Create a delicious side dish or snack with this Air Fryer Cauliflower recipe. All you need is some fresh cauliflower, seasonings, and olive oil and you’ve got an easy addition to any meal. For an extra boost in flavor, add your own spices to customize this dish according to your tastes!

Air fryers are a great way to make delicious and healthy meals. One of the most popular dishes to make in an air fryer is cauliflower. This cruciferous vegetable is packed with nutrients and can be cooked in a variety of ways.
With an air fryer, you can easily prepare crispy and flavorful cauliflower without having to use a lot of oil or fat. Cauliflower is a great vegetable side dish or snack, and this air fryer cauliflower recipe is sure to be a hit.
Air Fryer Cauliflower
Prep Time: 2 Minutes
Cook Time: 18-20 Mins
Serves: 4
📝 Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
👩🏻🍳 Directions
To make this Air Fryer Cauliflower, start by cutting the cauliflower into bite-size florets. Place the florets in a large mixing bowl. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
Drizzle the florets with oil.
Add the spices. Toss the cauliflower around in the bowl to get a nice and even coating.
Place the cauliflower in the air fryer basket evenly. Cook for 10 minutes, stopping midway through the cooking time to toss the cauliflower well.
Carefully remove the cauliflower from the air fryer and enjoy.
📝 Recipe Notes
- Pre-cut cauliflower works just as well as fresh cauliflower, saving you some time. Just make sure it is fresh cauliflower. Cooking frozen cauliflower in an air fryer has a different approach.
- Feel free to add more seasoning to the cauliflower or none at all. This is just a great starting point if you are new to air-frying veggies.
- This recipe should work in just about any air fryer size unless it’s a really small one. A 3-quart or larger air fryer is perfect for this recipe, but if it’s smaller, just cut the recipe in half or only cook half at a time.
- It’s very important that you pause and toss the cauliflower halfway through the cooking process so the vegetables cook evenly and so that you can gauge the cooking process.
- If you are going to serve this as a “snack,” serve it with a tasty dipping sauce, like Alabama White Sauce.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
🔄 Variations
You can “spice things up” by changing seasoning blends. Other great options are garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, or even curry powder.
You can also add some Parmesan cheese to the cauliflower for an extra cheesy flavor.
🤷🏻♀️ Questions
You should use an oil that can withstand high heat, such as avocado oil, canola oil, peanut oil, or sesame oil. These oils will add additional flavor to your cauliflower.
If your cauliflower is mushy, it may be because it was overcooked or not tossed enough. Make sure to follow the directions carefully and stir the florets halfway through cooking time. Also, make sure that you are using fresh cauliflower instead of frozen. Frozen cauliflower can take longer to cook and needs different temperatures and timing than fresh cauliflower.
Cauliflower is done when it is lightly browned and tender. If you are unsure, use a fork to check the doneness of the florets. The cauliflower should easily pierce with a fork when it’s done.
If your cauliflower is still not cooked through, simply put it back in the air fryer and cook for a few additional minutes. Keep an eye on it to avoid burning the florets.
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- To make this Air Fryer Cauliflower, start by cutting the cauliflower into bite size florets. Place the florets in a large mixing bowl. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Drizzle the florets with the oil and add the spices. Toss the cauliflower around in the bowl to get a nice and even coating.
- Place the cauliflower in the air fryer basket evenly. Cook for 10 minutes, stopping midway through the cooking time to toss the cauliflower well.
- Carefully remove the cauliflower from the air fryer and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Pre-cut cauliflower works just as well as fresh cauliflower, saving you some time. Just make sure it is fresh cauliflower. Frozen cauliflower has a little different approach for the air fryer.
- Feel free to add more seasoning to the cauliflower or none at all. This is just a great starting point if you are new to air-frying veggies.
- This recipe should work in just about any air fryer size unless it’s a really small one. A 3 quart or larger air fryer is perfect for this recipe, but if it’s smaller, just cut the recipe in half or only cook half at a time.
- It’s very important that you pause and toss the cauliflower halfway through the cooking process so the vegetables cook evenly and so that you can gauge the cooking process.
- If you are going to serve this as a “snack,” serve it with a tasty dipping sauce, like Alabama White Sauce.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Be sure to come back and tell us how your air fryer cauliflower turned out!
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