Keto Roasted Cauliflower
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 05/02/2023 - Last updated on 11/09/2023
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Looking for a delicious and healthy side dish? Look no further than this keto roasted cauliflower recipe!
Packed with flavor and nutrients, this dish is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
Plus, it’s easy to make and perfect for any occasion. Roasted Cauliflower is one of the easiest side dishes that truly delivers amazing taste and flavors.
You can roast cauliflower florets in just 20 minutes, so it’s a quick, easy, and healthy dinner to add to your weekly meal rotation.
Read on to learn how to make this tasty roasted cauliflower dish.
Who doesn’t love cauliflower recipes?
Cauliflower is one of these vegetables available all-year round that never bores because there are so many ways to enjoy it: cauliflower rice, cauliflower casserole, or steamed cauliflower. The possibilities are endless.
And it’s such a great and simple side dish for my Broiled Pork Chops, Blackened Chicken, or Oven Baked Pork Chops.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
While roasted cauliflower doesn’t sound very exciting on its own, it’s actually one of the most surprising cauliflower recipes.
If you’ve never roasted cauliflower florets before, you will be amazed by how you can turn this bland tough vegetable into soft and juicy cauliflower bites.
Plus, it doesn’t require any skills or a long ingredient list. You’ll only use 3 or 4, depending on your seasoning choices.
So this is my easy roasted cauliflower recipe, and it’s even better to dip in my Greek yogurt dip if you make it on the side.
How To Make Keto Roasted Cauliflower
The first step of this recipe, and probably the most crucial one, is to learn how to cut the cauliflower into small florets of the same size.
Your cauliflower might be round, and it’s not as easy as you think to release its florets one by one for an even roasting.
But to help you, I wrote a full article on how to cut cauliflower into bite-sized florets.
As soon as you get the florets you will need a few basic ingredients.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower Florets – Follow my tutorial on how to cut cauliflower to cut them the easy way. Discard the large stem.
- Avocado Oil – You can use other oil too, like olive oil, but I prefer high smoke point oils like avocado oil for roasting above 400°F (200°C). It’s not only a healthier choice as the oil remains stable during the roasting process, but it also won’t smoke and it has a neutral odor and flavor.
- Salt and Pepper
- Garlic Powder
Below are optional spices you can add depending on the type of recipe you will use this recipe.
- Dried Oregano
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Parmesan Cheese – Add before roasting on top of the seasoned florets.
- Lemon Zest – Add on top of the roasted cauliflower before serving. Perfect match to Greek Chicken.
Roasting
Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C).
One of the most common mistakes people make when roasting cauliflower is to marinate the florets on the baking sheet.
I know this reduces the dishwashing necessary, but on the other hand, you will need way more oil, and the spices won’t spread evenly.
Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl and season them by drizzling oil and spices all over.
Then, use your hands to massage the florets with oil mixture.
When the cauliflower florets are well coated, transfer them to a single layer on a large sheet pan covered with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Bake the cauliflower at 430°F (220°C) until the florets are golden and start to brown on the edges. It takes about 20 to 25 minutes, not more.
Remove from the oven, toss, and serve as a side dish or main light dinner.
Adjust with salt and pepper.
How To Air Fry Cauliflower
I prefer making this recipe in the oven because you can easily make a giant batch by using several baking trays.
However, if you want to roast cauliflower in the air fryer, you most definitely can!
Here’s how to do that!
- Place the seasoned cauliflower florets in your air fryer basket on a single layer. If you pack them too much, they won’t be crispy.
- Air fry them at 400°F (200°C) and set the timer to 20 minutes.
- Flip them after 12 minutes to make sure they have this nice roast on all sides.
- Takes them out of the basket and into a bowl covered with aluminum foil while air frying another batch. This keeps them warm, crispy on the outside and tender inside.
Serving As A Side Dish
This roasted cauliflower is one of the best low-carb side dishes to grilled meat, especially chicken dishes or egg-based dishes like:
- Cast-Iron Chicken
- Broiled Pork Chops
- Creamy Spinach Chicken
- Tuscan Chicken
- Spinach Omelette
- Gluten-Free Meatballs
- Baked Pork Chops
Using In Recipes
You can also use roasted cauliflower in recipes calling for steamed cauliflower.
