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Active Time
20 minutes
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Total Time
1 hour
This easy recipe for Buffalo cauliflower bites has everything you love aboutBuffalo chicken wings—with none of the meat. Cookbook author and James Beard–nominated chef Dale Talde uses twice-cooked cauliflower florets for his vegetarian spin on theSuper Bowlstandby. While it might seem fussy to roast a whole head of cauliflower only to break it up before sautéing the florets withBuffalo sauce, Talde takes this approach for a reason: Once the cauliflower is roasted, the florets practically fall off the core, eliminating some of the tricky knife work usually required when cutting the raw vegetable. Precooking also ensures each bite is fully tender before searing and glazing.
For Talde’s version of Buffalo wing sauce, you’ll mix melted butter with a 50-50 mixture of sriracha and Frank’s Red Hot sauce to give the glaze a garlicky kick. The resulting crisp-tender bites make an elite addition to any game day spread—or a delicious side dish or vegetarian taco filling.
Talde ousts classic blue cheese dressing, opting instead to crumble blue cheese right over the saucy Buffalo cauliflower “wings.” They’d still benefit from a small bowl ofranch dressingon the side, though—or make a shortcut dip by spiking mayo withgarlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, and dill. Final tip: Don’t forget thecelery sticks. The cooling crunch makes the spicy bites all the better.
Ingredients
2–4 servings
Step 1
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
Step 2
Cut the stalk end off the cauliflower so the head sits flat and place it on a large baking sheet. Rub 2 Tbsp. of the canola oil all over the cauliflower, season to taste with salt and pepper, and roast until the outside starts to brown, about 30 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer the cauliflower to a cutting board and let cool. Once the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, cut or break it into small florets.
Step 4
In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, bring the hot sauce and sriracha to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer then slowly whisk in the butter until fully incorporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Step 5
In a large, deep sauté pan over moderate heat, warm the remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil. Add the cauliflower florets, season to taste with salt and pepper, and sauté until heated through, about 5 minutes. Add enough Buffalo sauce to coat the cauliflower and continue sautéing until both the cauliflower and the sauce are hot, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a platter and garnish with the crumbled blue cheese.
Do Ahead:The cauliflower can be roasted, cooled, and cut into florets several hours in advance. Cover the florets and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use (you may need to sauté them slightly longer if refrigerated). The Buffalo sauce can be prepared, cooled, and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 3 days.
Editor’s note:This recipe first appeared on Epicurious in January 2015.Find more Super Bowl appetizers here →
Prefer a totally hands-off method? You could air fry the baked cauliflower to get each piece crispy (here’s our favorite air fryer), before saucing. Toss the air-fried “wings” in a large bowl with the reduced sauce. Or, spread the baked and sauced florets in a single layer on a baking sheet to broil until lightly charred. Either way, no breading or cornstarch is required, since the glaze will adhere easily once the cauliflower is cooked.
Leave a Review
Reviews (18)
Back to TopCutting sauce in half is plenty. Don't bother w/ sauce pan, just do in saute pan and add cauliflower. Watch sauce as it can break.
lisaacraig
Easton MD
7/22/2020
For SRG435 from Connecticut: perhaps preparing the cauliflower into smaller pieces as a topping for a veggie version of buffalo chicken pizza would be better? You could add mozzarella and garnish sprinkled with diced scallions as a garnish (I might use a bit more blue cheese)?
sharonj31
SoCal High Desert
1/20/2020
Was ok, but didn't quite do the trick for a vegetarian buffalo wings substitute. I do like cauliflower, but I don't think it complimented the buffalo flavor. The other problem is that this is a "side," but I'm having a hard time thinking of what I would pair with it. If I made it again, I would reduce the amount of butter by half.
srg435
Connecticut
11/20/2018
This wasn't bad, but I won't make it again. I tried cooking the cauliflower as written and it was just roasted cauliflower with pretty hot hot wing sauce, I tried dipping the cauliflower in the sauce then re-roasting and that produced the crispiest texture, but not the crunchy coating I wanted.
Anonymous
California
1/7/2018
How can a recipe with a full stick of butter have the word healthy in it? Is that much butter really necessary?
Tracey3181
2/28/2015
I followed this exactly as written, and it worked really well to satisfy the vegetarian who misses Buffalo chicken wings. The sauce thicken a bit as it simmered, the cauliflower had a rich flavor from roasting, and there was just little sauce left when the cauliflower was all eaten. Thanks for alternative to a guilty pleasure!
Kaylie1
Virginia Beach VA
2/15/2015
I cut up the cauliflower and then roasted it. I tweaked the sauce to get the right taste and heat and also added some grated Parmesan to help the sauce stick better to the cauliflower. This was delicious. I've made it several times since and will definitely make it again.
Anonymous
Alexandria, VA
1/28/2015
My family liked this but I'm not convinced it's worth the effort. Cut the amounts in half for the sauce - otherwise you will drown the cauliflower or have a lot left over. I'd probably cut the cauliflower up before roasting it next time so you don't have to wait for it to cool down. And I'd eliminate the oil on the cauliflower before roasting, it's unnecessary. This is a very spicy side dish which could easily overwhelm whatever else you are serving so plan your meal accordingly.
Mewsfoodie
Vancouver, Canada
1/31/2014
这是辣的,太棒了!这确实让enough sauce for about 3 heads of cauliflower.
Janejitsu
1/26/2014
This recipe sounded so good, but it really didn't work. The sauce was way too spicy and the consistency was such that it didn't stick to the cauliflower. The recipe also made way too much sauce. I did like the way the cauliflower turned out roasting the whole head. But I would definitely make a different sauce for it.
xinasaint
Oak Park, Il
1/24/2014
It's better if you fry your cauliflower. Just coat small florets with whisked eggs than flour. Fry until pinkish in mid-high heat. Add buffalo wing sauce and crumbled blue cheese to serve. It's also great with garlic-yogurt and crushed red peppers ;)
dimare
Washington, D.C.
1/23/2014
Great use for cauliflower! The sauce was amazing.
MRed
Austin, TX
5/29/2023
This recipe was perfect. Some will say it is too much sauce but can you ever have too much sauce? It is good dip for anything if you have any left over. Watch the cauliflower as it can be over cooked very easily.
Uncle Baci
3/3/2023
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