Vegetarian Recipes

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Cauliflower is one of my go-to veggies when recreating something traditionally greasy and overly processed. It’s hardy, doesn’t get completely mushy when cooked for a long time, and takes on whatever flavors you give it, making it the perfect base for these Buffalo Cauliflower Wings! I bake tender cauliflower florets until the edges crisp and toss them in a tangy buffalo sauce for a healthier twist on the classic game day snack. They’re SO easy to make and are seriously delicious in their own right. My family goes absolutely crazy for this buffalo cauliflower wings recipe, and I hope yours will, too!

Let’s talk about meat substitutes for a minute: if I can’t pronounce the ingredients, it’s rare that I’ll indulge or feed it to my family. (Of course, I have my guilty vegan pleasures, but I try to keep it clean!) We all know cauliflower doesn’t taste like chicken. I get that, but cauliflower is full of nutrients and minerals our bodies need, it’s cheap, and it’s filling! In the spirit of keeping things lighter and healthier, I opted to skip breading and frying my buffalo cauliflower wings—so this recipe is gluten-free, too!

What Are Cauliflower Wings?

These buffalo cauliflower wings are my healthier, vegetarian take on buffalo chicken wings. Instead of using chicken, I use cauliflower florets as the ‘wings,’ which are seasoned with simple spices, including garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. I bake them until crispy and golden and toss them in a homemade buffalo sauce made with Frank’s RedHot sauce and melted butter. It’s that easy!

Here’s what you’ll need to make these oven-baked buffalo cauliflower wings:

Cauliflower: This cheap veggie is endlessly versatile. I use two whole heads of cauliflower, which are cut into large florets (to make the ‘wings’). Go for cauliflower that’s firm and has tightly packed florets. Avoid any with brown spots or discoloration.
Olive Oil: I mix this with the seasonings to coat the cauliflower before baking. It helps the dried seasonings to stick and the cauliflower to crisp up.
Seasonings: A simple mix of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt adds tons of flavor to these cauliflower buffalo wings.
Buffalo Sauce: I make a simple, homemade buffalo sauce using Frank’s RedHot Sauce (the original version) and melted salted butter. I don’t add anything else to this because the seasonings on the cauliflower already provide plenty of extra flavor! Feel free to use your favorite hot sauce or vegan butter to make this recipe vegan and dairy-free.

Recipe Tips & Suggestions

Separate your cauliflower into large, evenly sized florets. This will help them cook at the same rate in the oven and give you a substantial ‘wing’ to bite into!
Line your baking sheet. I always line my baking sheet with parchment paper to avoid any sticking. This makes clean-up easier, too!
Space the florets out. If your cauliflower is piled up on each other, they’ll steam rather than roast. And don’t forget to flip them halfway through baking for even crisping.
Try using your air fryer. I always make this recipe in the oven because a baking sheet can hold more florets than an air fryer basket. However, our roasted cauliflower recipe includes directions for cooking cauliflower in an air fryer, so feel free to try that method before adding the buffalo sauce. You’ll likely have to work in batches with an air fryer but could be a good option if you’re making a smaller portion.

Depending on where you shop, the regular 12 fl oz. bottles of Frank’s RedHot sauce often work out cheaper (per fluid ounce) compared to the smaller 5 fl oz. bottles. Going for the bigger bottle could save you some pennies in the long run, especially if you’re planning to make these cauliflower Buffalo wings often (which I highly recommend!). You could also use the leftover sauce in our mac and cheese or spicy Chex mix recipes…which, coincidentally, are both great options to serve with these buffalo cauliflower wings. 😉

How to Serve Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

I usually treat these cauliflower wings just like traditional chicken wings and serve them with celery sticks, carrot sticks, and a bowl of creamy ranch or blue cheese dressing. They’re perfect for game day, movie nights, or any time I’m craving something spicy and indulgent! I also like them as a side dish with black bean burgers and French fries as a vegetarian twist on classic bar food. Or, sometimes, I just mix them into a big pasta salad and call it a day!

