Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

They say the concept of cooking wings in a peppery hot sauce was born in 1964. They came to popularity at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, when co-owner Teressa Bellissimo cooked leftover wings in hot sauce as a late-night snack for her son and his friends. Anchor Bar was located on the dividing line between the Black and white sides of segregated Buffalo. However, eyewitness accounts place the origin of the dish with John Young in 1961 at his spot on Jefferson Avenue, which amounted to Black Main Street. John Young's wings with Mombo sauce were his favorite game-time meal after the Bills arrived in 1960 — well before he or the Anchor Bar started serving wings.

 It’s a popular bar food and appetizer. Wings can be ordered mild or spicy. The main difference between buffalo wings and other wings is the sauce. Buffalo wings are usually dipped in buffalo sauce, while “chick’n” wings are usually dipped in barbecue sauce or another type of wing sauce.

Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings Ingredients

  • 1] cup all-purpose flour

  • ¼ cup cornstarch

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

  • ¾ cup water

  • 1 head cauliflower, about 2 pounds, broken into large florets

  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs

  • Buffalo Sauce*

*Buffalo Sauce Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce (Frank’s RedHot)

  • 1/3 organic ketchup

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

  • 6 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt. Add the water and whisk until smooth. Add the cauliflower and stir to coat.

  • Lift the cauliflower florets out of the batter, allowing any excess batter to drip back into the bowl. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully flip the florets. Bake for another 10 minutes, swapping the pans on the oven racks.

  • Remove the cauliflower from the oven and brush it with some of the buffalo sauce.* Bake for another 12 to 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is dark and crisp around the edges.

  • Remove from the oven and brush with additional buffalo sauce. 

*Buffalo Sauce Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, stir together the hot sauce, organic ketchup, olive oil, maple syrup, garlic powder, and paprika. Season to taste. Save half for the first sauce coating and the second half for the second coating.