Air Fried Cauliflower Wings + Spicy Maple Tahini Glaze
These cauliflower wings are the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and tangy. They also have a perfect crisp & crunch (which is difficult to get on cauliflower).
To make the crunchy coating, all you need is a few simple ingredients:
- Cassava flour (gluten-free and healthier alternative to white flour)
- Nut milk (unsweetened almond, cashew, oat, etc.)
- Whole wheat breadcrumbs (or gluten-free)
- A yummy combination of seasonings (listed in the instructions below)
The coating should cover each cauliflower completely. This prevents them from breaking while air frying and while tossing them in the delicious sauce!
After you coat the cauliflower, you’ll lather them in the sauce and place them back in the air fryer to get a slightly burnt crisp. Then top with sesame seeds, green onions, and anything else you’d like!
This is your final result!
Note: To get the right crispiness, you’ll probably need an air fryer. I haven’t tried to make these in the oven. But based on the look of these, you’ll need much higher heat to get this color and texture. 🙂
I use a Ninja Foodie to air fry. There are also many inexpensive options on Amazon!
CRISPY AIR FRIED CAULIFLOWER WINGS + SPICY MAPLE TAHINI GLAZE
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
For The Cauliflower Wings
- 1 small head cauliflower
- ½ cup cassava flour
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Table Tasty Salt-Free Seasoning (see notes)
- Avocado oil spray
- Optional garnishes: sesame seeds, lime wedges & sliced green onions
For The Tahini Maple Glaze
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tbsp liquid aminos or low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ lime (juiced)
- 1 tsp Yai’s Thai Chili Garlic Hot Sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch (mix with 2 tsp water separately)
Instructions
- Wash & chop the cauliflower into medium-sized wings. If you make them too small, they will break in the batter.
- Combine cassava flour and almond milk in a medium bowl. You might need to make more of the batter/sauce if you have a bigger head of cauliflower.
- Combine the whole wheat bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt-free seasoning in a separate medium bowl or plate.
- Dip each cauliflower wing in the batter mixture (I dip each one separately, but you can do more than one at a time). Use a spoon to scoop the batter over the cauliflower. Shake off any excess batter to make sure it isn’t coated too thick.
- Dip the cauliflower into the bread mixture and use another spoon to coat evenly.
- Place the cauliflower on a plate as you finish coating them.
- Preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees and set the timer to 30 minutes. Let the air fryer heat up for 5 minutes before placing the cauliflower in.
- Add the cauliflower to the air fryer in a single row (after 5 minutes of pre-heating). Lightly spray the basket with avocado oil.
- Flip cauliflower after 10 minutes of cooking. Then cook again for an additional 10 minutes.
- As the cauliflower is cooking, heat up the tahini, liquid aminos, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, lime juice, and garlic sauce in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat.
- Simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently (to make sure it doesn’t burn).
- Once it is softly boiling, add the cornstarch and water mixture.
- Let simmer for an additional 3 minutes or until the mixture is thick. If the sauce isn’t thick, it won’t stick to the cauliflower.
- Remove from heat and let sit until cauliflower is done.
- After 20 minutes, remove the cauliflower from the air fryer and add to a medium bowl. Toss the cauliflower in the tahini maple glaze sauce (recipe below) until evenly coated.
- Once coated, add the glazed cauliflower to the air fryer again and continue cooking for an additional 4-5 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Remove cauliflower from the air fryer. Garnish with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, and lime wedges. Enjoy!
