The classic chicken wing has been around since the 1930s, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that they became popular.
Since then, they have become an American staple.
What Is The Best Way To Cook Cauliflower Wings?
Cauliflower is often overlooked as a food because most people believe it doesn’t taste very good, or worse yet, that it tastes like cabbage.
Cabbage does indeed possess a similar flavor profile, so don’t be fooled by appearances!
Cauliflower isn’t just another “green vegetable.”
It has a wonderful nutty flavor with notes of sweet and savory.
If you want to make sure your wings have a great crunchy texture, try baking them instead of frying them.
Baking allows the exterior to crisp up while keeping the inside moist.
Here we will show you how to prepare these crispy baked cauliflower wings using four different methods:
- Breaded/Fried
- Grilled
- Broiled
- Roasted
What Are Some Tips For Making Perfect Cauliflower Wings?
Cauliflower isn’t just good as a vegetable dish, it also makes great food like these cauliflower wings!
The secret behind their crispiness comes from the fact that the florets are cut into bite-sized pieces which allows them to brown quickly while remaining tender.
This means you don’t need to marinate your wings or soak them overnight before cooking.
- How to make perfect cauliflower wings with no oil
- How to bake cauliflower wings (without deep frying)
- How to fry cauliflower wings (with or without flour coating)
- How to make crispy cauliflower wings (without butter/oil)
What Is The Difference Between Baking And Air Frying Cauliflower Wings?
Cauliflower isn’t just good as a vegetable dish, it also makes great food like these cauliflower wings!
The secret behind their crispiness comes from the fact that the florets are cut into bite-sized pieces which allows them to brown quickly while remaining tender.
This means you don’t need to marinate your wings or soak them overnight before cooking.
First off, there is no such thing as “baking” or “air frying” cauliflower wings.
Baked wings are baked (not fried) while air-fried wings use an air fryer.
The latter method uses hot air instead of oil to fry your food.
If you want to make sure that your wings don’t burn on the bottom, you should follow these simple safety tips.
- Don’t crowd them too close together—the more space you give each one, the less likely they will be singed by the heat from neighboring pieces.
- Use tongs when moving them around so that you don’t touch the bottoms with your fingers.
- Keep a bowl of ice water next to where you’re working so you can dip your fingers into it if needed.
Air frying vs. deep frying
When people talk about “deep frying,” they usually mean using a lot of oil.
This works well for many foods like french fries and onion rings, which are both made from flour and potatoes.
But what happens when you try to deep fry something like cauliflower? Cauliflower stems contain lots of moisture.
As a result, when you put it directly into hot oil, it absorbs the oil very quickly.
It also burns easily because its high sugar content means it takes longer to caramelize than other vegetables.
For those reasons, it doesn’t work well for deep frying.
Instead, we recommend air frying cauliflower wings.
By keeping things at lower temperatures, you avoid burning out their natural sugars before they get fully cooked.
That way, you end up with crispy, flavorful wings that taste just like the original!
What Is The Ideal Cook Time For Cauliflower Wings?
Cauliflower wings should be cooked at least 10 minutes per pound (454 grams) or 2 hours total.
This will ensure they’re tender enough for eating with minimal chewing required.
The cooking time also depends on how hot your oven or grill is.
If you’re using a convection oven, make sure to check its instructions before starting to cook the wings.
Cooking method
- Preheat the broiler.
- Cut each piece of cauliflower into two pieces.
- Place the cut side down onto a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil.
- Broil the cauliflower for 5-7 minutes on high heat, turning halfway through so both sides get evenly browned.
Grilling method
- Prepare a charcoal fire.
- Lay out a wire rack over top of a medium sized cast iron skillet.
- Heat the pan on the stovetop by placing it directly over the flame.
- Wrap aluminum foil around the pan to create a makeshift lid.
- Use tongs to turn the cauliflower over when one side starts to char.
- Continue grilling until the other side begins to char as well, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the wings from the pan and let them rest while you prepare the glaze.
What Are Some Ways To Flavor Cauliflower Wings?
Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that most people don’t really like because they think it tastes bland.
However, there are many ways that you can spice up your favorite vegetable so that it doesn’t taste bad.
The best way to do this is by using different spices or seasonings with them.
One of the easiest ways to add flavor to your food is by adding sauces or marinades.
This will give you more options as far as how to cook with cauliflower.
You can either coat the whole piece of cauliflower with sauce or use dipping sauces to dip into.
What Are Some Common Mistakes People Make When Cooking Cauliflower Wings?
When preparing your own food at home, there is always room for improvement.
This applies to everything from making perfect mashed potatoes or homemade pizza dough, so why not try cooking up these cauliflower wings?
Here are some common mistakes that people make when cooking cauliflower wings.
Not pre-cooking them before frying
Cauliflower wings should be cooked before being placed into the fryer.
If you cook them before frying, they will get soggy and lose their crispiness.
To avoid this, simply cut off the ends of each one and slice them lengthwise about halfway through (this will help prevent the pieces from falling apart).
Then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and spray them lightly with oil.
Bake them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, flip over and bake for another 5 minutes.
Once they come out of the oven, leave them on the rack to cool completely before using them as part of your meal.
Over-frying them after cutting them into pieces
After slicing each piece of cauliflower into six long strips (again, this helps keep the pieces together), add them to a bowl filled with enough hot vegetable oil to cover them by about half an inch.
