If you love roasting cauliflower, you definitely need to give this Air Fryer Cauliflower recipe a try. The seasoned cauliflower florets are air fried until crispy and then tossed in a delicious savory sauce that'll take your taste buds on a ride.
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Why This Recipe Works
- My favorite part about this crispy cauliflower recipe is the fact that it is actually healthier than most other fried cauliflower recipes out there since I use the Air Fryer to make it.
- You'll be amazed at how easily you can transform this healthy vegetable into a wickedly delicious side dish or even a main dish if you want to.
- This Teriyaki Cauliflower recipe can pair perfectly with Air Fryer Salmon Bites. Check it out!
🥘 Ingredients
- Cauliflower: The main ingredient, it offers a hearty texture and subtle flavor.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Creates a crunchy crust when air-fried.
- Milk: Used to create a coating for cauliflower florets.
- Flour: Aids in forming a perfect coating on the cauliflower.
- Seasonings: Enhances the overall flavor of the dish.
- Ginger And Garlic: Key ingredients for the teriyaki sauce, adding depth and heat.
- Brown Sugar: Provides sweetness to balance the savory flavors.
- Soy Sauce: Infuses umami flavor into the cauliflower.
- Honey: Gives the sauce a glaze-like finish.
- Sesame Seeds: Adds crunch and visual appeal.
- Scallions: Introduces a fresh element to the dish.
- Cornstarch: Optional, but useful for thickening the sauce.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
📖 Substitutions & Variations
- Use a mix of curry powder and smoked paprika in the coating and air fry the cauliflower to turn it into a nice Indian Air Fryer cauliflower that can be an incredible side dish.
- You can add some more heat to the air-fried cauliflower by adding some chili powder and lemon juice to the coating mixture.
- Smoked paprika can be another great addition to pick.
🔪 How To Make Air Fryer Cauliflower
Got all your ingredients ready? Here's what you'll need to do next to make the crispy Air Fryer cauliflower.
Step One: Start by cutting the cauliflower into florets. Preheat Air Fryer.
Step Two: In a large bowl, add the milk, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
Step Three: Add your cauliflower florets to the bowl with milk and cover all florets. Then put your cauliflower in the panko crumbs and make sure all florets are covered with the panko.
Step Four: Place the florets in the Air Fryer in a single layer. Air fry for 20 minutes on 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While the cauliflower is cooking, make your teriyaki sauce.
Step Five: Add the water, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, minced garlic, and minced ginger in a saucepan and cook on medium-high heat until the water has evaporated and the sauce becomes thicker. This can take about 10-15 minutes.
Step Six: Once the cauliflower florets are cooked, pour the teriyaki sauce over the florets and garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
While making Air Fryer cauliflower is super easy, you might want to keep these additional tips and tricks in mind too.
- While Air Fryers are designed to make the cauliflower crisp without any oil or fat needed, I would recommend drizzling a bit of olive oil over the cauliflower when you add it to the Air Fryer basket to make it even more crispy.
- If you don't have olive oil, you could always use some avocado oil or any other cooking oil of your choice.
- Just like most other Air Fryer recipes, remember to toss the contents of the basket halfway through the cooking process.
- While I would highly recommend using fresh cauliflower for air frying, you can also choose to use frozen cauliflower if you want to.
💭 FAQs
Yes, you can use frozen cauliflower, but make sure to thaw and pat it dry before air frying. Frozen cauliflower may release more moisture, so drying it helps achieve the crispy texture.
Making homemade teriyaki sauce is easy! Combine soy sauce, honey or brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and a splash of rice vinegar in a pan. Simmer it until it thickens, and you'll have a flavorful sauce ready to coat your cauliflower.
Absolutely! Bell peppers, zucchini, or broccoli work great in the air fryer and pair well with the teriyaki sauce. Just make sure to cut them into similar-sized pieces for even cooking.
To get the cauliflower extra crispy, make sure to spray it lightly with oil before air frying. The oil helps create a golden, crispy texture, and avoid overcrowding the basket to allow hot air to circulate evenly around the cauliflower.
If you have any leftover cauliflower that you want to store for later, just allow it to cool down before you transfer it to an airtight container. This can be refrigerated for 2-3 days, and then reheated in the Air Fryer. You can prepare the teriyaki sauce days in advance and refrigerate it. Then, all you need to do is cook the cauliflower in the Air Fryer when you want to and toss it in the sauce.
🧂Serving Suggestions
- You can serve this Air Fryer cauliflower with any tasty dipping sauce of your choice. I personally love teaming the crispy cauliflower with some sour cream, Caesar Dressing or even some hot sauce.
- You can also top the cooked cauliflower with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese and some chopped fresh parsley right before you serve.
- Cauliflower goes well with Poached Chicken, Salmon and Turkey Breast.
- You could also drizzle some fresh lemon juice or lime juice over the top if you want to for some extra vitamin C.
🍽 Related Recipes
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Air Fryer Cauliflower With Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Cauliflower Head
- 1.5 cups Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Milk of your choosing (I used soy milk)
- ½ cup Flour
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper or to taste
- 1 Scallion for garnish
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds for garnish
- ½ cup Water
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon Corn Starch optional if you want to make the sauce sticky – not used in recipe
Instructions
- Start by cutting the cauliflower into florets. Preheat Air Fryer.
- In a large bowl, add the milk, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
- Add your cauliflower florets to the bowl with milk and cover all florets. Then put your cauliflower in the panko crumbs and make sure all florets are covered with the panko.
- Place the florets in the Air Fryer in a single layer. Air fry for 20 minutes on 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, make your teriyaki sauce.
- Add the water, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, minced garlic, minced ginger in a sauce pan and cook on medium high heat until the water has evaporated and the sauce becomes thicker.
- This can take about 10-15 minutes.
- Once the cauliflower florets are cooked, pour the teriyaki sauce over the florets and garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
- Once the cauliflower florets are cooked, pour the teriyaki sauce over the florets and garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
More Delicious Recipe Ideas
If you enjoyed making this easy Air Fryer cauliflower recipe, and are inspired to try some more Air Fryer recipes or just other delicious recipes in general, here are a few good ideas.
