This Air Fried Cauliflower recipe is an easy and delicious vegetarian dish that goes with just about anything. With just a handful of ingredients, you can roast cauliflower for a tasty and healthy vegetable side dish with little effort. [This recipe can be made in the Instant Pot air fryer or a traditional air fryer.]
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Table of Contents
📋 Introduction
I love cauliflower – it’s one of my favorite vegetables. I used to cook cauliflower on the stove but then I started roasting it in the oven. What a gamechanger!
I love roasting cauliflower because it gets a caramelization and sweetness that you don’t get when you cook it on the stove. Check out my oven recipe for Indian roasted cauliflower because it’s amazing!
The air fryer takes roasting a step further. When you cook cauliflower in the air fryer, you get crispy cauliflower in a fraction of the time you would roast in the oven.
I use my Instant Pot air fryer lid or my Cosori air fryer to make this easy air fryer cauliflower recipe.
❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CAULIFLOWER RECIPE
- This recipe is ready in less than 20 minutes.
- The cauliflower comes out crispy and caramelized outside and tender inside.
- The ingredients are probably already in your pantry or fridge.
- It’s an easy and delicious side dish for any main dish.
Check out my other recipes like frozen steak fries in air fryer, air fryer tater tots, air fryer red potatoes, or air fryer broccoli recipe.
💡 Recipe tips for crispy air fryer cauliflower
How to get crispy cauliflower
- Use a paper towel or clean dry cloth to dry the cauliflower really well before applying the oil and seasonings. If the cauliflower is wet, it won’t get as crisp.
- Using your hands to apply the oil and spices to the cauliflower is the best way to get maximum coverage. Wear some gloves or be sure to wash your hands really well afterward!
- Make sure the pieces are cut evenly. If they’re cut into different sizes they’ll cook unevenly.
- To keep the cauliflower from sticking, liberally coat the air fryer basket with vegetable oil or olive oil.
How to cut the cauliflower
- To cut the head of cauliflower, first cut it into quarters.
- Cut cauliflower stems and discard them.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets using a knife or separate the florets with your hands.
- Cut any large florets in half or quarters to make the sizes even.
- Get more information on how to cut a cauliflower.
Recipe variations
- Indian cauliflower:
Substitute paprika with chili powder (to taste) and add ¼ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 2 teaspoons lime juice, ½ teaspoon brown sugar - Air fryer buffalo cauliflower bites:
toss the air-fried cauliflower in store-bought buffalo sauce, or easy homemade sauce as described in my recipe for Instant Pot air fryer chicken wings. - Italian style cauliflower:
Use ¾ teaspoons Italian seasoning, and sprinkle roasted cauliflower with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, and a squeeze of lemon juice before serving. - Use your choice of seasonings such as 1 tablespoon creole or cajun seasoning, Lawry’s seasoned salt, or Old Bay seasoning. Please keep in mind that the salt quantity in these store-bought seasonings vary, so season to taste.
How to serve air fryer cauliflower bites
- This crispy air fryer cauliflower recipe can be served as a side dish with air fryer pork chops, air fryer salmon, or air fryer tandoori chicken.
- Serve the cauliflower as an appetizer with a dipping sauce like sriracha mayo or ranch dressing.
- I also use roasted cauliflower to make cauliflower soup or to top a salad or rice bowl.
Storage tips
- Refrigerate cooked cauliflower in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze cooked cauliflower in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge.
- Reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes.
❓ FAQS
Yes, the cauliflower can be stacked – you don’t have to put the cauliflower in the air fryer basket in a single layer. However, don’t overpack the basket because the air won’t be able to circulate to crisp up the pieces. Shake up the florets a couple of times while air frying.
Use a nonstick spatula to gently move the pieces. Sometimes letting cauliflower cook for a few more minutes to caramelize it loosens it. You can also line the basket with parchment paper or aluminum foil to prevent sticking next time.
You can purchase parchment rounds with pre-cut holes but if you don’t have them, make sure you poke holes in parchment or foil to allow for circulation.
Yes, you can cook from frozen, without thawing, but you may need to increase the cooking time by a few minutes. I prefer to use fresh cauliflower but frozen is still pretty good, in a pinch. The key is to shake the florets more frequently. They will be softer than when you make them fresh.
