Air Fryer General Tsos Cauliflower (Printable Page)

Crispy cauliflower with tangy, sweet, and spicy General Tsos sauce made lighter by air frying.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cauliflower

01 - 1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

→ Batter

02 - 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1/3 cup cornstarch
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
08 - 3/4 cup cold water

→ Sauce

09 - 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
10 - 1/4 cup rice vinegar
11 - 1/3 cup sugar
12 - 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
13 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
14 - 1/2 cup water
15 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
16 - 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
17 - 1 to 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
18 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

→ Garnishes

19 - 2 scallions, thinly sliced
20 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Add cold water and whisk until a smooth batter forms.
03 - Toss cauliflower florets in the batter until well coated.
04 - Lightly spray air fryer basket with oil. Arrange battered cauliflower in a single layer. Air fry for 15 to 18 minutes, shaking halfway through, until golden and crisp. Cook in batches if needed.
05 - While cauliflower cooks, mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl to create a slurry.
06 - In a saucepan over medium heat, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, chili garlic sauce, and sesame oil. Bring to a simmer.
07 - Stir in the cornstarch slurry. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
08 - Toss hot cauliflower in the sauce until evenly coated.
09 - Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The air fryer does the heavy lifting—you get restaurant-quality crispness without a deep fryer or oil splatters everywhere.
  • That General Tso sauce hits all the notes at once: tangy, sweet, spicy, and savory, so your taste buds stay engaged with every bite.
  • It's ready in under an hour, versatile enough to be an appetizer or main, and honestly makes vegetable dishes feel indulgent.
02 -
  • Don't skip shaking the basket halfway through—this prevents any florets from staying stuck to the bottom and ensures even browning on all sides.
  • If your sauce looks too thin after thickening, it probably needs more time on the heat, but if it's too thick, a splash of water will fix it without ruining anything.
  • The sauce will continue to thicken slightly as it cools, so aim for it to look just barely pourable when you pour it over the hot cauliflower.
03 -
  • Pat your cauliflower completely dry before battering—any moisture clinging to the florets will steam instead of fry, sabotaging your crispy dreams.
  • Toasted sesame oil added after cooking keeps its aromatic, nutty flavor alive rather than cooking it away into nothing.
  • If you're making this for a crowd, set up an assembly line: batter station, air fryer, then sauce and garnish station so you can keep things moving smoothly.
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