Roasted Cauliflower
Roasted Cauliflower is one of the easiest side dishes that truly delivers amazing taste and flavors.
You can roast cauliflower florets in just 20 minutes, so it’s a quick, easy, and healthy dinner to add to your weekly meal rotation.
Who doesn’t love cauliflower recipes?
Cauliflower is one of these vegetables available all-year round that never bores because there are so many ways to enjoy it: cauliflower rice, cauliflower casserole, or steamed cauliflower. The possibilities are endless.
While roasted cauliflower doesn’t sound very exciting on its own, it’s actually one of the most surprising cauliflower recipes.
If you’ve never roasted cauliflower florets before, you will be amazed by how you can turn this bland tough vegetable into soft and juicy cauliflower bites.
Plus, it doesn’t require any skills or a long ingredient list. You’ll only use 3 or 4, depending on your seasoning choices.
So this is my easy roasted cauliflower recipe, and it’s even better to dip in my Greek yogurt dip if you make it on the side.
How To Make Roasted Cauliflower
The first step of this recipe, and probably the most crucial one, is to learn how to cut the cauliflower into small florets of the same size.
Your cauliflower might be round, and it’s not as easy as you think to release its florets one by one for an even roasting.
But to help you, I wrote a full article on how to cut cauliflower into bite-sized florets.
As soon as you get the florets you will need a few basic ingredients.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower Florets – Follow my tutorial on how to cut cauliflower.
- Avocado Oil – You can use other oil too, like olive oil, but I prefer high smoke point oils like avocado oil for roasting above 400°F (200°C). It’s not only a healthier choice as the oil remains stable during the roasting process, but it also won’t smoke and it has a neutral odor and flavor.
- Salt and Pepper
- Garlic Powder
Below are optional spices you can add depending on the type of recipe you will use this recipe.
- Dried Oregano
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Parmesan Cheese – Add before roasting on top of the seasoned florets.
- Lemon Zest – Add on top of the roasted cauliflower before serving. Perfect match to Greek Chicken.
Roasting
Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C).
One of the most common mistakes people make when roasting cauliflower is to marinate the florets on the baking sheet.
I know this reduces the dishwashing necessary, but on the other hand, you will need way more oil, and the spices won’t spread evenly.
Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl and season them by drizzling oil and spices all over.
Then, use your hands to massage the florets with oil mixture.
When the cauliflower florets are well coated, transfer them to a single layer on a large sheet pan covered with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Bake the cauliflower at 430°F (220°C) until the florets are golden and start to brown on the edges. It takes about 20 to 25 minutes, not more.
Remove from the oven, toss, and serve as a side dish or main light dinner.
Adjust with salt and pepper.
Serving As A Side Dish
This roasted cauliflower is one of the best low-carb side dishes to grilled meat, especially chicken dishes or egg-based dishes like:
Using In Recipes
You can also use roasted cauliflower in recipes calling for steamed cauliflower. Roasted cauliflower has much more potent flavors and enhances the flavor of my cauliflower potato salad or cauliflower hummus recipe.
Spices
There are so many other spices you can use in this recipe, depending on the type of recipe that uses cauliflower.
I love dried oregano as I love Greek and Italian cuisine, but here are my recommendations for other flavors.
- Indian Dish – Use curry powder, turmeric, fenugreek, or masala.
- Chinese Dish – Roast it with sesame oil, black pepper, and garlic powder. It will fit my Angus steak stir fry perfectly.
- Mexican Dish – If you plan to use this as a filling for my Mexican omelette or Mexican omelette or my vegan enchiladas, roast it with some homemade taco seasoning.
Storage Instructions
You can roast cauliflower ahead of time and store it in the fridge in a sealed jar. Cauliflower can leave a strong Sulphur smell in the refrigerator, so seal the container very well.
Another option is to freeze roasted cauliflower florets in zip-lock bags or in your meal-prep container. It lasts for 3 months in the freezer.
Thaw the dish the day before using it in the fridge.
Rewarm the cauliflower in a microwave, air fryer, or non-stick saucepan.
Allergy Swaps
Below are some ingredient swap options if you are allergic to the ones listed below.
- Chili And Pepper – If you are sensitive to spices, skip them. Feel free to replace them with other spices like paprika, cumin, or turmeric.
- Garlic – For a low-fodmap version, skip the garlic.
- Oil Choices – The best high-smoke oils – the ones that won’t smoke at high temperatures when roasting vegetables – are peanut oil, sesame, or canola oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the answers to your most frequent questions about this recipe.
Can I Roast Frozen Cauliflower?
When fresh cauliflower is not in season, roasting frozen cauliflower is convenient. To do so, don’t thaw the florets.
Cover them with the oil mixture and roast them following the same temperature and time as below.
However, frozen cauliflower won’t get has crispy as fresh florets.
They turn softer and much more watery. As a result, it’s a better addition to a chicken curry or instead of broccoli in my broccoli pasta recipe.
How Long Should I Roast Cauliflower At 400°F?
I prefer to roast cauliflower at 430°F because it quickly roasts the florets outside while keeping the center moist and juicy.
If you choose to roast at lower temperatures, you will need around 30 minutes, and as a result, the texture will be a bit mushy in the center.
More Cauliflower Recipes
Here’s some more cauliflower recipe ideas.
Have you tried this oven-roasted cauliflower recipe? Share a comment or review below.
Roasted Cauliflower
Nutrition
Want My Kitchen Equipment?
Ingredients
- 1 head Cauliflower cut into bite size florets about 5 cups
- 3 tablespoons Avocado Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
Optional
- ½ teaspoon Chili Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cut the cauliflower head into small bite-size florets of the same size – watch my tutorial here if needed.
- Place the florets in a large mixing bowl and season them with oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.
- Use your hands to massage the florets with the mixture.
- Spread florets in a single layer onto the baking sheet.
- Bake in the center rack of the oven for 18 minutes, then shake the tray to move the florets and keep baking for an extra 5 minutes until golden brown, and the edges start to darken in color.
- Remove from the oven and serve with extra salt, pepper, or chili flakes if desired.
Storage
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before.
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About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I'm passionate about sharing easy, tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweetashoney. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweetashoney!
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CauliflowerBakingDairy-FreeEgg-FreeGluten-FreeGrain-FreeHealthyKetoLow-CarbNut-FreePaleoSugar-FreeVeganVegetarianDinnerSide DishEasyUnder 30 MinutesDisclaimer
The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only. The nutrition data is calculated using WP Recipe Maker. Net Carbs is calculated by removing the fiber and some sweeteners from the total Carbohydrates. As an example, a recipe with 10 grams of Carbs per 100 grams that contains 3 grams of erythritol and 5 grams of fiber will have a net carbs content of 2 grams. Some sweeteners are excluded because they are not metabolized. You should always calculate the nutritional data yourself instead of relying on Sweetashoney's data. Sweetashoney and its recipes and articles are not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease. Sweetashoney cannot be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or advice found on the Website.
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