This Air Fried Roasted Cauliflower recipe results in soft and tender cauliflower with a beautiful flavour and char. No shrivelled or dry cauliflower here, just a tasty side dish that can be flavoured and jazzed up however you please or kept lovely and simple like this base recipe.
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I find some vegetables are very popular roasted and therefore air fried can be quite dry to eat. I generally prefer my cabbage and brussels sprouts boiled, buttered and simply seasoned. But I’ve learnt that by first boiling or steaming the veg before air frying, you can have the best of both worlds.
This cauliflower is moist on the inside but with that lovely roasted browning that adds an extra layer of flavour. Sure, it’s an extra step in the cooking process but it isn’t onerous and it results in a much better dish.
How to Serve
Cauliflower is really quite a versatile ingredient that I’ve eaten all my life. Usually as part of a roast dinner. You can find all my roast dinner recipes to mix and match with in my roast dinners recipe archive. For the photos on this page, I’ve served it with –
- Air fried half lamb leg with gravy
- Air fried roasted sweet potatoes
- Steamed broccoli
- Cheesy leeks
- Simple buttered white cabbage
You can serve roasted cauliflower with other everyday meals. Try a quick meal of air fried thick pork sausages with creamy mashed potato and roasted cauliflower with a simple onion gravy.
Or add to a middle eastern inspired platter with lemon and garlic couscous, griddled peppers and courgette, creamy hummus, fluffy flatbreads and tahini yogurt dressing.
Ingredients
Cauliflower
I’ve included detailed instructions for how to prepare a whole cauliflower with minimal mess and wastage.
If you don’t want to use a whole fresh cauliflower, you can buy packs of ready prepared florets. I wouldn’t recommend using frozen cauliflower as I just find the texture much too soft.
I’ve used a 750g/1lb10oz cauliflower which after being prepared, gives around 500g of ready to cook cauliflower florets.
Oil
I find the oil essential in this recipe to really get a nice roast on the boiled cauliflower florets without it drying out. I’ve used a basic vegetable oil but you can use any oil you prefer. Just make sure that the oil flavour pairs well with the finished dish.
Seasoning
I’ve used two types of salt at different parts of this recipe. Cheap table or fine salt to season the cauliflower as it cooks in the boiling water. I don’t like to use anything more fancy when the vast majority of it will be going down the drain, literally.
To season the actual roasted cauliflower itself, and in most of my cooking, I prefer to use sea salt flakes. I specifically use Maldon. It has a mild flavour with soft flakes. If you need or prefer to use a fine salt instead, half the amount suggested in the recipe.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, dairy, gluten and nuts.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Roasted Cauliflower
Before air frying, I boil the cauliflower florets for 5 to 10 minutes until they are just tender throughout. You really do need to keep an eye on things because if it overcooks, it will just fall apart rather than roasting up nicely in the next stage.
The air frying stage of the recipe takes around 15 minutes. You can cook for longer or use a higher temperature if your air fryer gives you that option for an even toastier roast.
How to Air Fry Cauliflower From Frozen
I don’t recommend air frying frozen cauliflower. The texture doesn’t hold up very well and it is much better cooked and served simply boiled.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Leftovers will store very well in the fridge for several days. You can reheat it very easily in the air fryer – it will only take a couple of minutes. You can also microwave it if you prefer.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
The Air Fried Feast Community
Come on over to Facebook and join my community discussing all things air fryer. Get involved in sharing your experiences and trials, help out others and find out what wonderful things everyone is cooking in their air fryers!
What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
Simple Air Fried Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Equipment
- Microwave Steamer Plate or saucepan
Ingredients
- 500 g Cauliflower - prepared
- 2 tsp Fine Salt
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes
Instructions
Prepare The Cauliflower
- Prepare a roughly 750g Cauliflower by using a sharp knife to slice off the root. Remove the outer leaves as you go.
- Continue slicing (at an angle if needed) and pull of the leaves until they’re all removed.
- Use the tip of the knife to cut the rest of the root out.
- You will now see the florets from the inside.
- Use your hands to tear the florets apart from the inside. By doing this, you won’t end up with lots of debris where you’ve ended up cutting through the florets.
- For any larger chunks, you can use the knife to cut the stalk before finishing tearing the floret apart.
- Stop once all of the florets are small and roughly of equal size. You should have ended up with around 500g Prepared Cauliflower.
To Boil on the Stove
- Boil a kettle of water.
- Put the florets in a medium saucepan along with 2 tsp Fine Salt and cover with boiling water from the kettle.
- Put the pan on the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the cauliflower is just tender all the way through. Test this with a sharp knife.
- Once cooked, drain the water from the pan and allow the cauliflower to sit and steam dry in the pan.
To Microwave
- Put the cauliflower florets into a microwaveable tray or bowl with lid. Add a little water.
- Microwave for 3 minutes. Check that the sprouts are just tender all the way through by prodding with a sharp knife. Microwave for a further minute or two if needed.
- Drain the water well and allow the cauliflower to sit without a lid so they can steam a little dry.
Air Fry
- If your air fryer has a preheat setting, start this now.
- Drizzle over 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil and add 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes. Toss to fully coat the florets.
- Carefully move the cauliflower into the air fryer basket. I use silicone tongs.
- Air fry at 200c/390f for 15 minutes.
- You can turn the cauliflower during cooking if you feel the need but unless it is very tightly packed in, it should cook nice and evenly without shaking or turning.
Notes
- Portion Size – The portion size given assumes that the cauliflower is being served as a main side. If wanting to serve as part of a larger meal like a roast dinner with multiple side options, Halve the recipe (or consider the portion number doubled).
- This recipe is tested in a Cosori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- For this recipe, I managed to fit in 500g of prepared cauliflower with enough room for air flow. It would be a struggle to cook more in this size air fryer so larger quantities would be best cooked in batches.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Cat says
Steamed or boiled cauliflower isn’t my favourite, but air fried – yes please! This might be the only way I eat it from now on!
Dave says
I’m never quite sure how to prepare cauliflower other than with cheese sauce, but this is perfect. I found it so easy to make and it was very tasty.
Sisley says
A great way to make cauliflower taste better in my opinion. I think it definitely beats oven roasted in flavour.
Lesley says
I love cauliflower and found this recipe so easy to follow. The cauli was roasted to perfection with a nice char.