I am obsessed with this recipe. It’s one of my favourite ways to eat cauliflower – coated in a sweet, spicy sauce and roasted until charred in the air fryer.

Do you know anyone who hates cauliflower? Cook this for them and I’m sure they will be converted. The sauce completely transforms the humble vegetable into something very delicious and addictive. It’s perfect as a tasty side dish, in a salad or as a meal itself.

I love cooking cauliflower in the air fryer because it becomes super crispy and caramelised. It’s also much easier and faster than cooking in the oven – no preheating required, it only takes around 20 minutes, and there’s almost no mess!

So what’s so good about this cauliflower recipe? The secret is in the sauce – an umami-rich concoction of gochujang, hoisin, soy, honey, lemon and mayo. It’s like a flavour bomb in your mouth.

To make this dish, the cauliflower is cut into florets, tossed in flour and coated in the sauce. It’s then cooked in the air fryer for 15 minutes at 190 degrees and then voila, you’re ready to eat! As with any air fryer recipe, the best result comes from not overcrowding the basket, so it’s best to cook the cauliflower in batches.

You could also make this in the oven – follow the same steps to prepare and coat the cauliflower and bake on a tray instead.

My favourite way to eat this cauliflower is in a fresh, zingy salad. It’s a great summer lunch meal – give it a try and you’ll never go back. Let me know if you make this recipe in the comments below!

The BEST Spicy Air Fryer Cauliflower Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 small whole cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon Gochujang (you can substitute Sriracha if you don’t have Gochujang)
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon
• 1/3 cup plain flour or rice flour

Note: the quantities listed above are enough for one small cauliflower or half a large cauliflower. If using a large whole cauliflower, double the quantities so there is enough sauce to coat everything.

Method

1. Wash cauliflower, pat dry and cut into small florets. Keep the stems and leaves, they’re good for roasting!
2. Mix the gochujang, mayonnaise, hoisin, soy, honey and lemon together in a small bowl.
3. Coat the cauliflower florets in flour. I like to do this by placing the flour in a clean plastic bag or resealable bag, then adding the cauliflower in batches and shaking the bag to coat everything.
4. Place flour-coated cauliflower in a large bowl and pour over the sauce to coat.
5. Place the cauliflower florets in a single layer in the air fryer, being careful not to overcrowd the basket, and cook at 190 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Check after 15 minutes, the cauliflower is done when it’s tender and caramelised on the edges. Cook in batches if there’s not enough room in the air fryer basket.
6. Enjoy with an extra squeeze of lemon on top, if you wish!