Every so often you notice a snack that hits crunch, flavour, and smart eating all at once. If you’re after something with texture, bold taste, and designed for a low-carb approach, this recipe lines up nicely. Using crushed pork rinds to coat cauliflower gives you a snack that feels indulgent and still plays nice with keto or low-carb goals.
Rather than using flour or breadcrumbs, we’re coating cauliflower in crushed pork rinds. That swap helps you get the crisp texture, the savoury crunch, and fewer carbs, which ties in cleanly with whatPorkRinds.com promotes: flavourful snacks that are gluten-free friendly and low in carbohydrates, depending on the product used.
Cauliflower gives volume and a veggie base, while the pork rind coating gives you texture and protein. Compared to typical cauliflower wing versions that use flour or nut-flour coatings, and may land in the ~8 g total carbs range for one serving, this version puts you in a better position, provided you pick sauces and ingredients accordingly.
Here’s your ingredient list for this snack-worthy dish. Everything from the sour cream for the dip to the crushed pork rinds for the coating is laid out so you can grab and go without wondering what’s missing.
Serves 3-5
¾ cup sour cream
2 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp buffalo wing sauce
1 scallion, finely chopped
¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce (for coating)
½ cup crushed pork rinds
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ tsp baking powder
⅓ cup + 2 tbsp cold seltzer
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
These ingredients cover the coating mix, the wings base, and the dip, keeping things layered, flavourful and aligned for low-carb snacking.
Here we walk through the steps so your cauliflower pieces end up golden, crispy and flavour-packed. You’ll move from prep to air-fryer to plate with minimal fuss and maximum crunch.
1. Prep and pre-heat
Preheat your air fryer to 400 °F. While it warms, cut the cauliflower into even bite-sized pieces so they cook uniformly.
2. Make the coating
In a medium or large bowl, combine the crushed pork rinds, cornstarch, baking powder, and the cold seltzer. Whisk until combined. (If you’re in a rush, you could use a large Ziploc bag too.)
3. Coat the cauliflower
Dip each floret into the batter so it’s evenly coated. Shake off any excess if needed. Place the coated florets in a greased air-fryer basket in a single layer or with minimal overlap so air can circulate.
4. Air-fry
Cook at 400 °F for about 10-15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Cooking time will vary depending on your air-fryer model, how thickly coated the florets are, and how many you cook at once, so keep an eye on them. During cooking you might shake the basket or flip a few pieces to ensure even crisping.
5. While that’s on… make the dip
In a small bowl, mix the sour cream, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, the 1 tsp buffalo wing sauce, scallion, and blue cheese crumbles. Set aside so it’s ready when the wings finish.
6. Serve
Once the cauliflower wings are done, serve them hot with the dip. If you like, drizzle the ⅓ cup buffalo wing sauce over the hot pieces just before serving for extra heat. Add extra scallion or blue cheese crumbles for garnish.
Little tricks matter when you’re after that perfect texture and taste. These pointers help you avoid soggy coating, uneven browning and let yourpork-rind-coated cauliflower shine.
Dry your cauliflower florets as much as possible before coating, moisture can prevent crisping.
Avoid overcrowding the air-fryer basket, more space = more crisp.
Because pork rinds brown relatively fast, start checking around the 10 minute mark.
If you don’t have cold seltzer, use ice-cold water, it helps create a lighter coating texture though results may differ slightly.
If you prefer a lighter dip, substitute part of the sour cream with Greek yogurt.
Just because pork rinds are typically low-carb doesn’t mean the sauces are, they often contain sugar or hidden carbs, so check labels and portion sizes.
Once this snack is done you’ll want to serve it in ways that match the moment—whether it’s game night, a quick weeknight side or a low-carb friendly gathering. Here are ideas to match each vibe.
Game-day snack: Pair with celery sticks, extra sauce on the side, maybe cold drinks.
Weeknight dinner side: Add a simple green salad tossed in vinaigrette and call it a meal.
Party platter: Arrange the wings on a platter with the dip in the centre so guests can grab and go.
Low-carb snack box: If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container and reheat quickly in the air fryer to refresh crispiness.
Because we can’t guarantee the exact brands used, here are realistic expectations: depending on your ingredients and portion size, this recipe might land in the ~4-10 g net carb range per serving. But that is an estimate and will vary significantly. Always check ingredient labels and plug your amounts into a tracker if you’re following macros closely.
Also note, plain pork rinds may be zero or very low in carbs, but they often contain high sodium and saturated fat. While they fit low-carb and gluten-free snack goals (for example some brands list “gluten-free” and “0 g carbs” per serving) they are still a snack, so moderation is wise.
Because this isn’t just a one-off recipe. With a few tweaks you can make it again and again, use the same coating in other snacks and keep it as one of your go-to low-carb, flavourful hits.
Offers a crunchy snack alternative that doesn’t feel like you gave up anything.
Reinforces howPorkRinds.com helps you snack smart by using the product beyond simple bagged snacking.
Flexible, you can tweak sauces, dips, toppings and it still holds up.
Fits multiple occasions: game night, snack, dinner side.
Uses an air fryer so you get crisp texture with less heavy oil and fuss.
If you’re tempted by traditional wings or heavy breaded snacks, give this version a try. It delivers the crunch, the flavour, the dip, and gives you a clearer shot at staying low‑carb. The coating brings the texture, the buffalo sauce brings the heat, the cauliflower gives you the veg base, and the dip brings the richness—all while enjoyingketo friendly chicharrones pork rinds that fit your macros. Pick up your favourite flavour of pork rinds from PorkRinds.com, try the steps above, and you’ll have a snack you might just reach for again. Let me know how your crunch turned out, and whether you caught yourself reaching for seconds.
