Looking for a comforting, flavorful, veggie-forward dish? Try this air fryer honey garlic cauliflower with crispy Panko cauliflower coated in a sweet, garlicky sauce. The best part is, the whole takes about 20 minutes.
If you’re a cauliflower fan, you’re going to love this recipe. The breaded cauliflower gets super crispy in the air fryer and the sauce is sweet and savory and full of garlic.
This is a great recipe for weeknights, game day, or those nights when you’re looking for a little takeout at home inspiration.
Try my spicier gochujang cauliflower bites next!
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- cauliflower: one large head of cauliflower, cut into even bite-sized florets.
- batter: you’ll need all purpose flour and cornstarch to make a batter for the panko breadcrumbs to stick to.
- breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs provide a light and crispy texture than regular breadcrumbs.
- garlic: we’ll use at least 5 garlic cloves because this is a honey garlic sauce. Use more if you’re a huge garlic fan.
- sambal oelek: for a mild spice. Try Sriracha sauce or red pepper flakes if you don’t have sambal oelek.
- vegetable stock: using stock for the liquid adds flavor, use one that you like. Use chicken stock instead if you’re not keeping the dish vegetarian.
- soy sauce: for a salty, savory flavor
- cornstarch: to thicken the sauce.
- honey: to sweeten the sauce, add flavor, and give the sauce a more dense consistency.
- garnish: I like to garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
Make sure to mix the cornstarch with cold liquid to form a slurry, before adding it to the sauce to help prevent lumps.
Use the sauce recipe on sautéed chicken to make honey garlic chicken!
Instructions
Prep Tips
Start with breading the cauliflower.
In one bowl, add the Panko breadcrumbs.
- In another bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Add any spices you would like to add or a few dashes of hot sauce. Whisk well. Add most of the water and whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed until you achieve a thick batter. (Thicker than pancake batter but thinner than cake batter.)
- Dip cauliflower florets into the batter, letting the excess drip off.
Use a wet hand and a dry hand for breading the cauliflower to help avoid breading your fingers.
- Drop the battered cauliflower floret into the breadcrumbs and shake the bowl to coat the cauliflower, using your hands to press the breadcrumbs in as necessary.
- Repeat for all of the cauliflower.
For cooking the cauliflower, you have three choices: pan-fried, air-fried, or oven-baked. Read my post on how to cook cauliflower 3 ways for more details.
When I’m eating the cauliflower with a dip, my favorite method is pan frying because it gives crispy flavorful pieces of cauliflower while the air-fried and oven-baked can be a bit drier.
But for this recipe, those methods work because the cauliflower is coated in sauce.
See the recipe card for the oven-baked and pan-fried methods.
- Spread the breaded cauliflower in a single layer on the air fryer basket or trays with room between each piece for crispy results.
- Air fry for 10 minutes, flip, and then air fry for another 5-6 minutes, or until the cauliflower is fork tender.
You can spray with oil first for a more golden brown coating.
Meanwhile, make the honey garlic sauce.
- Whisk the cornstarch with the cold stock. add the honey, sambal oelek, and soy sauce and mix well.
- Heat a teaspoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry for about a minute, or until very fragrant and starting to brown.
- Add the sauce mixture to the skillet.
- Heat for 1-2 minutes, until you have a thick sauce. Turn the heat to low and keep warm until the cauliflower is done.
Once the cauliflower is done in the air fryer, you can either toss the cauliflower with the sauce in a large bowl or simply drizzle the sauce over top when serving. You can also use it as a dipping sauce instead.
Tips for air frying cauliflower
- Evenly-sized florets will cook more evenly, so take a bit of time when cutting the cauliflower.
- Be sure to leave room between the cauliflower florets as they cook. This will help you achieve the crispiest texture. Do this if you’re pan frying or oven baking as well.
What to serve with honey garlic cauliflower
This crispy cauliflower coated in sauce makes a great side dish or game-day snack. To serve it as a side dish, I like to pair it with Instant Pot brown rice and roasted broccoli for a simple but super flavorful and comforting meal.
Want something spicy? Try gochujang cauliflower for a crispy cauliflower dish coated in a spicy sauce!
Storage
While this is best eaten fresh, you can store the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
When storing the cauliflower with the sauce on, it won’t be as crispy when reheated. To keep the cauliflower crispy for reheating, store the leftover cauliflower and sauce separately.
Reheat the cauliflower at a lower temperature in the oven or air fryer and then add the reheated sauce. To reheat the sauce, microwave it or heat it in a small saucepan.
FAQs
Breaded cauliflower takes 15-16 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Flip the cauliflower halfway and rotate trays if necessary.
Honey Garlic Cauliflower
Equipment
- Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer or similar
Ingredients
For the cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower cut into evenly sized florets
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
For the sauce
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek or Sriracha
- ½ cup vegetable stock cold, or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoon cold water
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
for the garnish
- 2 green onions sliced, for serving, optional
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
- Mix the flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a bowl. Add most of the water and whisk, adding more water as needed until you have a thick batter.
- Place the breadcrumbs in another bowl.
- Dip each cauliflower floret in the batter, letting the excess drip off. Coat in the breadcrumbs and set on the air fryer baking tray.
- Air fry for 10 minutes, flip and then air fry for another 5-6 minutes, or until the cauliflower is fork tender.
For the sauce:
- Add a teaspoon of oil to a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and fry, stirring, for a minute or so, until fragrant and starting to brown.
- Whisk the cornstarch with the cold stock. Add the sambal oelek, honey, and soy sauce. Mix well.
- Add the sauce mixture to the skillet.
- Heat while whisking. The sauce should thicken in 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and keep it warm until the cauliflower is ready.
- You can either toss the cooked cauliflower in the sauce or drizzle it on top.
- Serve hot and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used. Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.
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