This air fryer cauliflower is seasoned with a vibrant blend of savory spices and roasted to perfection in 15 minutes. The deep flavors are brought to life with just the right char and crispiness on the outside to bring out the sweetness which makes it impossible to put down. This recipe is a treat make and an excellent choice for an easy side-dish or snack.
Cauliflower is such an amazing vegetable which possesses a versatility that allows it to be used in any number of ways. It fits in perfectly in a vegetable medley, can be used in place of meat for many popular dishes, and when roasted such as this, brings about a whole other quality that is a treat to behold.
Fresh Cauliflower
When choosing a head of cauliflower, look for one that is free of any blemishes or dark spots, has tightly packed florets, and good green leaves. Cauliflower should feel heavy for it’s size, and will have a nice creamy white color. It should also smell fresh and be free of any overwhelming odor.
Cutting Cauliflower
In preparing our cauliflower for the air fryer, we first cut away the leaves, and any excess parts of the stem. This is easily achieved by inserting a knife just outside the cauliflower stem and cutting around it. Next, we can cut the florets off around the stem or even pull them off my hand. We want to end up with nugget sized chunks that can be enjoyed in just a bite or two.
Cauliflower Seasoning Mix
We’re essentially using our air fryer to make roasted cauliflower, which has an outstanding flavor all it’s own. When the florets begin to char a bit, they release a sweetness which makes each bite a wonderful experience. We don’t want to completely overwhelm the natural flavors, rather, we want to accentuate them with a seasoning blend that is vibrant and brings out all the best characteristics of this wonderful vegetable. To achieve this, we’ll use many common spices which you likely already have in your spice rack or pantry: smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, oregano, onion and garlic powder, ground mustard, salt and pepper. The smoked paprika and turmeric will also provide that rich, golden color.
Easy Prep
Mix all dry ingredients and set aside. Cut the cauliflower into nugget chunks of an inch or two and toss them in a large bowl with 1 ½ tablespoons of vegetable oil. Now add the seasoning mix and toss for a minute or two by hand and get all the goodness to coat all pieces of cauliflower.
Air Fry at 400°(F) for 15 Minutes
Cooking our cauliflower couldn’t be any easier. Start by preheating your air fryer at 400°(F) for 5 minutes. When ready, place the seasoned cauliflower into the air fryer basket or tray and use the “air fry” setting at 400°(F) for 15 minutes. During the cooking time, flip, shake or stir the cauliflower 2 or 3 times to achieve the most evening browning.
Ready to serve!
When the 15 minutes are up, your roasted cauliflower is ready to serve right away! There’s so many ways to enjoy it and the possibilities are endless. You can use a fork or even your hand and eat it like popcorn for a snack. It’s also excellent with a spritz of lemon juice from some fresh lemon slices. It can also be a side-dish for just about any meal. It’s excellent with pork chops, chicken and fish.
Goes Well With…
Some of my favorite recipes to serve air fryer cauliflower with are:
- Best Damn Air Fryer Salmon. I mean, come on, a perfect pairing. And a healthy one too!
- Best Damn Air Fryer Chicken Breast. This recipe has a wonderful flavor profile which fits perfectly with this as a side. A great part of meal prep too!
- Best Damn Air Fryer Ribeye Steak. This is a nice light side-dish to accompany a steak. Great flavors all around.
Recipe
Best Damn Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Air fryer cauliflower is seasoned with a vibrant blend of savory spices and roasted to perfection in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 head of fresh cauliflower
- ½ tsp kosher salt (or salt to taste)
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1.5 tbs vegetable oil
Instructions
- Trim cauliflower and cut into chunks of 1-2 inches in size. Add to a large bowl.
- Mix all dry ingredients, set aside.
- Toss cauliflower chunks with vegetable oil and add seasoning mix. Toss well to get everything coated.
- Preheat air fryer for 5 minutes at 400°(F).
- Place seasoned cauliflower into air fryer basket or on tray and air fry at 400°(F) for 15 minutes, stirring or shaking basket 2-3 times during cooking to achieve uniform browning.
- Remove from air fryer and serve immediately.
Notes
Update 8/2/23: I have reduced the amount of salt to ½ tsp kosher salt based on reader feedback. If using regular table salt, use less. Or, simply salt to taste.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Gladys says
Perfect! I love this recipe so much. It’s easy, tasty and fast. Thank you!
Shell says
This IS the BEST DAMMMMM air fryer cauliflower recipe!!! I make this A LOT and Everytime I do… Everyone raves how delicious it is. Thank u for sharing your recipe
Abby Hayward says
Umm.. I just ate an entire head of cauliflower by myself!!! Never EVER have I enjoyed cauliflower that much! This IS the BEST DAMN cauliflower!! I will make this WEEKLY for me!! SOOOO flavorful! SO easy!!!
RecipeTeacher says
Love this!! You get comment of the week, Abby! 🙂
Heather says
I made this today and it was delicious! I did add a little Sazon seasoning and zesty garlic blend. Severed with Sweet baby Ray’s special sauce and ranch on the side. Fabulous! I cooked in the air fryer on the rack but I put it in a9x9 cake pan with parchment paper inside of that. Cooked up great
Jennifer Harvey says
So good!! I added 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper for a kick and a little lemon juice on after cooking. Delicious!!
Vince Thomas says
This was delicious and I don’t think I want it any other way now. We love spicy so we kicked ours up with cayenne and smoked salt. About a tsp of brown sugar took this to another level and we topped with fresh cilantro. Can’t wait to try this again with friends.
RecipeTeacher says
Oh man I LOVE these additions!
Phil S says
Didn’t have mustard or onion powder, so subbed a tsp of dijon and onion flakes… It was Better than roasted 425 in the oven which has been my go to with almost identical seasonings for years! The air fryer tones down the spices and while fresh out of the fryer eats sort of like pop corn, but if reheated for leftovers in microwave is still good, but is moist again like any non air fried cauliflower. This was Great, Thank You👍💪
Bridget says
This is my favorite side. My family fights over it. So so good and so simple. Love it
Andrea W says
I don’t even like cauliflower but I find i actually crave this recipe. Delicious.
Loralouise says
LOVE this combo of spices. I always use this on my air fryer cauliflower. I even catch myself licking the residue left in the container I use to mix the spices in. Yum!!
Kathleen says
I have been given an air fryer, and am just now learning how to use it. Its manual says to only cook one layer of food, spaced apart, at a time. Are you putting the whole head of cauliflower in at once, or doing many batches? Thank you.
RecipeTeacher says
Hey Kathleen. So that’s correct, you want to keep everything in a single layer for best results. If you have a large head of cauliflower, two batches will be your best bet.
Phil S says
I did half a head and it was Perfect! I even used a liner sheet and using half a head left ample room between pieces for them to get almost crispy despite still having their moisture, its hard to explain… They didnt get charred to burnt looking but were kind of crispy. So good! Havent tried more crowded yet, not sure if i want to, they were awesome.
E123 says
OH MY GOSH!!!!
Was I supposed to share this? It was sooo good.