The BEST oven-roasted cauliflower and it’s so easy. The flavor and texture are perfect with just some simple seasoning, oil, and butter.
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Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
This baked cauliflower recipe is a go-to side dish like Corn on the Cob and Roasted Brussels Sprouts. It’s a dish you’ll make over and over.
This oven-roasted cauliflower is easy and excellent. The combination of butter and olive oil caramelizes the florets and they are baked to crisp-tender perfection. The best thing about this recipe is that you can customize the seasoning with what you have on hand with great results.
The Best Seasoning for Cauliflower
Cauliflower goes well with just about any seasoning. Even a simple salt and pepper seasoning works well. These are the seasonings we love most:
- Salt – we love fine sea salt
- Black Pepper – freshly cracked
- Garlic Powder – or try garlic salt
- Paprika – adds color and flavor (a little goes a long way)
Can I add cheese? we love to add cheese to cauliflower. Sprinkle cauliflower with 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese in the last 5 minutes of cooking for a parmesan roasted cauliflower.
How to Roast Cauliflower
This roasted cauliflower recipe is so easy to make and uses ingredients you most likely already have on hand
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
- Slice the cauliflower into traditional florets or into flat cauliflower steaks.
- Seasoning- Add the cauliflower to the center of your baking sheet, drizzle with oil and butter, and toss to coat. Season the cauliflower and toss again then spread into a single layer.
- Bake cauliflower for 15-20 minutes, or until desired tenderness and golden at the edges. The baking time may vary depending on the size of your pieces.
How to Slice Cauliflower into Steaks: Slice the cauliflower head into 4-5 wedges. Then, cut the wedges into even 1/2″ thick steaks and break them apart into bite-sized pieces. As they are roasted, the flat sides caramelize against the baking sheet adding a depth of flavor. It also results in evenly browned pieces.
How Long to Bake Cauliflower?
The bake time for roasted cauliflower will depend on the size, thickness, and desired doneness of your pieces.
- Smaller pieces – you only need about 15-20 minutes.
- Larger florets – bake 20-25 minutes. Until the cauliflower is caramelized and golden.
Air Fryer Instructions:
Cooking cauliflower in an air fryer is quick and easy. When air frying, I skip the butter and just use 2-3 Tbsp olive oil. Air fry cauliflower at 375˚ for 10-15 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes, until golden and tender.
Make-Ahead
- Meal Prep – you can pre-chop your cauliflower a few days ahead, cover and refrigerate then add seasoning before roasting.
- Refrigerate – once cooled to room temperature, you can cover and refrigerate leftover roasted cauliflower for up to 3 days.
- Reheating – You can reheat the cauliflower on the stovetop, oven, or air fryer just until heated through.
More Side Dish Recipes
If you loved this roasted cauliflower, be sure to try these fail-proof side dish recipes:
- Easy Roasted Carrots
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Vegetable Stir Fry
- Tomato Mozzarella Salad
- Creamy Mushroom Asparagus
Oven Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower, sliced in small florets, or 1/2" thick steaks
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt, or to taste
- ¼ tsp ground paprika
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the head of cauliflower into 1/2" thick steaks, breaking up wedges into even, bite-sized pieces.
- Add the cauliflower to the center of the baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and melted butter and toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, salt, paprika, and pepper for the seasoning. Sprinkle onto caulliflower and toss to evenly coat.
- Spread the cauliflower evenly on the baking sheet and bake at 425˚F for 15-20 minutes, until cauliflower reaches desired crispiness.
Notes
You may substitute oil instead of butter if you don’t want to use any butter.
Excellent!!!! I love it. Will make over and over. Thank you for sharing.
Love this recipe! My mom always begs me to make it when I visit. Definitely a keeper
Sò easy… and sooooo delicious!! Thanks so much Natasha for this keeper of a recipe!! 😋
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Christine!
What is the weight in ounces of one serving of this recipe, please?
Hi Bridgette! I’m sorry, I don’t have that information. The nutrition facts are computer generated by plugging in the in the ingredients so it’s not that specific.
Truly a winner! My anti-veggie hubby told me, “you can make cauliflower like this again anytime.” Trust me, that is a 5-star review! The combo of the spices and the olive oil and butter make the flavor unique, and different from any other roasted cauliflower recipes I’ve tried.
Thanks a lot for this wonderful feedback, Susan!
Great recipe! Cauliflower was easy to make and super tasty. Definitely making again!!!
I’m glad you loved it!
Wonderful! Omitted the salt but it doesn’t lose any goodness
Thanks for sharing, glad you loved it!
Hi, Natasha. I made these this morning, and they came out perfect. I ended up cooking for about 28 minutes. Thank you for the recipe, I will definitely make these again.
This was so very delicious . My husband and I loved it. Easy to make . Making it a second time!
Super spicing, delicious! Thanks so much! Can use your choice of spices too. Added caramelized onions + parm last 5 min!
Love this recipe!! I added turmeric & cumin, it was wonderful! This is great as a side dish or a snack. I would just pop a few in my mouth right out of the fridge. I just got 3 heads of cauliflower to make more. Thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Denise!
This recipe was absolutely delicious! I cooked for quite a bit longer than suggested, because I like my cauliflower well done. However with the seasoning and oil and butter it was caramelized and delectable !
Loved this recipe…so easy…and the roasted cauliflowers are so tasty! Thank you so much for this recipe! I will make roasted broccoli, roasted carrots using the same recipe.
You’re so welcome! I’m glad that you enjoyed this!
Delightful & delicious…thank you Valentina! You have given us so many wonderful recipes!
I have made this cauliflower dish over and over and loves it more and more ever time ! Thank you for this lovely recipe.
You’re very welcome!
Delicious. Very easy recipe. I will make this one again and again.
Sure, go for it! I’m so glad you love this!
Thank you for such an easy and delicious recipe. The oil & butter combo elevates this dish to a whole new level. I could have eaten the entire pan of cauliflower myself!
I was looking for a cauliflower recipe, ran across this recipe and tried it. It is delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and the cauliflower was perfect in texture and flavor. This recipe is definitely going into my rotation of sides to make for dinner.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nidia. Thank you for your wonderful review.
I have been making this recipe often. I found it, and it is delicious, and never fails.
Nice to know that you’ve made this recipe a couple of times already and always love it!
Aloha – break into pea size pieces and oil and spice in a plastic bag – delicious when crispy
I made this today for breakfast. Easy and tasty. I made 2 changes to this 1st I cant do paprika so I omited this and added a little cayenne pepper instead. Also cooked for 24 mins, maybe my bitesize is bigger lol or a little a little less bite to mine. Thank you
Thanks for sharing, Cynthia. Good to know that you liked it!