Free: Healthy 5-Ingredient Meals Ebook
Get It Now- Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Cauliflower Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Cook Cauliflower In The Air Fryer
- Recipe Tips
- Flavor Variations
- Storage Instructions
- What To Serve With Air Fryer Cauliflower
- More Air Fryer Veggie Recipes
- My Favorite Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Cauliflower (Crispy Edges!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
This air fryer cauliflower recipe is one of my favorite ways to use this little appliance — which is saying a lot, as I use it more days than not on any given week! It’s now one of my favorite cauliflower recipes, too. I’ve been roasting cauliflower in the oven for over a decade, but when I tried cooking cauliflower in the air fryer a few years ago, I was delighted to find that it cooked in just minutes. It’s such a quick and easy, healthy vegetable side dish, and it’s got all of the flavor of roasted cauliflower — in a fraction of the time.
Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Cauliflower Recipe
- The perfect texture – It’s just the right level of tender, with browned, crispy, slightly caramelized edges. I need those crispy edges!
- Flavor just like roasted – You know I love a good shortcut to get the same taste in less time.
- Super fast – This dish is ready in just 15 minutes, including the prep time. That’s one of the reasons I make it so often.
- Simple ingredients – In fact, you need just 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper), which you probably have in your pantry already.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for crispy air fryer cauliflower, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Cauliflower – I prefer to use a whole head of cauliflower so that it’s more fresh, but you can also buy a bag of florets for convenience. You can air fry the stems too, if you want to. Just make sure to remove the leaves.
- Olive Oil – Helps the cauliflower crisp up. Avocado oil works, too.
- Lemon Juice – Use fresh lemon for best flavor, or bottled for convenience. Feel free to skip this if you like, but I think it adds such a nice, bright flavor.
- Spices – Smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Aside from the salt and pepper, you can totally use any seasonings you want — see variations below!
How To Cook Cauliflower In The Air Fryer
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Preheat. Heat your air fryer (this one is my favorite) first to ensure even cooking.
- Season. Place cauliflower in a large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the florets in the seasoning mixture.
- Air fry. Place the cauliflower in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook, shaking the basket half way through, until tender and browned on the edges. I like to garnish with a light sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Recipe Tips
- Cut uniform florets. This ensures that they will cook at the same rate.
- Smaller florets will get you more crispy edges. Cut them small if that’s your jam (like me!), or larger if you like the tender inside more.
- The size of your florets will impact cook time. Smaller florets = faster air fryer cauliflower!
- Don’t crowd the basket. To get nice browning and caramelization, your cauliflower needs breathing room. Make sure the florets are in a single layer, preferably with a little space between them, but it’s okay if they are touching. Cook in batches if necessary.
Flavor Variations
The classic version on the recipe card is the simplest, but you can totally change it up! Here are some other ways I’ve tried making air fryer cauliflower, and they were all delicious:
- Garlic Parmesan – Halfway through cooking, add 1-2 cloves minced garlic (or just add extra garlic powder in the beginning), and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Shake the basket and finish cooking.
- Curry Spiced – Add 1 teaspoon of curry powder with the other seasonings.
- Chili Lime – Swap out lemon juice for lime juice and add 1/4 teaspoon chili powder to the spices.
- Sauces – Cook the cauliflower in the air fryer, then coat in your favorite sauce! Try tossing buffalo sauce (like buffalo cauliflower) and serve with ranch dressing, or make it cheesy by using the cheese sauce from my cauliflower mac and cheese recipe.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat: The best way to reheat is to use the air fryer again for 2-3 minutes at 320-350 degrees F. The microwave is okay, but the texture will be more mushy.
- Freeze: You can keep air fried cauliflower in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to spread it on a parchment paper lined sheet pan first and freeze until solid before transfering to a zip lock bag, so that it doesn’t stick together. You can reheat right from frozen, too!
Leftover ideas!
While you can certainly reheat cauliflower in the air fryer again later, I like to repurpose it for other dishes so that I’m not eating the same thing over and over. Throw extras in a roasted cauliflower salad, mix it with stir fry vegetables, use it to make cauliflower soup, or swap the broccoli in a chicken bacon ranch casserole.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Cauliflower
I like to serve air fried cauliflower with garlic aioli as a dipping sauce (pictured above), but plain is great, too. Here are some main courses to pair with it as well:
- Chicken – To use your air fryer for your entire meal, make air fryer chicken breast or air fryer chicken legs. If you prefer to make your main dish and side dish in parallel, make lemon garlic chicken, crispy chicken legs, vibrant Mediterranean chicken, or baked whole chicken wings while you have the cauliflower in the air fryer.
- Beef – Serve your air fryer cauliflower with a juicy sirloin steak (or an air fryer steak), or make the best burgers!
- Seafood – You can’t go wrong with 10-minute air fryer salmon, but I’ve also served it with other fish, like pan fried tilapia and baked haddock. For a fancier seafood option on date night, make some butter poached lobster tails.
- Pork – Try some juicy air fryer pork chops, or start cooking a Crock Pot pork tenderloin ahead of time.
More Air Fryer Veggie Recipes
I’m kind of obsessed with air fryer recipes for different vegetables! You might also like these:
My Favorite Air Fryer
I’ve tried a few air fryers and this one is my favorite! The basket is a great size and it heats evenly.
Air Fryer Cauliflower (Crispy Edges!)
