In my ongoing quest to make food my children will eat, I stumbled on this very tasty Buffalo cauliflower. I live in a house full of chicken wing and ranch dressing enthusiasts, and this game-day snack take on cauliflower has been a great way to welcome a previously suspicious vegetable onto picky people’s plates. It also encourages the additional intake of carrots and celery. Kind of a win all the way around.
The main trick is trying not to overcook the cauliflower. Depending on the size of your florets, this might require a little trial and error. I think it’s better to err on the underdone side. I also recommend doubling this recipe if you plan to serve it as a side with a meal. I love Frank’s RedHot, but some in the family are sensitive about heat. In this case, I’ve reduced the hot sauce-to-butter ratio for a milder version and recommended a healthy serving of cooling ranch. If you’re good with an air fryer, this recipe would be easy to adapt.
Buffalo Cauliflower
Makes four snack-sized servings
1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup white flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 cup Frank’s or other Buffalo-style hot sauce
3 tablespoons melted butter
Ranch or blue cheese dressing (Here’s my go-to homemade ranch recipe)
Celery and carrot sticks to garnish
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a bowl large enough to hold the cauliflower, whisk together the flour, water, paprika and garlic salt. Toss the cauliflower in the batter and place the pieces on the sheet pan, giving each plenty of room. Bake for 15 minutes. While those are roasting, make the sauce by combining hot sauce and melted butter in a medium bowl. After 15 minutes, the cauliflower pieces should be softened but still a little toothsome and the batter should be dry and set. Remove them from the pan and toss them gently in the sauce. Discard the parchment on the pan and replace it with a fresh piece. Pull each of the florets out of the sauce and place it back on the pan. Roast for another 5 to 8 minutes, until the sauce is set and bubbling around the edges. Serve immediately with dressing and carrot and celery sticks.