Air Fryer Cauliflower

There’s no need to turn cauliflower into something it’s not (looking at you, rice and pizza crust) when it can be this good on its own! Our air fryer cauliflower uses just a handful of ingredients – oil, lemon, and spices – for an incredibly flavorful appetizer or side dish that’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Making cauliflower in the air fryer takes just 5 minutes of prep work and 15 minutes of cooking. The slightly smoky flavor of this cauliflower makes it the perfect side dish for Baby Back Ribs or Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs, or you can even serve them as a simple appetizer with Beer Cheese or Roasted Onion Dip! We love the versatility almost as much as we love eating them!

How to Make Air Fryer Cauliflower

Ingredients

Process

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, cumin, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Whisk together.
2. Add cauliflower florets and toss together until completely and evenly coated.

3. Spray air fryer basket with vegetable oil or avocado oil spray, then add cauliflower florets.
4. Air Fry at 400˚F (preheat beforehand if needed) for 15 minutes, stopping to shake the basket every 5 minutes until tender and caramelized.

5. Remove from air fryer basket and finish with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes and lemon zest.

Why We Love to Air Fry Our Cauliflower

Sure, you can bake cauliflower in the oven, but we really love to use the air fryer.

• The outside gets super crispy, while the inside is perfectly tender. It’s hard to get this same texture combo in an oven.
• The cauliflower cooks much faster in the air fryer. With the hot hair circulating around each piece, they cook more quickly and evenly.
• Less heat! Heating up the kitchen in the middle of the summer to roast a side dish isn’t top of our list. Using the air fryer, you can enjoy this cauliflower anytime!

Tips and Tricks for the BEST Air Fryer Cauliflower

• Cut the cauliflower into even pieces so they cook evenly.
• Preheating the air fryer for a few minutes before adding your cauliflower helps the outside crisp up even more!
• Don’t forget to shake or toss the basket every 5 minutes. This helps all sides of the cauliflower cook evenly.
• Even though the cauliflower has oil on it, you still need to spray the pan or basket. This helps prevent the cauliflower from sticking to the pan (and keeps more delicious seasoning right where it should be – on the cauliflower!).

Flavor Variations

The combination of smoked paprika, cumin, and garlic powder gives this cauliflower a smokey, earthy flavor, but you can always try one of these other variations:

• Buffalo: Season simply with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then toss the cauliflower in buffalo sauce as soon as they come out of the air fryer. Serve with ranch and blue cheese.
• Parmesan Garlic: Skip the cumin and paprika and mix grated Parmesan cheese and extra garlic powder into the seasoning mix. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
• Lemon Herb: Add dried oregano, basil, and a generous amount of lemon zest to the olive oil mixture before tossing the raw cauliflower florets. After air frying, finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
• BBQ: In the last couple of minutes of air frying, remove the cauliflower and toss with your favorite BBQ sauce. Finish air frying for the final 2-4 minutes for sticky, BBQ-glazed cauliflower.
• Taco: Mix taco seasoning with the oil and coat onto the cauliflower before air frying. Once done, sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and serve with sour cream.

What to Serve with Air Fryer Cauliflower

This dish is super versatile and goes with many types of dishes, including grilled meats, salads, soup, rice bowls, and more. Try it with some of these favorites:

• Grilled Skirt Steak Salad
• Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers
• Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
• Hot Honey Chicken Sandwiches
• Greek Salad
• Baked Mac and Cheese
• Cacio e pepe pasta pie
• Caesar salad
• Honey chipotle chicken burrito bowls

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