This Air Fryer Cauliflower recipe shows you how to make crispy roasted cauliflower in your air fryer in just 10 minutes! Serve alongside your favorite protein or use in soups and salads for an easy vegetable side dish.
Cooking cauliflower in air fryer makes it wonderfully crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
In just 10 minutes you can have beautifully roasted cauliflower in the air fryer. It makes an incredible side dish or you can use it in soups, stews or any dish that calls for roasted cauliflower.
Plus, my favorite thing is that it's ready in a flash and you don't have to heat up the oven!
Every so often a kitchen appliance comes around that changes everything.
The air fryer is a small convection oven that uses dry circulating heat to cook food on all surfaces until it's nice and crispy.
This makes any air-fried food the perfect texture without the use of excess cooking oil.
You can cook meats, vegetables and even do some baking in the air fryer. I love using it to make simple vegetable side dishes like cauliflower that cooks up beautifully. It's also perfect with Air Fryer Baby Potatoes.
For this recipe, you’ll need a head of fresh cauliflower cut up into florets.
It gets tossed with some cooking oil and simple seasonings and then air-fried for about 10 minutes until it's crispy and browned.
Serve this crispy cauliflower alongside your favorite main dish or add it to a soup or salad for a dose of extra nutrition and texture.
Great for any low-carb lifestyle!
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Why Make This Recipe
You only need 3 basic ingredients to make this easy vegetable side dish.
Air fryer cauliflower can be used as a side dish or thrown into pasta, salads, or soups for additional bulk and nutrition.
Cauliflower roasts up perfectly in just 10 minutes with the help of the quick and easy cooking of the air fryer.
You can season this cauliflower with whatever herbs and seasonings you enjoy to change it up.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower - You’ll need a fresh head of cauliflower to cut into florets before seasoning and air frying.
- Olive Oil - A very small amount of cooking oil is needed to roast the cauliflower properly in the air fryer.
- Garlic Powder - Gives the cauliflower a light garlic flavor. Or try other herbs or spices.
- Salt & Pepper - Further enhances the flavor of the cauliflower.
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full quantities.
How to Make Air Fryer Cauliflower
Wondering how to make cauliflower in air fryer? It's easy!
Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Prepare: Trim the stems off of the head of cauliflower, then remove the core. Chop the head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets, then give it a rinse.
Season: Add the prepared cauliflower florets into a bowl, then add the oil and seasonings. Toss until fully combined.
Air fry: Add the seasoned cauliflower to the bottom of your air fryer basket in a single layer, and set the temperature to 400F (200C). Set the timer for 10 minutes, and give the basket a shake every few minutes to rotate until the cauliflower is finished cooking. Remove with tongs and serve hot.
Cook's Tips
When cutting the cauliflower into florets, make sure they are all roughly the same size to ensure even cooking.
You can preheat the air fryer basket for 3-5 minutes if you prefer which may cut down the cooking time by about 1-2 minutes.
The cauliflower needs to be in a single layer at the bottom of the air fryer basket to prevent it from steaming. You may have to cook it in separate batches to get all of it cooked.
Variations
Try it with cajun spice, ranch seasoning or your favorite spice blends.
Enjoy it as 'cauliflower wings' with your favorite dipping sauce.
Cut the cauliflower into thick slices to make 'steaks'.
Try it drizzled with Buffalo sauce for a bit of zing.
Use some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top for a salty cheesy bite.
Season with your favorite fresh herbs or dried herbs.
Add your favorite dried curry seasoning to make curried cauliflower.
Add some zucchini, broccoli, or onion to make air fryer mixed vegetables.
You can use purple or green cauliflower for air frying instead of regular white cauliflower.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Store any leftover air-fried cauliflower in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Cooked cauliflower will not hold up well in the freezer as it will become mushy when thawed. Therefore, freezing is not recommended.
FAQs
You can preheat your air fryer, but it's not necessary for this particular recipe. If you’re short on time you can chop the cauliflower while the air fryer preheats to save a few minutes on cooking time.
For this recipe, it is not recommended as the air will not be able to circulate around the cauliflower to cook it properly.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Cauliflower
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon oil olive, vegetable etc
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or other seasonings, herbs or spices
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized pieces.
- Place into a bowl and toss with the oil and any seasonings.
- Place into the basket of the air fryer in a single layer (cook in batches if necessary) and cook at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 minutes, shaking the basket every few minutes.
- Check and cook longer if necessary to get the cauliflower golden around the edges and cooked through.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- When cutting the cauliflower into florets, make sure they are all roughly the same size to ensure even cooking.
- You can preheat the air fryer basket for 3-5 minutes if you prefer which may cut down the cooking time by about 1-2 minutes.
- The cauliflower needs to be in a single layer at the bottom of the air fryer basket to prevent it from steaming. You may have to cook it in separate batches to get all of it cooked.
- Storing: Store any leftover air-fried cauliflower in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Cooked cauliflower will not hold up well in the freezer as it will become mushy when thawed. Therefore, freezing is not recommended.
wilhelmina
Delicious! I keep finding new ways to use my air fryer and veggies like this are topping the list!
abigail
This cauliflower recipe is amazing and I loved adding some buffalo sauce to make these almost like cauliflower buffalo wings, so good!