This crispy air fryer cauliflower is about to become your new best friend in the kitchen. It’s quick, easy, and seriously addictive—plus, you don’t have to feel bad about going back for seconds (or thirds). Trust me, once you try it, you’ll be wondering why you didn’t start air-frying cauliflower sooner!
Crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables, roasted, tossed in a salad, or even in a curry. It is so versatile that it can easily adapt the flavor around it or you can easily tweak the seasoning as per your taste preference, either way, it will taste good.
This air-fried cauliflower is very easy to make and a simple appetizer that is very healthy and flavourful with very little oil. Air frying is the best way to cook extra crunchy and crispy vegetables, but you can also bake them.
In whatever way, it works best as an appetizer, or as a vegan meal, you can serve them with endless toppings options. I would go for freshly chopped parsley or cilantro with a little drizzle of lemon juice. You can also add sauce, parmesan, or roasted pumpkin nuts.
How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower
This air-fried cauliflower recipe lets you quickly cook a healthy side dish and it only requires 5 ingredients to prepare this crunchy and flavourful appetizer.
PLUS everything here will take you under 20 minutes, so if you realize you did not prepare enough, you can easily whip up another batch of this fried cauliflower.
Ingredients for Roasted Cauliflower
- Cauliflower: Cut or break the cauliflowers into medium to small florets. make sure to cut the cauliflower into the same pieces or the outer will get overcooked before the middle cooked through.
If you like to use frozen cauliflower, you do not need to thaw, simply toss them in olive oil and seasoning. - Olive oil: Adding a little bit of extra virgin olive oil will help to crisp up the outer surface as well as add more richness.
- Spices: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper
Instruction
Cooking roasted cauliflower in an air fryer is very simple and quick. Though roasting in an air fryer and an oven is quite similar, only the air fryer is quicker than the oven and yes it uses a lot less oil as compared to the oven recipes.
Wash and dry the cauliflower, then cut it into evenly sized florets. In a large bowl, toss the florets with olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper until well coated.
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3 minutes. Place the seasoned cauliflower in the air fryer basket in a single layer, cooking in batches if necessary. Air fry for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway, until the cauliflower is golden and crispy.
Once done, transfer to a serving dish, garnish with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired, and enjoy hot!
How to make Oil-free air fryer cauliflower:
You may get a bit different texture, but it will still turn out delicious and healthy(oil helps the cauliflower florets to get a crispy outer texture). You can use air fryer parchment papers to prevent the florets from sticking to the air fryer base. Air-fryer parchment papers are easy to use and cheap.
Tips To Make The Best Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Do not forget to preheat your air fryer or oven: the vegetable will get soggy if you forget to preheat the oven or air fryer, as the high temperature is very essential for the crispy texture.
- Dry the vegetable before roasting: To obtain the crisper texture on the surface, ensure the vegetable is dry enough or pat it dry with a kitsch towel and get that extra moisture out of it.
- Uniform size = Even roasting: always cut the vegetables in the same size.
- Combine the seasoning properly: combine and mix the seasoning and oil in a large bowl and make sure all the florets are coated properly.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket
Storage and Reheating
If you have any leftovers (though that’s a big if with this tasty dish), storing and reheating your air-fried cauliflower is super simple.
Storage:
Let the cauliflower cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating:
To reheat, pop the cauliflower back in the air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for about 3-5 minutes, or until it’s heated through and crispy again.
You can also reheat it in the oven at a similar temperature, but the air fryer is your best bet for keeping that crispiness.
If you’re in a hurry, a microwave works too, but the cauliflower will be softer rather than crispy.
More Air Fryer Recipes
- Crispy Chicken in an air fryer
- Air Fried Roasted Tofu
- Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- Roasted chickpeas
- Air Fryer baby potatoes
- Air fryer broccoli
If you like this recipe, I’d love it if you can give me a rating and comment! Share it with your family and friends! :-D