You want enough oil to create a thin layer covering the entire surface area of the cauliflower.
When adding them to the heat, do not overcrowd the pan – just put two or three pieces at a time in the hot oil.
Cook them, turning occasionally, until they turn a light golden brown color throughout.
They may take anywhere between five and ten minutes depending on how big your batch is.
Remove them from the heat once they reach desired doneness and transfer them onto a plate covered with a kitchen towel while still warm.
Let them rest for several minutes before removing the towel and serving them immediately!
Omitting the seasoning step
After slicing each piece of cauliflower into six long strips (again, this helps keep the pieces together), add them to a bowl filled with enough hot vegetable oil to cover them by about half an inch.
You want enough oil to create a thin layer covering the entire surface area of the cauliflower.
When adding them to the heat, do not overcrowd the pan – just put two or three pieces at a time in the hot oil.
Cook them, turning occasionally, until they turn a light golden brown color throughout.
They may take anywhere between five and ten minutes depending on how big your batch is.
Remove them from the heat once they reach desired doneness and transfer them onto a plate covered with a kitchen towel while still warm.
Let them rest for several minutes before removing the towel and serving them immediately!
What Are Some Serving Suggestions For Cauliflower Wings?
While most people think of chicken wings as being served with blue cheese dressing or barbecue sauce, there is actually a whole world of options out there.
While many traditional wings come from poultry like turkey and duck, others are made from fish.
There are even vegan versions available!
One option you may not be familiar with is cauliflower wings.
You may have had them at a barbeque before, but did you know they are a great alternative to traditional chicken wings?
They are also very easy to prepare, so don’t let their appearance fool you into thinking they need hours of preparation time.
Whether you want to serve these cauliflower wings at your next party or just enjoy them on their own, here are some ideas on how to do both!
How Can I Make Sure My Cauliflower Wings Are Crispy?
Crispy is one word we would use to describe how these wings taste.
The batter on your cauliflower wings will be crunchy enough to stand up to the heat from the fryer.
You also don’t want these wings to be undercooked because the coating will get soggy once it hits the hot oil.
If you like your food a little bit on the softer side (and who doesn’t?), just cook them longer than normal.
This way, your meat won’t dry out too quickly or leave you with mushy wings.
- Cook the wings at 375°F/190°C for about 8 minutes per pound of weight (or 10-12 minutes total).
- When cooking time is done, turn off the temperature and let the wings cool down before removing them from the fryer.
- Once cooled, remove the wings from their casing by pulling each piece away from the other. They should come right off.
- If using boneless wings, cut them into 2 equal pieces so that both sides are equally cooked.
- Cut the cooked wings into bite size pieces.
- Place the seasoned flour onto a plate and coat the wings in the flour.
- In another bowl, mix together the cornstarch, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and baking soda.
- Dip each side of the floured wings into the mixture and set aside until ready to serve.
Tips:
You may find it easier to prep your wings when they are still frozen.
Just place them in the freezer after they are removed from the oven, and allow them to thaw while prepping the rest of the ingredients.
Once you start frying, you need to keep everything moving!
What Should I Do If My Cauliflower Wings Are Overcooked?
If your cauliflower is too crunchy or soggy when cooked through, there are a few things to consider before you throw out those wings.
First off, let’s talk about what we mean by “crispy” versus “overcooked.” If you think something is crisp, take a bite.
Is it still crispy? If so, great! You know it’s done cooking.
On the other hand, if you chew on it for too long and it becomes mushy, it may be over-cooked.
Depending on how much time elapsed between cutting up the cauliflower and frying them, you will probably want to check on the wings after five minutes.
When using raw vegetables (such as whole heads of cauliflower), it doesn’t matter whether they are cut into smaller pieces.
However, once they are cooked, you need to keep track of their size because you don’t want them to get bigger than expected during the cooking process.
To determine how many servings you have, divide the number of large florets by eight.
For example, if you have sixteen medium sized florets, you would multiply 16 by 8 to find out that you have 64 small florets.
Now that you have a rough idea of how many servings you have, here is where you start worrying: How do I cook them evenly? It turns out that the best way to ensure even cooking is to use a food thermometer.
There are several types available, but the one you want is the instant read variety.
They come with a clip at each end, which allows you to place it directly onto the surface of whatever you are cooking.
When checking the temperature, you simply press down on the clip to release the probe into the food item being measured.
The instant read thermometers are inexpensive and easy to use.
Just remember that these tools aren’t foolproof, and you won’t always get accurate readings.
So, use them sparingly and only when needed.
What Are Some Health
Chicken wings contain lots of fat and calories.
The average serving size is five wings.
However, there are many ways to cut down on the amount of fat while still enjoying your favorite finger food.
- Use lean cuts like skinless thighs instead of fatty breasts or drumsticks.
- Choose low-fat sauces such as honey mustard or barbecue sauce for dipping rather than creamy ranch dressing.
- Avoid deep frying.
- Remove the bone from each wing before cooking.
- Try using boneless chicken breast strips instead of whole pieces.
- Serve with veggies instead of fries.
- Make sure to use fresh herbs when making your own marinade.
If you want to make these healthier, try our healthy chicken nuggets recipe below!
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic powder
- Red onion
- Parsley
- Celery salt
- Rosemary
- Olive oil spray
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pack Birds Eye Cauliflower Wings
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400F
- Cook for twelve minutes in total
- Shake cauliflower wings after 6 minutes
Video
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.