Prep Ahead & Leftovers

This recipe can easily be prepped ahead of time, which is perfect if you plan to serve it for a party or event. Separate the cauliflower florets and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3-4 days (depending on the freshness of your cauliflower). You can also make the buffalo sauce and store it in the fridge for about a week.

As for leftovers, this recipe for buffalo cauliflower wings is best served fresh because cauliflower can soften as it cools. I’d store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 2-3 days and reheat them in the oven.

Side view of buffalo cauliflower wings on a plate, with one being dipped into ranch dressing by a fork.

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings Recipe

This Buffalo Cauliflower Wings recipe is what vegetarian dreams are made of! Tangy, flavorful, and perfect for game day, parties, or anytime!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Total Cost ($7.62 recipe / $1.90 serving)

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings (about 1 cup of cauliflower each)

Calories 189kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

Baking Sheet

Ingredients

2 heads of cauliflower, separated into large florets (about 2lbs) $5.94
1 tsp garlic powder $0.10
1 tsp onion powder $0.10
1 tsp paprika $0.10
⅛ tsp cayenne pepper $0.03
1 tsp salt $0.03
2 Tbsp olive oil $0.44
2 Tbsp salted butter, melted $0.28
¼ cup Frank’s RedHot sauce $0.60

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Break apart cauliflower heads into “drumstick-size” florets.
Combine garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and oil.
Toss cauliflower florets in spice and oil mixture, and transfer to lined baking sheet, spread out so they aren’t touching. (They will steam instead of bake if they are piled on top of each other.)
Bake cauliflower florets for 15 min. Meanwhile, make buffalo sauce by melting butter and adding hot sauce.
After 15 minutes in the oven, flip cauliflower using tongs. Bake another 15-20 min until golden brown with crispy edges.
Brush the cauliflower florets with homemade buffalo sauce. Serve hot with blue cheese or ranch dressing and fresh carrots and celery sticks.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

how to make Buffalo Cauliflower Wings step by step photos

Overhead view of the ingredients for buffalo cauliflower wings.

Start by preheating your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside for now. Break apart 2 heads of cauliflower into “drumstick-size” florets and gather the rest of your ingredients.

Oil being poured and whisked into the seasonings for buffalo cauliflower wings in a bowl.

Add 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp paprika, ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 tsp salt to a bowl and whisk in 2 Tbsp olive oil.

Cauliflower florets coated in a seasoning mix in a bowl.

Toss your prepared cauliflower florets in the spice and oil mixture until each piece is coated.

Buffalo cauliflower wings on a baking sheet.

Once covered in the seasoning mix, spread the cauliflower florets out onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Make sure they’re not overlapping or touching (they’ll steam instead of bake if they are piled on top of each other.)

Melted butter being whisked into buffalo sauce in a bowl.

Bake the cauliflower in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add 2 Tbsp melted salted butter and ¼ cup Frank’s RedHot sauce to a bowl and whisk to combine.

Buffalo cauliflower wings on a baking sheet halfway through cooking.

After they’ve been in the oven for 15 minutes, flip the cauliflower florets using kitchen tongs. Bake them until each piece is golden brown with crispy edges, about 15-20 minutes more.

Buffalo cauliflower wings on a baking sheet being brushed with homemade buffalo sauce.

Brush the cauliflower with your homemade buffalo sauce. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauces (I like ranch and blue cheese dressing!), fresh carrots, and celery sticks.

Overhead close up of buffalo cauliflower wings, carrot sticks, celery sticks, and ranch dressing.

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$10.84 recipe / $2.71 serving

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$8.40 recipe / $1.05 serving

Southwest Cauliflower Rice

$3.00 recipe / $0.75 serving

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Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Mediterranean Lentil Meatballs

Don’t you just love it when a recipe is as simple as ‘mix + bake’? No pre-cooking, no unnecessary extra steps – just mix together all of the ingredients, and pop it in the oven. And that’s just the case for these vegetarian lentil meatballs (lentil balls? vegeballs? meatlessballs?). They couldn’t be easier.