It could be because the pieces were cut too small or your air fryer runs hotter. The next time you cook cauliflower in the air fryer, keep an eye on the cauliflower so it doesn’t burn.
Check on it a few minutes before the time’s up to see if it’s browning too quickly, and decrease the temperature and cooking time if necessary. Different air fryers may have slight variations, so you have to find a time and temperature that works for you.
🧂 Air fried cauliflower – ingredients
Ingredient quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post
- Cauliflower
- Salt
- Pepper
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Olive oil or vegetable oil
* The roasting seasoning can be made in bulk using my homemade recipe.
📝 How to make air fryer cauliflower (step by step instructions for Duo Crisp model)
- Toss the cauliflower with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, and olive oil in a large bowl.
- Add the cauliflower to the air fryer basket and air fry.
- Shake the basket halfway through the cooking process.
- Cauliflower is done when it’s soft inside and crispy outside. If the cauliflower isn’t crispy enough, continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish. Squeeze with some lemon juice if desired.
♨️ Oven Instructions for Roasted Cauliflower
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can make this delicious recipe in an ordinary oven.
To use this recipe in the oven:
- Stir together all the dry spices.
- Dry the cauliflower and coat the cauliflower florets with olive oil.
- Apply the seasoning all over until evenly coated.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Coat surface with oil.
- Lay the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet.
- Flip the pieces halfway through cooking
- Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
More Instant Pot Air Fryer Favorites
Love air frying with the air fryer lid, but looking for new recipes? Here are a few of my favorite Instant Pot easy air fryer recipes that are delicious and quick.
Head over to my list of amazing Instant Pot air fryer recipes for more recipes!
Air Fryer Cauliflower Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower about 1.5 to 2 lbs of florets
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
Instructions
Air Fryer Instructions
- Make sure the cauliflower is completely dry. This is an important step.
- Mix the paprika, salt, pepper, onion, and garlic powders in a small bowl.
- Rub the cauliflower florets with oil. Sprinkle spice mix all over the cauliflower and toss them up to get the evenly coated. Or use your hand to rub the spices all over. Wear kitchen gloves or wash your hands really well afterwards.
- If using the Instant Pot air fryer, place the metal rack in the basket and place the air fryer basket in the air fryer.
- Preheat the air fryer at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes.
- Grease the basket. You can either use a paper towel soaked with oil or an oil sprayer. Don't use canned aerosol oil as that can harm the coating of the air fryer basket.
- Place the cauliflower in the basket, close the air fryer, and air fry cauliflower for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you are using an Instant Pot air fryer, partway through cooking, the display says turn Food. If you are using an air fryer without this feature, set a timer to shake the basket 7 minutes into the cooking process.
- Shake up the cauliflower, close the air fryer and continue cooking.
- When the cooking time is up, open the air fryer and check to see if the cauliflower is cooked enough. If not, air fryer for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Press Cancel and transfer the cauliflower to a serving plate.
Oven Instructions *
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make sure the cauliflower is completely dry. This is an important step.
- Mix the paprika, salt, pepper, onion, and garlic powders in a small bowl.
- Rub the cauliflower florets with oil. Sprinkle spice mix all over the cauliflower and toss them up to get them evenly coated. Or use your hand to rub the spices all over. Wear kitchen gloves or wash your hands really well afterward.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and coat with oil.
- Spread the cauliflower on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Flip the pieces halfway through cooking.
- Transfer the cauliflower to a serving plate.
Notes
- Cooking time can vary based on the air fryer model and quantity of cauliflower. At the 14-minute mark, check the cauliflower to see if it’s cooked through.
- * If baking in the oven, the recipe can be doubled or tripled.
- Substitute the individual spices with 1 tablespoon of my homemade roasting seasoning.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Linda Collins says
Making it now, can’t wait to see how it comes out!
Neena Panicker says
Hope it worked out great for you!
Ally says
Love the recipe with a few changes. I added curry powder and used parchment paper. Will definitely make again.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for sharing, Ally! Glad to hear you like the recipe.