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Oven baked and extra saucy, Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch. Breaded cauliflower, baked, and tossed in homemade buffalo sauce. Serve with a creamy, light, and healthy tahini ranch dressing. Add extra sauce buffalo sauce, and enjoy! Trust me, every bite is delicious and will leave you wanting more.
After years of not having my tried and true buffalo cauliflower recipe on the site, I’m finally sharing it. Why it took so long is just silly. I thought there were one too many buffalo cauliflower recipes on the internet. And well, there might be, but whatever, this recipe is highly requested and one of my family’s favorites.
With all the football happening this month, and then the Super Bowl coming up next month, I’m sharing my recipe! We really love it, so I finally decided it was just silly not to share the way I make it!
As I said, my family regularly requests all things buffalo. Buffalo chicken, pizza, pretzel twists…even these fun buffalo chicken wraps. But they really love something they can “dip” when they’re watching the game or all sitting around talking. So buffalo cauliflower ends up being their most requested buffalo.
I serve these both as an appetizer and as a dinner (usually with fries – sometimes rice). I also like to serve them with a side of blue cheese ranch. Since it’s “Healthy January” I’m sharing my creamy tahini ranch, which I love just as much!!
The details
I make these so often. Therefore, I like to keep them pretty quick and simple, so they don’t take a lot of time. And no frying is needed!
Start off by breaking the cauliflower up into florets. Then whisk up a few eggs in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower right into the whisked eggs, then simply toss to coat.
For the crumbs, I really like using finely crushed corn flakes. I’ve found they provide the best texture. If you’re someone who prefers to eat gluten-free, use gluten-free bread crumbs instead. Then mix the crumbs with smoked paprika and a touch of cayenne.
Now dredge the cauliflower through the seasoned crumbs, then bake!
For the buffalo sauce, my favorite ratio is 3 to 2, hot sauce to melted butter (or olive oil). I then add some seasoned salt and a big pinch of black pepper. It literally takes minutes to make these and they are so good.
Next comes the tahini ranch, again, it’s so simple. Basically, you’re replacing sour cream and mayo with tahini. So it’s tahini, plus dried herbs, and then a little lemon. It’s delicious, and a nice lighter ranch option.
When the cauliflower is crispy, drizzle the buffalo sauce over, and then give the pan a good toss.
It’s not fancy at all, but that’s what makes these bites so good. These are a delicious alternative to restaurant buffalo chicken…just made in a healthier, less greasy, way. And yes, they’re pretty darn perfect for game night too.
Enjoy everyone!
Looking for more game day recipes? Here are a few to try:
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Soft Pretzels
Fried Buffalo Goat Cheese Balls
Baked Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls with Cilantro Lime Ranch
Lastly, if you make this Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Buffalo Cauliflower with Spicy Tahini Ranch
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 232 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups finely crushed corn flake crumbs
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, use to your taste
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup hot sauce (I use Frank's)
- 1/3 cup melted butter or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Tahini Ranch
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, use to your taste
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, add the cauliflower and toss well to coat. In a separate bowl combine the corn flake crumbs, paprika, cayenne, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.3. Dredge the cauliflower through the crumbs, covering fully. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the cauliflower halfway through cooking.4. Meanwhile, whisk together the hot sauce, butter, seasoned salt, and a pinch of black pepper until smooth. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower, gently tossing to coat. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.5. To make the tahini ranch, combine everything in a bowl, whisking in 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to thin the dressing. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 6. Serve the cauliflower with extra buffalo sauce and tahini ranch on the side for dipping. Enjoy!
I’m from Buffalo, and you totally nailed the Buffalo sauce! I’m sensitive to dairy so I’m always looking for a new way to make ranch, and this tahini ranch is also WONDERFUL! I just wish I would of reserved half of the crumbs, coated half of the cauliflower and then proceeded with the rest. Toward the end my crumb mixture got saturated and didn’t want to stick anymore. This didn’t stop it from being totally delicious though. Thanks Teigen!
Hey Shawna,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Thanks so much for all the gluten free options again! Can’t wait to try this for superbowl weekend 🙂
I hope you love the recipe Hannah!!
This is delicious!! Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Sara,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
I can see why you make a lot of this I knew I would like this but my husband, who’s not a real fan of cauliflower, loved it. I have yet to make one of your recipes that hasn’t been a huge hit.
Hi Darlene,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
Awesome post. I’m a regular visitor of your website and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the nice site. I will be a frequent visitor for a really long time.
Thanks so much Ashlea!!
Made this last night and it was a big hit. Loved the tahini in the ranch dressing too
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
This recipe is AMAZING. I can finally eat cauliflower. I didn’t have cornflakes so I subtituted corn chex instead and they turned out perfect. And, after leaving them in the fridge over night they lost their crunch but they were still delicious. I ate some of them cold while I reheated the rest. I’m definitely working this into my dinner rotation. Thank you Tieghan.
Hey Michele,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
Made this last Friday night – and doing it again for this week. A great way to kick off the weekend without heading out. Didn’t have cornflakes so used dredges of crackers – cheezits and pita chips which worked just fine.
Yummy recipe, easy and better than what you order in a restaurant.
Hey Catherine,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
I really liked this recipe! Used breadcrumbs instead of corn flakes and made sure to toss the cauliflower in egg before dredging through crumbs and spices. I didn’t have all of the ingredients to make the tahini ranch so I’ll have to make it again!
Hey Melissa,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Delish! But I would definitely double or triple the tahini ranch sauce – it didn’t make very much!
Hey Eva,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Hi! I made these and they were delicious but I had some trouble. The crushed corn flakes were not sticking well at all to the cauli after the egg wash… any tips for next time? Thank you!!
Hey Phoebe,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! Were your corn flakes like really crushed well? That is key! Let me know! xTieghan
Sorry but this recipe method for dipping and dredging the cauliflower did not work. The normal method is dredge in seasoned flour, egg and crumbs. I give the method a poor rating.
Hey Susan,
So sorry to hear that the recipe did not workout for you, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Great game day snack! My boys devoured them! Will definitely make this again soon.
Hey Stephanie,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
This is delicious! I think I will try it one time again with broccoli. So addictive!
Hey Jill,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
Love this recipe! The cauliflower did turn out a little soft after adding the buffalo sauce – any recommendations to get it extra crispy next time? Overall was still delicious, thanks!
Hi Sara,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! You can pop them back in the oven after adding the sauce to get them crispy again. xT
Delicious! I used Panko crumbs and it came out perfectly. My wing loving husband thought it was very good too-will definitely keep this on the game day menu! Thanks, Tieghan!
Hi Amber,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT