Air Fryer Sesame Cauliflower

Our Air Fryer Sesame Cauliflower is a vegetarian and vegan version of sweet and sticky Asian sesame chicken. It’s simple to make and completely addicting.

Recipe Overview

This Asian-inspired air fryer sesame cauliflower recipe uses cauliflower as a low-calorie and vegan replacement for the chicken that would be traditionally used.

It comes out crispy and ready for a sweet and savory sesame glaze that is so delicious, I’d eat it with a spoon.

This is a 25-minute air fryer meal that anyone can make easily, and it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or any time you’re craving some at-home take-out style food.

ingredients you’ll need

• Cauliflower – Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets beforehand.
• Unsweetened Almond Milk – This is what loosens up the batter we’ll be making. We’re using almond milk to keep this recipe vegan.
• All-purpose flour – You can use regular flour or an AP gluten-free flour.
• Water – For our sesame sauce, a bit of water helps to blend everything together.
• Soy Sauce – For a salty, savory, umami flavor.
• Sesame Oil – regular sesame oil or toasted sesame oil gives a nutty flavor.
• Rice Wine Vinegar – this Asian-style vinegar has the perfect amount of punch.
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch thickens the sauce.
• Grated Garlic – Run peeled garlic gloves through a fine grater or micro plane to get a paste.
• Grated Ginger – Give the ginger the same treatment as the garlic, so that all of the flavor is released.

How to make it

1. Whisk together the almond milk and flour until smooth.
2. Dip the cauliflower florets into the batter and allow any excess batter to drop off. Place in a parchment-lined air fryer basket, making sure that the pieces don’t touch.
3. Air fry at 400F for 15-18 minutes or until the cauliflower are golden brown.
4. While the cauliflower is frying, prepare the sauce by combining the remaining ingredients (water, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, cornstarch, garlic, and ginger) in a saucepan set over medium heat.
5. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until it has reduced a bit and thickened. Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool.
6. Remove the cauliflower from the air fryer after it’s done cooking and let it cool slightly. Combine the sauce and the cauliflower in a large bowl. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Want to add some spice?

Add your spicy treatment of choice if you like a hot cauliflower! Adding crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce as you’re cooking it will create an all-over heat. Or, drizzle some Sriracha sauce over the finished cauliflower.

serving ideas

This cauliflower is delicious served with rice and a side of your favorite vegetables. Try this recipe for Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, or prep rice using your preferred method. Air Fryer Broccoli or Air Fryer Green Beans will be the perfect veggie side for this dish.

Recipe tips and tricks

• Remember that all air fryer models cook a bit differently. Keep an eye on your cauliflower as it’s cooking and adjust the cook time if needed.
• Cut the cauliflower florets into pieces that are roughly the same size. This will allow them to cook at the same rate.
• Don’t let the battered florets touch each other! They will stick together and you’ll have a cauliflower cake rather than individual pieces.
• Use Parchment paper to keep the pieces from sticking to the air fryer basket. Make sure to cut the parchment so that it’s not covering up the sides of the basket, we still want to allow for airflow.
• Garnish with sesame seeds or fresh herbs for a beautiful presentation.

How to prep this ahead of time

I find that this dish tastes the best if it’s eaten right after it’s made. If you want to, prep everything ahead of time so that it’s ready to cook. Mix up the sauce ingredients and refrigerate. Cut the Cauliflower and place into a bag in the refrigerator. When you want to eat some delicious sesame cauliflower, half of the work is already done!