A little crispy on outside with a buttery and salty seasoning blend, this air fryer cauliflower recipe is quick, easy and delicious! Serve it as an appetizer, snack or side dish with your favorite meal.
How to make air fried cauliflower
This is a super easy recipe – here’s all you need to do:
- Chop a head of cauliflower into florets (or use a package of florets)
- Toss cauliflower with ghee (or other cooking oil)
- Mix with some seasonings to coat the cauliflower
- Throw it in the air fryer for 15 minutes
That’s it! You’ll get some perfectly cooked air fryer cauliflower smothered in a delectable seasoning blend.
Air fryer cauliflower recipe ingredients
- Cauliflower – Duh! Chop it into medium-sized florets and try to get them about the same size.
- Ghee – Provides some buttery flavor and helps the seasonings to stick. You can substitute regular butter (if you eat dairy) or other cooking oil if desired.
- Nutritional yeast – This flaky and delicious topping gives some “cheesy” taste to the cauliflower.
- Arrowroot starch – Helps to coat the cauliflower and give the outside that little bit of crispy texture.
- Seasonings – Chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika and salt. An addicting combo when paired with the other buttery/cheesy flavors.
Cauliflower air fryer serving options
This air fryer cauliflower is a delicious option all on its own as a snack, as an appetizer, or paired with a protein for a complete meal. We especially like serving it up with some of our Chipotle Aioli and a little squeeze of lime, but it would also be great with some Big Mac Sauce!
Here are some recipes that would go great with some air fried cauliflower on the side:
- MEXICAN TACO MEATLOAF
- QUICK AND EASY CARNE ASADA
- HEALTHY, OVEN-BAKED CHICKEN CAPRESE
- KETO SALMON PATTIES
- SAUSAGE STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS
More easy appetizers + snacks
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out these healthy snacks and appetizers next:
Your turn to try our air fryer cauliflower recipe
We hope you love this easy recipe as much as we do! Don’t be surprised if you find yourself licking your fingers and fighting over the last piece. Leave a comment to let us know how it goes and take a pic to share on Instagram. Tag us @realsimplegood, we love to see what you’re making!
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Quick + Easy Air Fryer Cauliflower
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 tbsp ghee, melted (or other cooking oil of choice)
Seasoning blend:
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Optional toppings:
- Chipotle aioli
- Fresh squeezed lime juice
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer (if yours preheats) to 375° Fahrenheit and make seasoning blend. Just combine all the seasonings in a small bowl and mix. Set aside.
- Chop cauliflower into florets and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add melted ghee. Toss to coat the cauliflower. Add the seasoning blend and toss again to coat.
- Place cauliflower in air fryer in an even layer with a little space between pieces. Avoid overcrowding your basket and cook in batches as needed.
- Cook for 15 minutes, stirring halfway. The cauliflower will be tender and a little browned when it's done.
- While cauliflower is cooking, prepare any optional toppings.
- Once done, serve warm with any desired toppings, like our chipotle aioli. Enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition (per serving)
I recently made this recipe and it was one of the best things I’ve had in a long time! It was so easy to make and it was gone in five seconds. We added the alioli and it was a great addition but this is also super yummy without any sauce. I have already been asked for the recipe and gladly passed it on. SO GOOD!!!!
Thanks Allison, I’m so happy to hear that you loved the recipe! Thanks for sharing it too 🙂
Such a fun, easy, new way to prepare cauliflower. I left mine in a little longer than 15 to get a little darker and crispier. I also didn’t have a whole head of cauliflower, so I threw in some brussel sprouts too. They turned out perfectly crisp too and went great with the cauliflower.
Adding in some brussels sprouts sounds like a good idea, we’ll have to try that. Glad you enjoyed the recipe and we appreciate you coming back to leave a rating and review 🙂
This was the very first recipe I tried in my new air fryer this week, and it was delicious! Easy and quick (after the florets are cut up) and has the added benefit of being guilt-free yumminess.
I posted a photo to Instagram earlier this week; hope you got it.
Thanks for sharing and I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! We really appreciate you coming back to leave a rating and review and sharing on IG 🙂
AMAZING!! I LOVE all your recipes!!
Thanks Rachel, glad you enjoyed this one! We really appreciate you coming back to leave a review and rating 🙂