Easy air fried cauliflower is a perfect weeknight side dish. It comes together in under 20 minutes, and is the ultimate comfort food!
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I don’t remember the first time I prepared cauliflower, but it was well into my adult years, and probably after I became vegan. {I always think it’s funny when people assume you’re missing out as a vegan—I eat a wider variety of foods now than I ever did before.} The only times I saw cauliflower growing up was maybe in that weird Normandy mix bag of frozen veggies? And on some sad veggie trays at parties, served raw with ranch. Neither struck my fancy, so I never went out of my way to try it on my own. I’m so glad that I eventually did, because it is one of my favorite vegetables! And cooked up quick in the air fryer is the best way. It gets perfectly fork tender with crispy edges—total comfort food that I eat right out of the fryer basket!
How to Cook Cauliflower in the Air Fryer
It’s so easy to cook cauliflower in the air fryer. It’s essentially the same as how I prepare my Air Fried Broccoli. Divide into florets. Toss with oil and salt. Pop in the basket for 10ish minutes. Eat! It’s so good!
Kid Hit?
David is obsessed with air fried cauliflower. Jonny is not. I think a 50% success rate is still ok. It just leaves more for me!
Air Fried Cauliflower with Curry Seasoning
I really like to jazz up my air fried cauliflower with a little curry powder. It adds the most beautiful pop of color, and flavor! I toss the cauliflower with olive oil, salt, curry powder, and a drizzle of agave to sweeten the curry flavor. It’s perfection. I love to pair it with my Mango Chutney Chickpea Skillet and some Instant Pot Basmati Rice. It’s the easiest dinner, and oh so delicious.
Do you need to use oil in an air fryer?
Ah, the burning question! Aren’t air fryers supposed to be oil free? Well, yes, you definitely could cook foods in the air fryer without oil. But a little bit of oil helps your food to caramelize and get nice and crispy on the edges, so it’s a yes for me! You can always reduce it if you’d like, but it will be a bit “dryer” and less caramelized if you do.
Yummy Vegan Vegetable Side Dishes
- Vegan Classic Mashed Potatoes — Dairy Free!
- Roasted Asparagus with Lemon
- Latin Inspired Cabbage Slaw
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Coconut Carrot Rice
More Vegan Air Fryer Recipes
Is there anything you can’t make in the air fryer? I don’t think so! Here are some of my favorite vegan air fryer recipes!
- How to Make Air Fried Broccoli (3 variations)
- Crispy Air Fried Tofu
- Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
- Easy Vegan Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Sweet Chili Tofu (with Air Fried Tofu!)
Let’s Make Air Fried Cauliflower
Ok, let’s make some air fried cauliflower! You’re less than 20 minutes away from this yummy treat. Leave a comment below and let me know how you like it!
Air Fried Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon agave
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Divide the cauliflower into florets. It's important to have the florets all about the same size for even cooking. (Smaller florets will cook faster.)
- Place the florets in a large bowl. Add the oil, curry, agave, and salt. Mix well. (If you have a bowl with a lid you can simply put the lid on and give it a good shake.)
- Add the cauliflower mixture to the basket of your air fryer.
- Cook on 370º (the default temperature of my air fryer) for 10 minutes, shaking once half way through. Check for doneness—you want the florets to be fork tender.
- If the cauliflower is not fork tender with golden edges, continue to cook for 2-5 more minutes, checking half way through.
- Once the cauliflower is fork tender with golden crispy edges remove from the air fryer and serve!
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