This recipe was made possible through a sponsored partnership with Primal Kitchen. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
PrintCrispy Air Fryer Broccoli Bites with Buffalo Sauce
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Of all the textures, crispy is my favorite, and these chickpea flour battered broccoli bites fall into that important category of food snacks. To make the batter crispy, I’ve used a science trick by mixing chickpea flour with cornstarch, cold water, and oil to make a slurry. The starch in cornstarch is unique because it can form gels with water very easily, and during cooking, it undergoes physical changes due to processes like gelatinizing, retrogradation, and dehydration. This means the starch will absorb water during cooking and change its physical structure to move from soft to crispy. I’ve doubled down on the crispy texture by using an air fryer that uses super-fast fans to circulate heat rapidly, which helps dry and crisp the food even better. I serve the bites with this ridiculously good Buffalo Sauce from Primal Kitchen made with avocado oil and cayenne.
I adore Primal Kitchen because they carry a wide selection of condiments, sauces, and dressings, including this buffalo sauce crafted with high-quality ingredients and made without artificial sweeteners, refined sugars, and high-fructose corn syrup. You can find Primal Kitchen products at your local grocery store or head to Primal Kitchen and use my code SHARMA20 at checkout for 20% off your entire online order.
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
3/4 cup/120 g chickpea flour
3/4 cup/105 g cornstarch
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 cup/180 ml cold water
1/2 cup/120 ml neutral oil
12 oz/340 g bite-sized broccoli florets
Primal Kitchen Buffalo Sauce, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400F/200C. Line a tray with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, dry whisk the chickpea flour, cornstarch, salt, and red pepper.
- Whisk in the water and oil. Fold the broccoli in and fold with a spatula to coat well. Cook the broccoli in batches. Place the broccoli pieces on the prepared tray and avoid overcrowding the tray. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes in the air fryer, until golden brown and crisp. Repeat with the remaining broccoli. Serve hot with the buffalo sauce on the side. These are best eaten within two hours of making.
Notes
- Cauliflower florets can be used in place of broccoli.
- I’ve used this air fryer to test and make this recipe.
- Author: Nik Sharma