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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!
We went crazy over this the first time we had it!
Question: what are your recommendations/thoughts for using fresh dill? I happen to have quite a bit on hand)
Hey Sheila,
Fantastic!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Fresh dill would be great to use!! xTieghan
yes! I ended up using up the fresh dill, chives and parsley that I had in the fridge! I used the “3:1” ratio of fresh:dried and it turned out just as perfectly as the first time I made this with dried herbs. We love how easy this buffalo cauliflower recipe comes together.
I may try to make it vegan next by swapping a chickpea flour/water mixture for the eggs to coat the cauliflower. And vegan butter for regular butter in the sauce.
Hey Sheila,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xx
Thanks for such a great collection of recipes, Tieghan. You can thank the 2022 Olympics for my finding your site. I made this buffalo cauliflower. YUM. The only change: I dredged the raw cauliflower in seasoned flour before the egg dredge to keep the egg from running off.
Hey Dayle,
Fantastic!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Thanks so much for your kind message:) xTieghan
I made this for the 2022 Super Bowl and it was a hit. I did not make the tahini sauce and used regular blue cheese for dipping. Small challenge was getting the corn flake crumbs to fully stick to the florets even though they had egg all over them. I wound up with some crunchy morsels on the baking sheet from what didn’t stick and they were yummy to eat.
Hey Jodi,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Any gluten free substitutes you’d recommend for cornflakes? Sadly they contain gluten.
Hey Anna,
You could use GF panko breadcrumbs. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Very tasty! I think I will cook in the air fryer next time to make it even crispier.
Hey Tiffany,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxT
I made this in my air fryer and it’s so delicious and crispy! Pretty spicy so I might not add cayenne to the ranch or breading next time but it was a hit.
Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Hi Brittney,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxT
How long did you cook these in your air fryer and what temp? Thanks
Question – is there a vegan sub for the egg wash you’ve tried and recommend?
Hi Jane,
So sorry, there isn’t anything that I have personally tried, but if you try something let me know! I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Milk?
Yum! I just made this and ate it all! I changed the recipe a little based on what I had in the kitchen and it was so good not to mention quick and easy!
Hey Emily,
Awesome!! Love hearing that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a go! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
These were so good. My husband actually said “who needs chicken when you can have these instead?”
Hey Erin,
Awesome!! Love hearing that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a go! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
My husband has been craving some chicken wings for the past several weeks. We have been trying to add more plants to our diet so I suggested trying this but he was skeptical. We made it tonight and it was delicious. We will definitely be adding this to our go to meal list.
Hey Hope,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
OMG. What inspired such perfection? Deeeeelicious. I ate nearly half the head of cauliflower in one sitting!
Hey there,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner. Have the best weekend:) xT
I am tired of roasted cauliflower….oh hum! I had a head of cauliflower and this caught my eye.
Saw this recipe and served it tonight and it’s a keeper. It was not difficult to make, love the spices and the tahini ranch was a wonderful addition. My husband thought the ranch was also wonderful on his flank steak that I served with cauliflower!
Hey Vicki,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner. Have the best weekend:) xT
Just curious if anyone has tried making this recipe with frozen cauliflower florets…
Hi Karissa,
You could use frozen cauliflower, you would just want to thaw them and pat them dry first. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Have you made this in an air fryer?
Hey Maria,
Sorry, I haven’t, but I bet that would work well for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
You need to participate in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I’ll suggest this site!
Awe thanks so much Renda!
If I could give this more stars I would. It was sooo tasty. That tahini ranch will be something I dream about! Being dairy free,I appreciate this delicious alternative!!! Better than traditional ranch IMO. Also, it was so quick to put together! I made it for lunch yesterday and then reheated today in the oven to recrisp a bit. It was perfect! Thanks so much!!!
Hey Nancy,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great day:) xxT