Honey Garlic Air Fryer Cauliflower Wings

Deliciously sticky and flavorful, these air fryer cauliflower wings are such a tasty appetizer option. Cook up the 'wings' in the air fryer, then toss in homemade honey garlic sauce. Lighter, vegan-friendly and sure to be gobbled up.

The air fryer is such a great way to cook up vegetables, and cauliflower is one of our faves! While I have this crispy air fryer cauliflower recipe on the blog, these air fryer cauliflower wings are a new favorite at our house.

Whether you serve them as a side dish or an appetizer, you're going to be blown away by how much flavor they have.

I'm also sharing a couple of additional ways you can add flavor to your cauliflower wings, just in case honey garlic isn't your jam.

Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these cauliflower wings. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Ingredient notes

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• cauliflower- cut your cauliflower into uniform 1-1 ½ inch florets so that they cook through evenly. Stems are fine, but you want to avoid overly-long stems. Smaller pieces are easier to pop into your mouth!
• panko- these are seasoned Japanese breadcrumbs, which should be located with the regular breadcrumbs in your grocery store. The larger pieces of the Panko add amazing texture to the surface of the 'wings', and also prevent the batter from making a huge mess of your air fryer. I highly recommend seeking out Panko over regular breadcrumbs for that texture.
• flour- I've used all purpose flour here, whole wheat would also work. Almond flour did not work for this recipe (the batter was too thin), and I have not tested gluten-free.
• milk- you can use any milk including dairy or almond milk.
• honey- maple syrup may be swapped in place of honey for the sauce

Step by step directions

1. Honey garlic sauce- I recommend getting the sauce made before you start on the wings so that it's not too hectic while the cauliflower wings cook.

Start by combining the honey, soy sauce, garlic, apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, water and cornstarch in a pot. Heat on medium-low heat, and whisk until the cornstarch is smooth, and the mixture bubbles and thickens.

Remove from heat and set aside until later.

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2. Batter & bread the cauliflower- Arrange two medium-sized bowls.

a) In the first bowl, mix together the flour, salt, garlic and onion powder. Add the milk to the flour mixture, and stir until smooth.

b) in the second bowl, add the Panko.

Working in batches, mix the cauliflower florets in the batter until completely coated, shake of excess batter, then toss in the Panko to coat. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with the rest of the cauliflower.

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3. Air fry- Heat your air fryer to 400°F, and allow to preheat for least 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower to the basket- it can be touching but should not overlap. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip and shake the basket. Cook for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until cauliflower is evenly golden and crispy*.

*cook time varies by the size of the cauliflower florets

4. Coat in sauce- Once cauliflower has been cooked through, dip the cauliflower in the sauce, shake off excess, and transfer to a serving plate. If your sauce has been sitting for a long time, you will want to warm it through before doing this step.

5. Garnishes- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, and serve immediately!

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Recipe notes

Air fryer models

This recipe was tested in both a basket-style air fryer (Cosori XL air fryer) and an oven-style air fryer (Instant Pot Vortex air fryer oven). Cook times were remarkably similar in each! Be sure that you rotate the trays when you flip the cauliflower when cooking in an air fryer oven.

For basket-style models, you'll likely need to cook in 2 batches, whereas the oven-style air fryers may be able to fit a full batch.

Size of cauliflower florets

You can make this recipe with larger florets, but they need to be bitten in half and that makes them harder and messier to eat. I recommend sticking to smaller 1 - 1.5 inch florets, which are easy to pop into your mouth!

Other sauces

BBQ- These cauliflower wings were also delicious when tossed in ½ cup barbecue sauce. Make sure you warm the sauce before tossing the florets in it.

Buffalo- For a buffalo option, mix together 1 cup Frank's red hot sauce with 1 tablespoon butter (or vegan butter). Melt and warm through, then dunk the air fried cauliflower wings in the sauce.

Storage and reheating

Due to the sauce/Panko combination, these wings must be served fresh. If you wish to make them partially ahead, you can:

1. Prepare the honey garlic sauce ahead- store the cooled sauce in a jar, or air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Warm back up before dunking the wings.
2. Prepare the breaded cauliflower ahead- batter, breadcrumb, and cook your cauliflower wings through. Cool and store in an air tight container for up to 48 hours. Heat back up in the air fryer at 400°F for 3-5 minutes, then dunk in the sauce.

More air fryer recipes

• Seriously Amazing Air Fryer French Fries
• Ultra Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas
• Air Fryer Zucchini Fries
• Crispy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Tots