This easy air fryer cauliflower recipe tastes roasted, but is ready in just minutes. It's perfectly tender inside, with perfect crispy edges!
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
-
Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F (193 degrees C).
-
Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat.
-
Add cauliflower to the air fryer basket in a single layer (cook in batches if needed – don’t crowd the basket). Cook cauliflower in the air fryer for 7-10 minutes (depending on the size of your florets), shaking the basket halfway through, until browned on the edges.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 cup
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
43 Comments
Karen
0This recipe was so good and quick to make
Natasha
0This air fryer cauliflower is easy to make, it was ready in just 15 minutes! It turned out super delicious, I’ll definitely make this recipe again!
Matt
0This air fryer cauliflower recipe is awesome and super easy to make. My favorite way to prepare and eat cauliflower.
Sha
0The easiest! I’m addicted to this cauliflower recipe! So delicious and flavorful!
Dianne
0I tried the chili lime variation you suggested and it was so good! The hint of spice was perfect, I really loved it! I paired it with grilled chicken and had an amazing dinner!
Padma
0These look gorgeous! Love their texture and the smoked paprika took it to another level!
Eureka
0The cauliflower turns out so crispy on the outside and so tender inside. Served with a butter poached lobster tails and it’s perfect on a date night with my hubby. Such a healthy side dish option!
Lauren
0Been looking for recipes to make in my airfryer and this is just perfect! I made it a bit spicy for my taste and it’s so delicious. I’ll be making the garlic parmesan cauliflower next time for my kids to try.
Winona
0Easy and delicious cauliflower recipe, this one is definitely a keeper. I used avocado oil since I ran out of olive oil and it just turned out perfectly fine. I know I’m going to make this over and over again!
JessieJ
0Tasted fresh, bright, savory. Perfect snack or side dish, I think I could get addicted to this recipe
Arla K
0Loved everything about this!!!! I love cauliflower any which way and this air fryer recipe hit the spot quickly!! Thanks for sharing!!
Betty
0Amazing
Julie
0The best airfryer cauliflower recipe I have come across! It is delicious and even has my husband requesting this side dish frequently.
JennW
0Delicious recipe and super easy. I made a rookie mistake though and my florets too small and ended up over cooking them.
Lisa
0Great recipe! I like lemon so added extra. This is my favorite recipe for cauliflower so far. Thank you!
Rhonda
0This recipe is soooo goood🌻 this is a keeper🌺😁
Webbie
0Followed the recipe, wonderful flavor, easy to follow and make. Family favorite!!
Sibel
0Tried this recipe. The cauliflowers were still hard even after 15 min 195°C cook. Did not like it.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sibel, If your florets were large, it may take more time to cook.
Webbie
0Followed the recipe, wonderful flavor, easy to follow and make. Family favorite!!
Robert
0Thank you! Any way to do this from frozen cauliflower?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Robert, This recipe is best when made with fresh cauliflower.
Dorothy
0Can you use this recipe on whole cauliflower?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Dorothy, If your air fryer is large enough to fit a whole head of cauliflower it should work.
Laurence
0What if I want to make this in the oven? I don’t have an air fryer, I’m afraid…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Laurence, You can roast the cauliflower in the oven at 400 degrees F instead. I have a recipe for the oven coming soon!
Jill
0I only have frozen steamable cauliflower. Can I use that?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jill, This recipe is best when made with fresh cauliflower.
Eve Himmelheber
0Dellicious and EASY! Hardest part was waiting for it to cool enough before eating. Served with garlic spread – dang good!!
kim
0will try with grated cheese
Doug
0The absolute best! Added cheese.
Rosemary
0Smoked paprika is listed in the ingredients but not in the actual recipe. Does it belong there or not?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Rosemary, You should include the smoked paprika.
Merrie
0Such a good flavored recipe!!! I had issues with my air fryer (a Ninja Foodie pressure cooker combo). The cauliflower wasn’t really crispy. I guess I just have to play around and figure it out. They browned maybe too much so it’s a puzzle why they weren’t crispy. Thankfully they weren’t mushy. But they tasted so good that I’m looking forward to making it again. And that’s saying a lot. I’m not a fan of most veggies. Growing up my dad would fry cauliflower and it was so good… but definitely fattening. And, I don’t know where it comes from, but we’ve always dipped ours in mustard. It still works great. Tasty!
Thank you for the recipe!
Danyeil
0Mine were tasty but they didn’t come out as brown as the picture 😒
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Danyeil, I’m glad they were tasty! If they didn’t come out browned, it sounds like they needed to cook a bit longer. The exact cook time can vary slightly depend on how large your cauliflower florets are, and possibly the brand of air fryer. You can easily place the cauliflower back in the air fryer to brown more if needed.
Jordan Hansen
0Absolutely delicious! Love these flavors together.
mel
0This is the best recipe for that perfectly roasted cauliflower! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Megan
0This was surprisingly very good! Little salty with a hint of lemon. Thank you, will definitely make again!
Toni
0I love this idea!! It was so good and really easy to make!
Glenda
0This was so simple, but it’s absolutely delicious! The crispy caramelized outsides of the cauliflower completely enhance the flavor. Plus, it just looked gorgeous on the plate. No one could resist it.
Donna Batrone
0The absolute BEST way to make cauliflower! Perfect every time.
Shelby
0Such a tasty weeknight side dish! My kiddos loved it!