Other easy ‘mix and bake’ recipes → easy nut roast; baked fajita rice; Boursin pasta.

Vegetarian Mediterranean lentil meatballs served with spaghetti and tomato sauce.

I served my lentil balls with spaghetti and tomato sauce – spaghetti and meatballs is such a classic that’s hard to improve on. If you prefer, you could equally serve these vegetarian meatballs with couscous and tzatziki, stuffed into pitta bread, or even just eaten straight from the oven (no judgment here). They’re packed with Mediterranean-inspired flavours, and they’re super versatile.

Mediterranean lentil meatballs on a baking tray.

What’s in these Lentil Meatballs?

The basic recipe for these lentil meatballs is canned lentils + flour + egg (the same base I used for my cheesy lentil burgers). Once you’ve got that far, you can jazz things up however you like. I added:

black olives
sun-dried tomatoes
parmesan-style cheese
fresh basil
garlic

If you like, you could easily switch things up to bring a different flavour profile to your meatballs – maybe you could make a Tex-Mex version, or use some Indian spices, for example.

Cheesy Vegetarian Bakes ebook on an ipad screen.

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make these vegetarian meatballs. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

cooked lentils. I used lentils from a can, because they’re so convenient – just drain them well, and they’re ready to use. If you can’t get canned lentils, you can boil dried brown or green lentils until they’re soft, then continue with the recipe as written. I would not recommend using red lentils for this recipe, as they will not give quite the same end result.
eggs
plain flour (I used wholemeal for extra fibre)
sun-dried tomatoes
black olives
parmesan-style cheese. ‘Real’ parmesan isn’t vegetarian, but there are plenty of vegetarian alternatives, which are very similar. Often, supermarkets sell a generic ‘Italian hard cheese’, which is usually vegetarian.
fresh basil
garlic granules

Spaghetti with tomato sauce and Mediterranean lentil meatballs.

Printable Instructions

Mediterranean Lentil Meatballs

Easy vegetarian lentil meatballs, made extra tasty with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients. These are so simple – just mix and bake!

Course Main meal

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings meatballs

Calories 216kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

2 x 390g tins green lentils, thoroughly drained (470g, or ~ 2 2/3 cups, in total when drained)
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons sliced black olives, roughly chopped
5 pieces sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
50 g (~ 1/2 cup) finely grated vegetarian parmesan-style cheese
1 teaspoon garlic granules
Few sprigs fresh basil, roughly chopped
85 g (~ 2/3 cup) plain flour (I used wholemeal)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F). Add all of the ingredients, except for the flour, to a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to mix the ingredients thoroughly. It’s fine if the lentils get a little mashed up.
Add the flour, and mix well to combine.
Lightly grease a baking sheet. Use clean hands to form the mixture into ball shapes, and place them on the tray. The mixture will be quite sticky – they don’t have to be perfect balls. I managed to get 25 balls from the mixture.
Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, until the lentil balls are slightly crispy and just firm.
Serve with spaghetti and tomato sauce, if desired.

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare these lentil balls in advance?

You could certainly mix together the ingredients in advance, and then store the mixture in a sealed container in the fridge for a day or so, until you’re ready to shape and bake the balls. The meatballs are tastiest when freshly baked, but if needed, you could even bake them in advance, and then reheat when you’re ready to eat them.

Can I freeze these lentil meatballs?

I didn’t experiment with freezing these balls, but it’s the sort of recipe I have had luck with freezing in the past, so I definitely think it’s worth a try.

How should I reheat leftover vegetarian meatballs?

The easiest way to reheat these lentil meatballs is in the microwave. They do dry out a little and lose their crispiness when reheated, but they’re still tasty. Alternatively, you could re-crisp them in the oven or air fryer.

How should I serve vegetarian lentil balls?

I served my meatballs with spaghetti and tomato sauce, which worked beautifully. You could alternatively serve them stuffed into pitta bread with some tzatziki, or alongside some mashed potato.