch, then place everything back into the air fryer to heat up 1 minutes.
-
Coat Cauliflower: Immediately transfer hot air-fried cauliflower to a large bowl and toss with the honey sriracha sauce until evenly coated.
-
Serve: Garnish with cilantro and pickled red onions, if desired. Optional, serve with ranch and chimichurri.