Spice up game day with this Sriracha cauliflower bites air fryer recipe. Healthy food can taste great and and air fryer fries up delicious game day appetizers without all of the fat.
Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Not too small though.
Mix the mayo and the sriracha together and pour it into a small bowl with tall sides or even a glass.
Dunk each piece of cauliflower into the sauce, coating it fully.
Shake the excess sauce off each piece and place in the fryer basket. The pieces can touch each other but place them in a single layer.
When the basket is full, place it into the fryer.
Set the fryer temperature to 350°F (176°C) and set the timer for 15 minutes.
Every couple of minutes, pull the basket out and shake it so move the pieces around and ensure they cook on all sides.
While the first batch is cooking, continue to coat the remaining pieces in the sauce.
When the first batch is done, remove the pieces and place on parchment paper to cool.
Repeat with the remaining pieces of cauliflower. A small to medium head of cauliflower should take two batches.
Recipe Notes
Sprinkle salt and pepper after dipping the florets into the sauce for extra flavor.
I prefer using fresh cauliflower in all my recipes, but if you have frozen cauliflower on hand, just use it. Thawing isn't even necessary; just coat the florets with some olive oil spray or cooking spray. This helps the spices to stick. So if you're planning to spice up your cauliflower florets, don't skip this step.
You may need or want to double the mayo and sriracha sauce you use depending upon the size of the cauliflower or if you want to serve some on the side for dipping. Just maintain the ratio of ½ cup to ⅛ cup. If you want to make more than one batch of these, I recommend that you chop the head cauliflower ahead of time and use a plastic zipper bag to coat the pieces.
I didn't use oil in this recipe but go ahead and use some if desired. Olive oil works great for this cauliflower air fryer recipe. Its robust flavor infused with the spicy creamy sweet sauce will add a new dimension to your favorite appetizer. If you don't have it on hand, butter, avocado oil, canola oil or vegetable oil are great substitutes. However, you will not get the depth of flavor olive oil brings to the table.
If you don't have an air fryer, bake instead. Coat your cauliflower florets with sauce then set the oven to 400° F. Arrange the cauliflower pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for about 15 minutes, flip, then bake for another 5 or so minutes until crispy or golden brown. If you want ultra-crispy air fryer cauliflower, simply set the oven to high broil and cook for about 2 minutes or until nicely browned.