The process of preparing a complete dish consists of simple steps: first, prepare the cauliflower by rinsing, breaking it into florets, and blanching or pouring boiling water over it. Next, season it with spices (oil, salt, paprika, garlic) and bake it, flipping once for even cooking. Cauliflower in an air fryer takes about 10-15 minutes at a temperature of 180°C.
Ingredients (for 2 servings): cauliflower – 1 head; eggs – 2; garlic – 1 clove; sweet paprika – 1 tsp; oil – 1 tbsp; sour cream – 1 tbsp (optional); flour – 2 tbsp; breadcrumbs – 2 tbsp; salt – to taste.
Preparation
Break the cauliflower into florets and blanch it by pouring boiling water over it or boiling it for 5-7 minutes. Then, drain the water and pat it dry.
If you want to bake the cauliflower in batter, prepare the batter first. Beat the eggs, and if desired, add sour cream, oil, minced , salt, and paprika. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the breadcrumbs. For breading, dip each floret first in the egg mixture, then coat it in the breadcrumbs.
In a simplified version of the recipe, the prepared florets can be mixed in a bag with oil and spices or dipped in a batter made from the egg-flour mixture, where all components—including flour and breadcrumbs—are added at once.
Place the florets in the air fryer basket (you can line it with parchment paper) and bake until golden brown, flipping once (10-15 minutes at 180°C).
Life Hacks
- For even cooking, flip the cauliflower in the air fryer halfway through the process.
- Parchment paper or a silicone mold can help prevent burning.
- If you want crispy cauliflower baked with cheese, you can skip the batter and simply sprinkle grated cheese on top 3-5 minutes before it’s done to let it melt.
- In a similar way, you can prepare battered cauliflower in a skillet—place the prepared florets in a hot pan and fry until golden brown, flipping with a spatula.
We previously shared how to prepare a whole head of cauliflower baked with cheese:
We also have a recipe for pickling cauliflower:
And here you will find a recipe for preparing cauliflower for winter:
