Years ago, Mr. EN used to be known for his Buffalo Chicken Wings. They were a fan favorite and he brought them EVERYWHERE. Then, like lots of things in life, you look back in your 50s and 60s and say to yourself: When did we stop…. doing that….going there…. wearing that…. making those…..? For us, that definitely was the case with Buffalo chicken wings. I can’t remember the last time we made them. They just sort of disappeared from our party playbook. Today, almost 40 years later they’re back in the house (well, sort of).😊
These Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are packed with plenty of eye-watering, grab-me-a-beer spiciness and – the best thing about them – you can gobble up a whole plate for 20% of the fat and calories as the same size serving of traditional buffalo chicken wings.
Friends, I’m not gonna lie; these do NOT taste like chicken. And if you love chicken wings you’ll figure that out first bite. Sadly, there is really just no way to make cauliflower taste and chew like meat. Nevertheless, you WILL love these Buffalo Cauliflower Bites – I guarantee it!
They are…
- Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside
- Nutrition-packed
- Low-calorie
- High-Fiber
- Sexy looking (the food kind of sexy) – just look at them!
- Full of tongue-on-fire spicy flavor (Get ready; you’ll need a beer or another cool drink close by)
Prep Tips:
- Don’t make the bites too small. If you do, they won’t get crispy. Ideally, they should be about the size of a half of a golf ball. (I couldn’t think of another comparison). Don’t worry if you have lots of chunks that are smaller than that; just be mindful of the amount of batter you coat them with so they don’t get soggy.
- Flip them once on the second cook. Check to see if they are brown on one side and when they are – flip them for ultimate crispiness. Be patient.
- Serve them warm. That’s when they are at their best. If you have leftovers the next day (and I bet you won’t) they will be a little soggy. Just toss them into a Buffalo omelet with spinach, chopped chives, and a little cheddar cheese.
When is the last time you ate something “buffalo style” that was also low in calories? Relax. These extra tasty Buffalo Cauliflower Bites have you, your waistline, and your taste buds covered.
Peace, love, and good eats, from our Empty Nest to yours.
Trending in the Empty Nest Kitchen: Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
Yield 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil, any kind
- 3/4 cup flour or gluten-free flour blend
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Sauce (see below)
- 2/3 cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Combine 1 teaspoon each melted butter and cooking oil. Spread onto a baking sheet. (This will help the cauliflower brown.) If you have a lot of cauliflower, prepare two baking sheets.
- Divide cauliflower into bite sized chunks.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, water, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt until well combined.
- Pat coating onto cauliflower chunks and place chunks onto the prepared baking sheet. Don’t overlap or crowd the chunks! Use two prepared baking sheets if you need to. Note – if you’re in a hurry, you can toss the cauliflower pieces in the bowl of coating but I find that if I do it that way I run out of coating and some pieces have way too much coating (which makes them soggy) while others have hardly any.)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven.
- In large bowl, combine hot sauce and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add partially cooked cauliflower and gently toss to evenly coat. Return cauliflower to baking sheet and continue cooking for an additional 20-30 minutes, turning once, until pieces start to brown and get crispy.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately with your favorite sauce of choice.
Notes
- This is NOT a low-sodium recipe because the Frank's Hot sauce is high in salt. To lower the sodium choose a different kind of hot sauce to spice up your cauliflower bites. Original Tabasco sauce is lower in sodium.
These…look…FABULOUS!