This roasted cauliflower is easy and simple to make, I made it in less than 30 minutes including the prep time. This is absolutely delicious side dish on your dinner plate or perfect by itself with honey lemon yogurt sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Roasted Cauliflower
Here is why you are going to love it:
It’s incredibly easy: There’s no fussy prep or complicated steps here. You just chop it up, toss it with some oil and spices, and throw it in the oven. The oven does all the hard work for you while you relax.
The smell is amazing: While this is roasting in the oven, your whole kitchen will fill with the most incredible, rich aroma. It’s that perfect roasted veggie smell that instantly makes your mouth water and makes you want to eat right then and there. It’s honestly something you don’t want to miss!
The perfect crunch: Roasting it at a high heat gets the edges all golden and crispy, while the inside stays nice and tender. Those little charred bits are the best part!
Simple, good food: It’s just a wholesome, light, and satisfying side dish that goes with almost anything. Even the kids will actually want to eat their vegetables!
Ingredients You will Need
- Fresh picked one L head of cauliflower
- 2 tbs olive oil (I used the sprayer)
- 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp crushed pepper
Step by Step Instructions
Prep the cauliflower
Cut one head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Try to make them roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Wash them well, and then make sure to dry them completely with a clean kitchen towel. If they are wet, they will steam in the oven instead of getting crispy!
Preheat your oven
Turn your oven up to 180 °C. You want a hot oven to get those beautiful golden, charred edges. Line a large baking tray with baking paper so nothing sticks.
Season the florets
Put your dry cauliflower into a large bowl. Drizzle generously with olive oil (about 2 to 3 tablespoons), I sued the oil sprayer so every piece is lightly coated. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and sweet paprika powder. Toss everything together really well with your hands or a spoon.
Spread them out
Spread the cauliflower onto your prepared baking tray in a single layer. Make sure the pieces aren’t piled on top of each other. If the tray is crowded, they will get soggy. Give them some breathing room!
Roast until golden
Pop the tray into the hot oven. Roast for about 12 to15minutes. Halfway through, give the tray a quick shake or flip the pieces over so they brown evenly. You’ll know they are done when the edges are beautifully browned and crispy, and the inside is tender when poked with a fork.
The Secret to Perfect 13-Minute Roasted Cauliflower
I made this batch using roast function in Ninja Foddi, and it worked brilliantly. Even though it is an air fryer combo, using the actual roast settings gives you that authentic, deeply caramelised oven finished just way faster. And with my experience I didn’t have to flip halfway through the cauliflower to get the perfect roast. My roasted cauliflower came out perfectly roasted after 13 minutes.
How to Serve this Roasted Cauliflower
This roasted cauliflower on its own is great, but the cool honey lime yogurt sauce takes it to the next level. It’s creamy, a little bit sweet, and has a nice tangy kick from the lime that goes perfectly with the warm veggies. This is perfect as an snack on any day.
If you enjoyed this roasted cauliflower recipe, you’ll also love my easy air fryer roasted carrots!
Roasted Cauliflower
Equipment
- 1 Ninja Foodi Air fryer with roast fuction
Ingredients
- 1 head Cauliflower cut into bite sized florests
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Prep & Dry: Wash the cauliflower florets and dry them completely with a clean kitchen towel. (Wet florets will steam instead of getting crispy!)
- Season: Place the dry cauliflower in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika powder, and toss well to coat every piece.
- Preheat: Turn on your Ninja Foodi, select the Roast function, set the temperature to 180°C, and let it preheat.
- Cook: Add the cauliflower to the basket in a single layer. Roast for 13 minutes total.
- Shake: Every 4 to 5 minutes, give the basket a good shake so the florets brown evenly on all sides. Serve hot!
Notes
- Oven Conversion: If you don't have a Ninja Foodi, you can roast these on a lined baking tray in a standard oven at 220°C for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Pro-Tip: Make sure the florets aren't crowded in the basket so the air can circulate properly to get those perfect charred edges.
- Spray Oil Bottle : I used the oil sprayer as it evenly coat the oil on cauliflower
