3 Tips for Air Frying Battered Foods (Plus a Buffalo Cauliflower recipe)

Standard / by / March 23, 2018 / No Comments

I've been teaching vegan air fryer cooking classes for over a year, reaching over 2,000 people, and there's one question I can always count on: Can you cook battered foods in the air fryer? 

You sure can! I offer three tips to do this: 

  1. For some battered foods, like the Fried Ginger-O's in The Vegan Air Fryer, begin the cooking process on a small piece of parchment paper. Because you want adequate airflow - and to avoid the paper getting to close to the heating element, you'll want to cut the paper down to simply cover the bottom of the air fryer basket and punch a few holes into the paper (or opt for these pre-cut, perforated papers). Half-way through the cooking process, when the top is turning golden and crispy, turn the food over and off of the parchment paper. 
  2. For other battered recipes, like vegan corn dogs (yep, you can find a recipe for these in the book, too!), I choose to freeze them after battering and before air frying. After dipping the doggies in a thick batter, I wrap them in parchment paper and freeze a couple of hours (or overnight, or even a few days in advance of cooking). When I'm ready to air fryer them I simply remove them from the parchment paper and plop them in the air fryer frozen. Easy! 
  3. And, finally, sometimes you just need to make a good ole mess in your air fryer. Before you batter up your veggies, preheat the air fryer for a full 10 minutes so it's ready to roll and to grab onto the batter the second it hits the hot basket. The key is to be patient and let the food cook, even though you know it's sticking together. Midway, break up the battered food with tongs, turn it over, and keep cooking. Sure, you may need a little elbow grease to clean it but it's worth it. (And after you try today's recipe for Buffalo Cauliflower, I think you'll agree with me!)

If you're new to air frying, please join my Facebook group Vegan Air Frying Enthusiasts (we have 15,700 members!) for more tips like these, plus lots of recipe ideas and photo inspiration from fellow members. And if you're thinking about getting an air fryer, here are the three brands I use in my kitchen:

Enjoy the recipe! 

 

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Buffalo Cauliflower

Hot and spicy are two words that describe this air-fried cauliflower – another is delicious. (From The Vegan Air Fryer, copyright © 2017 by JL Fields. Used by permission. Photo by Michelle Donner.)
Course Appetizer
Cooking Method Air Fryer
Servings 4
©JLFields JL Fields

Ingredients

  • 1 large head cauliflower
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vegan chicken bouillon granules
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried chipotle chile flakes
  • 1 cup soymilk
  • Canola oil spray
  • 2 tablespoons nondairy butter
  • 1/2 cup Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce or your favorite cayenne hot sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

  1. Cut the cauliflower into bite-size pieces. Rinse and drain the cauliflower pieces.
  2. Combine the flour, bouillon granules, cayenne, chili powder, paprika, and chipotle flakes in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk until a thick batter is formed.
  3. Spray the air fryer basket with canola oil and preheat the air fryer to 390°F for 10 minutes.
  4. While the air fryer is preheating, toss the cauliflower in the batter. Transfer the battered cauliflower to the air fryer basket. Cook for 20 minutes on 390°F. Using tongs, turn the cauliflower pieces at 10 minutes (don’t be alarmed if they stick).
  5. After turning the cauliflower, heat the butter, hot sauce, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer, and cover. Once the cauliflower is cooked, transfer it to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and toss gently with tongs. Serve immediately.

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