Roasted cauliflower has much more potent flavors and enhances the flavor of my cauliflower potato salad or cauliflower hummus recipe.
Seasoning Variations
There are so many other spices you can use in this recipe, depending on the type of recipe that uses cauliflower.
I love dried oregano as I love Greek and Italian cuisine, but here are my recommendations for other flavors.
- Indian Dish – Use curry powder, turmeric, fenugreek, or masala.
- Chinese Dish – Roast it with sesame oil, black pepper, and garlic powder. It will fit my Angus steak stir fry perfectly.
- Mexican Dish – If you plan to use this as a filling for my Mexican omelette or roast it with homemade taco seasoning.
- Italian Dish – Add a few Italian Parsley leaves or fresh cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil, a squirt of lemon juice, and serve this with steaks cooked to perfection or with a Tuscan Chicken Breast.
- French Dish – Roasted cauliflower is great with Pork Chops and roasted Brussels sprouts.
Storage Instructions
You can roast cauliflower ahead of time and store it in the fridge in a sealed jar. Cauliflower can leave a strong Sulphur smell in the refrigerator, so seal the container very well.
Another option is to freeze roasted cauliflower florets in zip-lock bags or in your meal-prep container. It lasts for 3 months in the freezer.
Thaw the dish the day before using it in the fridge.
Rewarm the cauliflower in a microwave, air fryer, or non-stick saucepan.
Allergy Swaps
Below are some ingredient swap options if you are allergic to the ones listed below.
- Chili And Pepper – If you are sensitive to spices, skip them. Feel free to replace them with other spices like paprika, cumin, or turmeric.
- Garlic – For a low-fodmap version, skip the garlic.
- Oil Choices – The best high-smoke oils – the ones that won’t smoke at high temperatures when roasting vegetables – are peanut oil, sesame, or canola oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the answers to your most frequent questions about this recipe.
When fresh cauliflower is not in season, roasting frozen cauliflower is convenient. To do so, don’t thaw the florets.
Cover them with the oil mixture and roast them following the same temperature and time as below.
However, frozen cauliflower won’t get has crispy as fresh florets.
They turn softer and much more watery. As a result, it’s a better addition to a chicken curry.
I prefer to roast cauliflower at 430°F because it quickly roasts the florets outside while keeping the center moist and juicy.
If you choose to roast at lower temperatures, you will need around 30 minutes, and as a result, the texture will be a bit mushy in the center.
The best method is to use an oven and bake several trays of cauliflower florets seasoned with a balanced mix of spices.
You can also air fry cauliflower or roast the florets on a barbecue grill.
One serving of roasted cauliflower contains 106 calories.
Roasted cauliflower is extremely versatile and can be had with meat like beef, pork, or chicken, or with other veggies.
You can definitely freeze a large batch of meal prepped roasted cauliflower. Keep it in an airtight container and rewarm it in the air fryer or oven.
Yes, roasted cauliflower can be refrigerated or frozen and reheated.
Place it in the oven or air fryer for about 5-10 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
More Cauliflower Recipes
If you like cauliflower, here are some more cauliflower recipe ideas.
Did You Like This Recipe?
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Keto Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head Cauliflower cut into bite size florets about 5 cups
- 3 tablespoons Avocado Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
Optional
- ½ teaspoon Chili Flakes
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cut the cauliflower head into small bite-size florets of the same size – watch my tutorial here if needed.
- Place the florets in a large mixing bowl and season them with oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.
- Use your hands to massage the florets with the mixture.
- Spread florets in a single layer onto the baking sheet.
- Bake in the center rack of the oven for 18 minutes, then shake the tray to move the florets and keep baking for an extra 5 minutes until golden brown, and the edges start to darken in color.
- Remove from the oven and serve with extra salt, pepper, or chili flakes if desired.
Storage
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator the day before.
Tools
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About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook and many ebooks, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
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