It’s no secret that your air fryer is great at cooking up wings to be perfectly crispy. Did you know it works the same way for their vegetable counterpart? That’s right! You can make the best air fryer frozen cauliflower wings in under 15 minutes including preheat time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Cauliflower wings are a nice change of pace from the traditional chicken wing. Plus, they’re suitable for the vegetarians in your life as well. Save yourself the work (and mess) of dredging and frying by starting with a pre-breaded or battered frozen version.
You just throw the frozen cauliflower wings in your air fryer basket without any need to defrost. They cook up crispy, golden brown, and perfectly delicious – in about ⅓ of the time a chicken wing takes I might add!
Just like a regular wing, they go with nearly any wing sauce flavor, which is perfect for pleasing a crowd.
If you want to try your hand at poultry, then take a look at my crispy Air Fryer Smoked Turkey Wings!
What to Get: Shopping List
- 13.5-ounce bag frozen cauliflower wings (such as Bird’s Eye)
- Wing sauce, any flavor (optional)
- 2-3 Tbsp Dipping sauce (optional)
Ingredient Tips and Notes
- Most frozen cauliflower wings come with a packet of sauce included. You don’t need any additional sauce in this case, unless you want to have multiple flavor options
- There are other brands besides Bird’s Eye that make frozen cauliflower wings. They all cook up about the same (give or take a minute or two for size differences) so feel free to use your favorite
- If you’d like a dipping sauce, like a traditional chicken wing, I recommend blue cheese or ranch dressing!
How to Cook Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower Wings
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
- Add the frozen cauliflower wings to the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook in batches if needed to prevent overcrowding
- Cook on air fry setting for 10-15 minutes at 400°F, pausing to shake halfway through, until wings are brown and crispy and internal temperature reaches 165°F
- Toss hot, crispy wings in a bowl with the sauce
- Alternatively, serve the cauliflower bites with dipping sauce on the side
What to Serve With Cauliflower Wings
- Celery sticks
- Baby carrots
- Fried zucchini (or Zoodles)
- Maple Bacon Brussel Sprouts
- Onion Rings
- Butternut Squash Fries
- Coleslaw
- Mac and Cheese Bites
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Quinoa salad
- Loaded Potato Skins
- Blue cheese
- Ranch dressing
Recipe FAQs
How Long Do You Air Fry Frozen Cauliflower Wings?
You air fry frozen cauliflower wings for 10-12 minutes on average.
However, depending on the size of the cauliflower florets and your air fryer, it may take as little as 8 or as much as 15 minutes.
Cauliflower wings are done when they are golden brown and crispy on the exterior and the interior has reached 165°F.
Can You Put Birds Eye Cauliflower Wings in the Air Fryer?
Yes, you can put Birds Eye cauliflower wings in the air fryer.
You do not need to defrost in advance; the wings can go in in a frozen state. They’ll not only thaw out, but cook up nice and crisp outside.
Why Are My Cauliflower Wings Soggy?
The most common reason that cauliflower wings are soggy is due to buildup of moisture from not shaking the air fryer basket during cooking.
You should shake the basket to rotate the wings about every 5 minutes of cooking time. This will help them evenly crisp and reduce wet pockets caused by the defrosting process.
The other most common reason for soggy cauliflower wings is too much sauce, or the sauce sitting on for too long. The moisture will cause the crispy crust to turn soggy. Use a minimal amount of sauce, or offer it on the side for dipping to prevent this.
Should Cauliflower Wings Be Defrosted For the Air Fryer?
No, there is no need to defrost cauliflower wings for the air fryer.
They’ll cook perfectly from frozen state, and still be crispy, hot, and delicious. Thus, there is no reason to defrost them.
Recipe Pro Tips
- There is no need to add any oil during the cooking process. Frozen cauliflower wings already have it in the breading
- If you are using included sauce, make sure to thaw the packet in a glass of hot water while the wings are cooking
- These frozen Birds Eye cauliflower wings took about 11 minutes in my Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer to be perfect. Other brands and air fryers may vary slightly
More Air Fryer Frozen Appetizers to Check Out
- Crispy Hush Puppies
- Frozen Spring Rolls
- Air Fryer Bibigo Dumplings
- Melty Cheese Curds
- Frozen Potato Skins
- Trader Joe’s Frozen Falafel
Final Thoughts
Your air fryer is the best way to cook up some frozen cauliflower wings for a crispy, saucy, and delicious appetizer or side. They’re the perfect snack for game day in place of traditional wings.
If you’re not in the mood for wings, make sure to check out our easy recipe for cheesy air fryer frozen cauliflower too!
Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 13.5 ounce Bag frozen cauliflower wings (such as Bird’s Eye)
- 3 tbsp Wing sauce, any flavor optional
- 3 tbsp Dipping sauce (such as ranch) optional
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
- Add the frozen cauliflower wings to the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook in batches if needed to prevent overcrowding13.5 ounce Bag frozen cauliflower wings
- Cook on air fry setting for 10-15 minutes at 400°F, pausing to shake halfway through, until wings are brown and crispy and internal temperature reaches 165°F
- Toss hot, crispy wings in a bowl with the included sauce (or your own), or serve on the side for dipping3 tbsp Wing sauce, any flavor, 3 tbsp Dipping sauce (such as ranch)
Notes
- Frozen cauliflower wings already have oil in the breading, so no need to add more
- If you are using an included sauce packet, thaw it in a glass of hot water while the wings are cooking
- These frozen Birds Eye cauliflower wings took about 11 minutes in my Ninja Foodi Dual Zone air fryer to be perfect. Other brands and air fryers may vary slightly
- If you want a dipping sauce like a traditional wing, I recommend the classic blue cheese or ranch options!
- I have sweet chili flavor today, but the same method works for Birds Eye buffalo, barbecue, and garlic parmesan frozen cauliflower wings
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand, sauce flavors, dipping sauce, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
My cooking philosophy is that great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming to make. I'm a home cook with over 20 years of experience feeding myself and others. I've learned from a variety of different people, things I've learned online, and some trial and error as well.
I enjoy cooking a variety of foods, from convenience to comfort foods, as well as international cuisine. You can rest assured that all of my recipes have been actually made, thoroughly tested, and most importantly: tasted! I want you to enjoy my food as much as I do!
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