Crispy caulilflower florets are tossed in a sticky, savory Teriyaki sauce in this Air Fryer Teriyaki cauliflower recipe. These cauliflower bites are vegan, gluten-free adaptable, take just 20 minutes to make, and are seriously addictive.
Team them up with your favorite Asian appetizers and snacks, or as a side with some soy cured egg yolks and rice.
On days when everyone's just too bored of the classic dal-rice and rotis for lunch or dinner, I turn to my Indo-Chinese favorites.
I've made baked Teriyaki tofu and Teriyaki veggie stir fry sometime back, and those deep umami flavors turned out to be a total hit in my household. So of course, I had to experiment with another version of the recipe too.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
This Teriyaki cauliflower recipe needs just a few pantry staples, the OG Teriyaki sauce and a few minutes in your trusty Air Fryer.
It's got to be one of the quickest, easiest Indo Chinese recipes I've made- right next to my Schezwan potatoes, which were a total crowd pleaser. And of course, the fact that it uses very little oil is a BIG win for me!
Recipe Ingredients
Cauliflower: Pick a ripe, unblemished cauliflower, and chop it up into florets, roughly the same size.
Ginger + garlic: The base of any good Asian recipe. Fresh is best, and I often turn to my homemade ginger garlic paste for convenience.
Flour: I used a mix of all purpose flour and cornstarch to help coat the cauliflower. You can also use rice flour (instead of the all purpose flour) if you want to make it extra crunchy.
Teriyaki sauce: I used my scratch-made Teriyaki sauce here, but you can totally use the bottled variety if that's what you have at hand.
Soy sauce: Just a splash, for that wicked black-brown hue.
Paprika: For that kick of heat. Use cayenne or red pepper flakes to make it even more spicy.
Sesame seeds: To garnish.
See recipe card for quantities.
Naturally brewed for six months with a precise 5-step process, Sempio 701 enhances the umami profile of sashimi, stews, stir-fries, and more, bringing out the best in every dish.
Substitutions & Variations
- To make the dish gluten-free, swap the all purpose flour for any good gluten free flour of your choice.
- To add an extra kick of heat to the dish, pour in a spoonful of your favorite hot sauce or chili oil (I love using my homemade chili garlic oil).
- You can also swap the Teriyaki sauce for some Schezwan sauce to make Schezwan cauliflower!
- If you don't have Teriyaki sauce, use some Hoisin sauce or Oyster sauce to get those deep umami flavors, and taste and adjust the other mix-ins as you go. Add honey or brown sugar to sweeten it up a bit, or throw in some spices to make it hotter.
How to Make Air Fryer Teriyaki Cauliflower
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, paprika, cornstarch and all purpose flour.
Step 2: Add a splash of water and the minced ginger and garlic. Whisk to get a thick batter.
Step 3: Add the cauliflower florets to the mixture and toss well to coat. Arrange the florets in a lined Air Fryer basket, leaving space between them. Grease with some cooking oil spray.
Step 4: Air fry for 15 minutes until crispy. Transfer to a large bowl along with the Teriyaki sauce. Toss well and serve immediately, topped with chopped scallions and sesame seeds.
💭Top Tip
To lend the Teriyaki cauliflower that authentic Asian flavor, spritz some sesame oil over them while air frying them.
How to Store Leftover Teriyaki Cauliflower
Store the leftover air fried cauliflower in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. I would recommend storing the teriyaki sauce separately, and then tossing the cauliflower in right when you want to serve it, to get that perfect texture.
You can reheat the cauliflower in a pan or in your Air Fryer- just watch out and make sure it doesn't end up burning.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Make sure you pat dry the cauliflower before you add it into the batter. You don't want the batter to be runny!
- Want the cauliflower to have an extra crispy and crunchy exterior? Roll them in some seasoned Panko breadcrumbs after you've dipped them in the batter and then air fry them- I've done exactly that when I made my Air Fryer Bang Bang cauliflower.
- Add in other veggies of your choice (think zucchini, baby corn, bell peppers, broccoli and carrots) to bulk up the dish.
- Space out the cauliflower florets carefully in your Air Fryer basket and make sure you leave space around them for the hot air to flow through and crisp them up nicely. This is an important step that's crucial whenever you're air frying ANYTHING at all.
How to Serve Teriyaki Cauliflower
Serve this Teriyaki cauliflower as an appetizer or a side, alongside a classic Indo-Chinese main of fried rice or Hakka noodles. I love serving it on a bowl of rice along with some scallion oil chicken, a crunchy Asian spicy cucumber salad and my favorite scallion ginger oil to make a hearty rice bowl meal.
I also love featuring it as veggie side whenever I make my honey Sriracha shrimp rice bowl. It's either this or my spicy stir fried edamame.
Recipe FAQs
You absolutely can! They should take about 20-25 minutes to crisp up in an oven preheated at 425 degrees.
Fresh cauliflower is the BEST choice for this recipe. I wouldn't recommend using the frozen version, because the texture just won't be the same.
You absolutely can! To make Teriyaki chicken, simply chop up boneless chicken into bite-sized chunks and use them! You'll need to air fry them for a few extra minutes, since chicken takes a bit longer to cook.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this Air Fryer Teriyaki cauliflower or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Air Fryer Teriyaki Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, paprika, cornstarch and all purpose flour.
- Add a splash of water and the minced ginger and garlic. Whisk to get a thick batter.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the mixture and toss well to coat. Arrange the florets in a lined Air Fryer basket, leaving space between them. Grease generously with cooking oil spray.
- Air fry for 15 minutes until crispy. Transfer to a large bowl along with the Teriyaki sauce. Toss well and serve immediately, topped with chopped scallions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Make sure you pat dry the cauliflower before you add it into the batter. You don't want the batter to be runny!
- Want the cauliflower to have an extra crispy and crunchy exterior? Roll them in some seasoned Panko breadcrumbs after you've dipped them in the batter and then air fry them- I've done exactly that when I made my Air Fryer Bang Bang cauliflower.
- Add in other veggies of your choice (think zucchini, baby corn, bell peppers, broccoli and carrots) to bulk up the dish.
- Space out the cauliflower florets carefully in your Air Fryer basket and make sure you leave space around them for the hot air to flow through and crisp them up nicely. This is an important step that's crucial whenever you're air frying ANYTHING at all.
- To lend the Teriyaki cauliflower that authentic Asian flavor, spritz some sesame oil over them while air frying them.
