Air Fryer Cauliflower Recipe

One of my favorite air fryer recipes is this delicious air fryer cauliflower recipe! It creates the most fantastic roasted cauliflower recipe in less than 15 minutes! It’s great as a side dish or as a main vegan entree.

It can also be served warm or at room temperature, or tossed in a salad as an additional vegetable! It’s also great as a starter too.

New to the air fryer craze?

Get started with some of my favorite air fryer recipes. You’ll find the classics like my air fryer Broccoli Cheddar Quiche, Blueberry Muffins, Air Fryer Taquitos, Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, and Air Fryer Blueberry Hand Pies. 

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower: Use fresh cauliflower rather than frozen. The frozen cauliflower retains too much moisture and will be hard to crisp up in an air fryer. 
• Olive Oil: Air fryers typically work without oil, but I always like to add just a little for flavor and extra crunch!
• Dried Oregano: For flavor, you can also use Herbs de Provence or dried basil. Or for a bolder flavor, you could also use smoked paprika and garlic powder. 
• Salt and Freshly Cracked Pepper: Just to taste.
• Pine Nuts: Add a delicious buttery crunch to this side dish. For extra flavor, toast them in a dry non-stick skillet until fragrant and golden brown. 
• Fresh Lemon Juice: Add a bit of brightness to the air-fried cauliflower. 
• Fresh Parsley: Adds a nice herby freshness to the finished dish. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This recipe comes together so quickly and easily!
• It’s also the kind of dish that is equally good served warm or cold.
• Making roasted cauliflower used to take me 30 minutes in the oven, but now I find this Air Fryer Cauliflower recipe so much easier because it takes half the time!
• For this recipe, I used the Philips Air Fryer model HD9630, and I must say, it is fantastic!
• So easy to use, a roomy basket for frying, and the pieces come apart for easy cleaning!

Step #1:Prep the Cauliflower

• Place 3 cups of cauliflower in a large bowl.
• Try to make sure the florets are roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate.
• You can make this even easier by buying pre-cut cauliflower in the bag.
• Cutting cauliflower florets from a head of cauliflower does make a bit of a mess!
• Cut the cauliflower from the head with a knife, and then separate the stems with your fingertips, using a knife where needed. 
• So if you don’t mind spending a little more on the pre-cut, it will save you a lot of time on prep and cleanup! 
• For any leftover cauliflower, try my Roasted Cauliflower Soup Recipe. Another delicious cauliflower recipe!

Step #2: Add a Little Oil

• Most air fryers say you don’t need any oil to fry, and that’s true if you want a drier effect, but I’ve found just a drizzle of olive oil helps with the flavor.
• Be sure to pat the cauliflower down to make sure it’s dry. 
• Add enough oil to coat the cauliflower.
• It also helps it taste like roasted cauliflower you roast in the oven. 

Step #3: Add Seasoning

• Drizzle the florets with olive oil and toss to coat.
• Then season cauliflower with salt, pepper, and dried oregano to taste.
• Transfer the cauliflower to the air fryer basket.

Step #4: Air Fry the Cauliflower

• Place the cauliflower in the air fryer basket.
• For 3 cups, I start out at 10 minutes at 400°F.
• Cooking time may vary depending on the model of air fryer you are using.
• But a common mistake when air frying cauliflower is not using a high enough temperature.
• If the temperature is too low, the air fryer will be soggy. 

How To Know When The Cauliflower is Done?

• After 10 minutes, check on it and shake the basket. Sometimes it may take a minute or two more, depending upon how big the florets are.
• But once they look all charred and tender, they’re done.
• At this stage, you can continue with this recipe as directed below, or use your roasted cauliflower in a tossed salad.  

Step #6: Garnish and Serve

• You really can get creative with your toppings, but for a Mediterranean flavor, I go with pine nuts, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and freshly minced parsley.
• This cauliflower is also really great topped on a plate with a smear of my traditional Homemade Hummus Recipe or my striking Beet Hummus Recipe, both of which will add a bit more protein if serving as the main entree as well. 

More Cauliflower Recipes! 

• Potato Leek Soup-NO CREAM
• Vegan Broccoli Soup
• Vegan Hachis Parmentier

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