This Air Fryer Cauliflower is easy to make, healthy and involves almost no clean-up. The air fryer helps create crisp cauliflower, taking your favorite cauliflower recipe to the next level. All you need is cauliflower, a small amount of olive oil and your favorite spices!
AIR FRYER CAULIFLOWER
I recently bought an air fryer and I can not stop using it. I love making this Air Fryer Cauliflower.
There is so much to love about an air fryer and I don’t know why I didn’t jump on board sooner.
So far I have made air fryer cauliflower, steak, vegetables and potatoes in my air fryer.
If I could recommend one appliance to buy this holiday season, the air fryer is it.
I love that I can make a healthy vegetable side dish quickly with little to no clean-up.
My three favorite things about the air fryer are the easy clean-up, the quick cook time and the fact that you use a lot less oil and can crisp up foods so they almost taste fried.
We all love healthier versions of food, right?
I love how this air fryer cauliflower creates a crispy cauliflower that makes the perfect healthy snack or easy side dish.
Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables. It is a great addition to bowls like this Mediterranean Buddha Bowl, Greek Quinoa Bowl or this Salmon Bowl.
I have a lot of favorite air fryer recipes like these Air Fryer Apple Chips, Air Fryer Salmon Bites, Air Fryer Eggplant Fries, Air Fryer Cod, Air Fryer Coconut Chicken Tenders and this Air Fryer Salmon.
HOW TO AIR FRY CAULIFLOWER?
You can make this air fryer cauliflower recipe in 4 quick steps.
Using your air fryer is quicker than roasting it in the oven and uses less oil. A win-win!
Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
Start by washing and cutting the head of cauliflower into 1-inch cauliflower florets.
Place them in a large mixing bowl along with a couple of drizzles of olive oil and your favorite spices or seasoning blend making sure the cauliflower is coated evenly.
Today’s recipe I followed my Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower recipe that is a reader favorite.
Spread the cauliflower in the air fryer basket in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the basket.
Shake the basket once or twice through your cooking process to make sure it is cooking evenly. Cook until the cauliflower is soft on the inside with crispy edges.
Serve with your tasty dipping sauce like ranch dressing, fresh cilantro and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can reheat it in the air fryer.
HOW LONG TO AIR FRY CAULIFLOWER?
The temperature you air fry your cauliflower at is going to determine how long it takes to cook. Following the guide below for typical cook times at different temperatures but my sweet spot seems to be 400 degrees F.
- 425℉ bake for 20 to 25 minutes
- 400 degrees takes about 30 minutes
- 350℉ bake for about 35 minutes
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR CRISPY AIR FRYER CAULIFLOWER RECIPE
Cooking vegetables in the air fryer is such an easy way to add healthy nutrients to your meals. Here are some tips and tricks to cook them properly.
NO OVERCROWDING: You don’t want to overcrowd your vegetables in the air fryer or they won’t all cook evenly. For air-fried cauliflower make sure you give the cauliflower a bit of spice in the basket to let the air circulate.
CHOP YOUR VEGETABLES TO A SIMILAR SIZE: When roasting any vegetables whether in the air fryer or the oven it is important to chop your vegetables to a similar size. This also helps them cook evenly!
SHAKE THE BASKET: I shake my basket of vegetables once or twice while they are cooking to help promote even cooking.
CHEESE: Cheese is a great addition to cauliflower. Try adding parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, feta cheese or sharp cheddar cheese.
FROZEN VEGETABLES: Did you know you can air fry frozen vegetables?
You just need to make sure you leave more space than with non-frozen vegetables so the water can evaporate easily and the vegetables can be come tender on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside.
SPICES: There are a lot of great spices to use on cauliflower. Try garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, red chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin and turmeric.
WHAT IS AIR FRY COOKING?
A lot of people might be wondering how an air fryer works.
It is similar to an amped-up countertop convection oven.
Its compact space promotes even faster cooking. The top of the unit holds a heating mechanism and a fan.
Hot air rushes down and around the food which is placed in a basket.
The rapid air circulation helps crisp up food. A lot of people compare it to deep frying food but much, much healthier!
It also requires very little clean-up and most of the time the basket in the air fryer can be dishwashed.
The air fryer that I use is the COSORI Air Fryer and I love it!
It is the perfect size when making meals for my family and is easy to use.
IS AIR FRIED FOOD HEALTHY?
Air frying food is a healthy alternative to deep frying food in oil. You can air fry so many things from Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower, to Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes, to Air Fryer Donut Holes.
My favorite part of using the air fryer is that the food can get that crispy outer layer that happens when you deep fry food.
When you air fry food it can cut 70 to 80% of the calories from the food and has less fat. You also are using no vegetable oil when using the air fryer which is much healthier.
OTHER CAULIFLOWER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA CAULIFLOWER SALAD
CAULIFLOWER CURRY
ROASTED PARMESAN GARLIC CAULIFLOWER
CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP
ZA’ATAR CAULIFLOWER
AIR FRYER BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER
CURRY ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
Air Fryer Cauliflower
Forget heating up your oven and dirtying dishes. This Air Fryer Cauliflower is easy to make, healthy and involves almost no clean-up. The air fryer helps create crisp cauliflower, taking your favorite cauliflower recipe to the next level. All you need is cauliflower, a small amount of olive oil and your favorite spices!
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets {about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds}
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes {optional for spice}
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Wash and cut the cauliflower into 1-inch florets and place them in a large mixing bowl with the minced garlic.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the olive oil, turmeric, cumin, paprika, coriander, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and stir. Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the cauliflower and toss to coat.
- Spread in an even layer in the air fryer basket. Cook for 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft, shaking the basket one or two times while cooking to promote even cooking.
- Serve warm with chopped cilantro.
Notes
You can modify the spices to your tastes.
caren
Wednesday 6th of November 2019
I think my favorite tip from this post is that I didn't know I can air fry FROZEN veggies, thanks! Never knew that. I also sometimes dip my veggies in panko and air fry them. I have an Emeril air fryer that I got on QVC and I use it ALL of the time. I even make steak in it!
Julia
Wednesday 6th of November 2019
Glad to help! I just tried steak last night and it worked so well. I was shocked! For the frozen veggies - you just have to make sure you cook the vegetables based on the type of veggie -- if its a more soft or a harder veggie.