Air fryer buffalo cauliflower rice bowls
Crispy, spicy buffalo cauliflower from the air fryer over rice with crunchy celery, carrots and a cool yogurt ranch, all the fun of wings in a bowl.
- 40 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $2.51 a serving
- 440 calories
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Most of the time here is hands-off, so you can sit down while it cooks.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- ¾ cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
- ½ head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
- ⅓ cup Buffalo wing sauce
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp ranch seasoning mix
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 2 tbsp blue cheese crumbles (optional)
From your pantry
- 1¼ cups water
- ½ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Each serving has about 440 calories, 15 g protein, 72 g carbs and 10 g fat, and costs about $2.51 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No plain Greek yogurt? Plain yogurt or sour cream works.
- No shredded lettuce? Iceberg lettuce or romaine lettuce works.
- No shredded carrots? Carrots work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Put the rice, water and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small and over high heat.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Stir once, cover, turn the heat to low and cook 18 minutes, then leave it covered off the heat.
Low heatTimer: 18 min
the air fryer to 400°F. the cauliflower with the oil, garlic powder and the rest of the salt.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Air fry 12 to 15 minutes, shaking halfway, until at the edges and tender.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Timer: 13 min 30 sec
the cauliflower with the buffalo sauce in a bowl, return it to the basket and air fry 2 to 3 minutes more to set the sauce.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Timer: 2 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: That last blast of heat makes the sauce cling instead of dripping off.Stir the yogurt with the ranch seasoning and 1 to 2 tablespoons water until drizzly.
Fill bowls with rice, lettuce, celery and carrots, add the cauliflower and with the yogurt ranch and blue cheese.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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