Believe it or not, as a little kid, I was a VERY picky eater! Vegetables had no place in my diet according to little Eitan. Luckily, I outgrew that distaste for vegetables a long time ago, and my favorite has always been cauliflower. It’s incredibly versatile, has so many ways it can be prepared and comes in handy as a great meat substitute in many cases. I love using them in tacos in place of meat or fish and LOVE using them in place of chicken for chicken wings.
These Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are a recipe where the vegetable really shines. It has the crunchiness and fattiness of a breaded chicken wing, the zing of flavor from the buffalo sauce, and the meaty texture of the perfectly cooked inside. It’s seriously one of my all-time favorite fried snacks, and I’m pretty sure after just one bite, it will be yours too!
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings
Ingredients
For the Buffalo Cauliflower Bites:
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 cup milk (any kind will work)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
- 1 cup buffalo sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
For the Garlic Aioli:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Buffalo Cauliflower Bites:
- Preheat the vegetable oil in a wide pot to 350 degrees Farenhight.
- Place the milk, flour, and breadcrumbs each into separate small bowls. Season the flour with the freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt.
- Dredge each cauliflower floret in the milk, then flour mixture, then back in the milk again and finally in breadcrumb mixture. Once coated, place each onto a baking sheet.
- Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, add breaded florets to oil. Fry until florets are browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove from the oil then drain in a single layer on paper towels.
- In a large bowl, mix the buffalo sauce and honey until combined. Add the fried cauliflower into the bowl and toss to coat each floret in the sauce. Once coated, spoon onto a serving dish and serve immediately with garlic aioli.
For the Garlic Aioli:
- In a small pan, fry the garlic in the olive oil until golden brown. Blend the garlic, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small blender, until fully combined. Pour into a small bowl and set aside until serving.
