(18 votes, average: 3.39 out of 5)
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Crispy and crunchy, this air fryer cauliflower is ready under 20 minutes! Served alongside a tangy dipping sauce, this is the appetizer or side dish you won’t be able to get enough of!
Ingredients
Scale
- Small to medium head cauliflower, chopped into florets or 12 ounces cauliflower florets (about 4 1/2 to 5 cups florets)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the optional dipping sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 1/2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder and salt until evenly coated.
- Place florets in a single layer, evenly spaced out, in air fryer.
- Set air fryer to 375 degrees F.
- Cook cauliflower, checking and tossing every 3-5 minutes, until browned and crispy, about 10-15 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
- Optional: serve with dipping sauce or toss with desired sauce.
For the optional dipping sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, ketchup, dijon mustard, smoked paprika and salt until combined. Serve alongside air fryer cauliflower.
Notes
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer with cauliflower. This will interfere with each piece getting crispy. You want to make sure there is space between each floret.
- Smaller florets will brown quicker than larger florets so try to cut evenly sized large florets.
- Because cauliflower can burn easily, check and toss the basket every 3-5 minutes to ensure even browning.
- The second batch (and subsequent batches) may brown quicker than the first since the air fryer will have been preheated. I found that my first batch took about 15 minutes to brown while the second batch was closer to 10 minutes.
- If using frozen cauliflower, you don’t need to thaw it first. Just toss frozen cauliflower with olive oil and spices and cook from frozen. It may just need a little longer to cook so if it’s still soggy after 10-15 minutes, keep checking it every 3-5 minutes or so.
- This cauliflower is delicious served alongside my dipping sauce but is also fantastic tossed with some Buffalo sauce!
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Air Fryer
