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This air fryer cauliflower recipe is one of my new favorite ways to use the air fryer, and now one of my favorite cauliflower recipes, too! I’ve been roasting cauliflower in the oven for years, but when I tried cooking cauliflower in the air fryer more recently, I was delighted to find that it cooked in just 7 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.
Can You Air Fry Cauliflower?
Yes, roasting cauliflower in the air fryer is a delicious and easy way to make this healthy veggie.
Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Cauliflower Recipe
- Roasted flavor and taste
- Tender with browned, crispy, slightly caramelized edges
- Ready in less than 15 minutes
- Made with just 5 ingredients
- Healthy side dish (or even a snack!)
- Naturally low carb and gluten-free
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for air frying 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 as I think it’s more fresh, but you can also buy a bag of florets for convenience. Keep in mind that the size of your florets will impact cook time (smaller florets = faster air fryer cauliflower!).
- Olive Oil – Helps the cauliflower crisp up. Avocado oil works, too.
- Lemon Juice – Use fresh lemon for best flavor, or bottled for convenience.
- Spices – Smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. (See other seasoning variations below!)
How To Cook Cauliflower In The Air Fryer
This section shows how to air fry cauliflower, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Preheat. Heat your air fryer (this one is my favorite because it has a large basket and heats evenly) to 380 degrees F.
- 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 and cook for 7-10 minutes, shaking the basket half way through, until browned. Cook in batches if necessary.
Variations
- Garlic Parmesan – Add 1-2 cloves minced garlic when seasoning cauliflower. Halfway through cooking, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and shake the basket.
- Buffalo – To make air fryer buffalo cauliflower, you can follow my buffalo cauliflower recipe, but cook in the air fryer instead. Simple drizzle your air fried cauliflower with buffalo sauce and serve with ranch dressing dipping sauce. It makes a great appetizer.
- Curry Spiced – Add 1 teaspoon of curry powder when seasoning cauliflower florets.
- Chili Lime – Swap out lemon juice for lime juice and add 1/4 teaspoon chili powder to the spices.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep air fryer roasted cauliflower in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat cauliflower in the air fryer for a few minutes. The microwave is okay, but the texture will be more mushy.
- Freeze: Keep cooked cauliflower in the freezer for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then reheat in the air fryer.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Cauliflower
After cooking cauliflower in the air fryer, I like to serve it with lemon garlic aioli (pictured above), but plain is great, too. Here are some main courses to pair with it as well:
More Air Fryer Veggie Recipes
You might also like some of these air fryer veggie recipes…
Recommended Tools
- 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 Recipe
Air Fryer Cauliflower Recipe (12 Min Total!)
Cook cauliflower in the air fryer for crispy edges! This air fryer cauliflower recipe tastes roasted, but is ready in just 12 minutes, including prep time, and makes a healthy side dish.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F (193 degrees C).
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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.
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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.
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Readers Who Liked This Easy Recipe Also Made:
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.
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27 Comments
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!!
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!