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Sweet & Spicy Air Fryer Cauliflower

An easy air fryer cauliflower recipe made with fresh cauliflower, sriracha, and maple syrup for a perfectly delicious side dish in under 20 minutes. Simply can't beat air fried cauliflower florets.

Sometimes picking a side dish is as difficult as picking the main course. Sometimes side dishes are boring. And sometimes the side is the star of the show.

This incredibly easy cauliflower recipe is perfect for any night of the week, it's definitely one of my favourite air fryer recipes.

You might be wondering "can you air fry cauliflower?!" The answer to that is a resounding yes.

This air fryer cauliflower recipe is dedicated to a little hot streak.

Close up view of a bowl of air fried cauliflower.
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Tips + tricks

No. 1 --> Chop the cauliflower into small florets, the smaller florets allow better air penetration and texture. The best part of this recipe is the little extra crispy bits. They add texture, flavour, and deliciousness.

No. 2 --> This easy air fryer cauliflower recipe doesn't have to be only a side dish - it can be a snack too! During recipe testing, I set out a batch of this roasted cauliflower on the table and it was gone in minutes. MINUTES!

No. 3 --> Adapt the sriracha to your tastes! The sweet cuts down a lot on the heat, but feel free to halve it, if you like.

Overhead view of the orangy - slightly charred air fryer roasted cauliflower.

Ingredients:

  • head of cauliflower
  • sriracha
  • maple syrup
  • oil
  • cornstarch

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How to air fry cauliflower

  1. Break the cauliflower into 1 1/2" florets. Chop off most of the stems. Rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with a kitchen towel.
  2. Add the sriracha, syrup/ honey, olive oil, and cornstarch to a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine.
  3. Preheat your air fryer to 375f.
  4. Meanwhile, add the cauliflower to the sriracha glaze and toss until completely coated.
  5. Once the air fryer is preheated, add the coated cauliflower into the basket of your air fryer.
  6. Cook the cauliflower at 375f for 12-15 minutes, shaking every 5 or so minutes to turn the cauliflower.
  7. Serve hot.
Fresh cauliflower tossed in the orangey maple sriracha sauce before being air fried.

Don't like the heat?

This sweet sriracha cauliflower recipe starts with sweet notes and ends with a little bit of heat.

If you're not into spicy, you can reduce the sriracha to your tastes or do like we do, and serve with a side of ranch dip.

How to store air fried cauliflower

If you've got leftovers (which I doubt you will) allow the sriracha cauliflower to cool before transferring to an air tight container and storing in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This fried cauliflower recipe is great reheated! Simply throw the cauliflower back into your air fryer and heat at 350f for 2-3 minutes.

Close up of the texture and colour of the air fryer cauliflower.

more good sides

Can't have an air fryer recipe without an air fryer! This little ditty is my favourite new toy!

We love oven roasted cauliflower in this house, but it just takes so darn long. But cooking cauliflower in the air fryer is faaaaast. My little Instant Pot Instant Vortex has a delicious side dish on the table in 15 minutes! Can't beat that.

I got my Instant Vortex on Amazon.

A bowl filled with sriracha maple air fried cauliflower with a spoon in it.

📖 Printable Recipe

Air fried cauliflower in a white bowl.
Yield: 6

Air Fryer Cauliflower

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

This sweet and spicy air fryer cauliflower is the best 15-minute side dish. Learn how to air fry cauliflower.

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 2 tbsp sriracha
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Break the cauliflower into 1 1/2" florets. Chop off most of the stems. Rinse well under cold running water. Pat dry with a kitchen towel.
  2. Add the sriracha, syrup/ honey, olive oil, and cornstarch to a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine.
  3. Add the cauliflower to the sriracha glaze and toss until completely coated.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat your air fryer to 375f.
  5. Once preheated, add the coated cauliflower into the basket of your air fryer.
  6. Cook the cauliflower at 375f for 12-15 minutes, shaking every 5 or so minutes to turn the cauliflower.
  7. Serve hot.

Notes

This recipe makes perfect leftovers - simply cool completely, then store any leftovers in an air tight container. When ready to serve, reheat in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 375f.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 92Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 153mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 2g

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