Tender Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower

Air fryer frozen cauliflower comes out so good! Healthy flavorful side dish that is low fat, keto friendly and a low carb air fryer vegetables dish. Make in your Ninja Foodi or Cosori this week.

Frozen Cauliflower in Air Fryer

If yours is defrosted or you have a fresh head like you see here you can follow our air fryer cauliflower recipe here. Want to cook the whole head without cutting it? I wouldn’t use this appliance. Rather use your Ninja Foodi or pressure cooker for pressure cooker whole cauliflower this way.

These instructions are for 1-2 bags of air fryer frozen vegetables that are already cut into bite size pieces so all you do is season and throw them right in. Yes, it is that darn easy.

How long to cook frozen cauliflower in air fryer

It only takes about 13 minutes y’all. Of course there is a bit of variation to it. Longer if you want each piece to be super soft and/or you want the outsides to be crispier and more golden brown. About the same timing for frozen brussel sprouts air fryer style too. Game. Changer!

A little spray of olive oil will get it crispier. That will help seasonings to stick well on the outside as well so keep that in mind.

Does frozen cauliflower need to be cooked?

Defrosted in a bag does not mean it is precooked like some other foods. It would still need to be cooked, steamed, or boiled if you want it to be tender. This white vegetable can be eaten raw too though. I like it dipped in ranch on a charcuterie tray along with other goodies too. It’s safe to consume either way.

It’s one of the cheaper items in your produce section by the pound for sure. Quite filling when eaten it is quite healthy and really low in fat too. You can even blend it to make a version of our Instant Pot mashed cauliflower as a fun twist. Occasionally you can find it in other colors too like green, orange and even purple!

This is what it looks like out of the bag. The work is done for you, meaning the stem is removed and it is cut into small bite size pieces. All you need to do is toss with oil so the season and shredded asiago or parmesan will stick well. Not all of it will but that will help for sure.

Frozen Vegetables in Air Fryer

You CAN get them nice and tender even when they start out rock hard. Whether you have broccoli or carrots you’d follow this same idea, just adjust timing for each. Of course some are firmer than others so they’d take a bit longer.

The great thing about this small kitchen appliance is that you can just open up the drawer and look at how things are going. Unlike a pressure cooker where it’s hidden and you’re kinda’ going to surprised once you lift the lid, here you can adjust as you go.

You can find several brands of this in the freezer section of your local grocery store. Most will offer their own store brand which is the cheapest. Birdseye usually has a variety too.

Seriously, they are pretty much all the same y’all. I mean they were all fresh cauliflower heads at one time, cut up into small pieces and frozen.

Recipe Tips for Air Frying Frozen Vegetables

• You are the one adding the garlic powder, olive oil spray, salt and pepper to add flavor. Leave plain too if you want to, that is up to you.
• Drizzle olive oil on at the beginning and ensure each piece is lightly coated, this will help seasonings stick and keep it most.
  • If you need more than listed then just add it, don’t take 2 Tbsp as gospel.
• Adding some shredded parmesan or asiago is a fantastic addition to roasted cauliflower, I’d try it.
• Timing will be flexible depending on how brown and tender you want it so keep that in mind.

If you like yours crispy crunchy on the outsides then spray olive oil on the last 2-3 minutes and shake so you can get that result. Of course if you have a very large head it may take up to 15 minutes, or maybe a few more.

I have a printable recipe when you jump to recipe at the bottom of this post with all details but here is a quick rundown for you;

How to Cook Ninja Foodi Frozen Cauliflower

• In a large bowl drizzle frozen cauliflower pieces with olive oil, after cutting into small pieces. Then add seasonings and toss all of this together. Preheat your air fryer to 350 for a good 5 minutes.
• Pour frozen coated bits into air fryer basket, do not overlap the pieces ideally.
• Close the drawer and cook for a total of about 12-14 minutes shaking the basket halfway through the entire time
• If you want the outside to be crispier spray with olive oil and turn up to 400 degrees for a few minutes.
• Remove and serve when they are as golden brown as you’d like them to be on top and fork tender.

Your frozen cauliflower florets should at this time be fork tender with a bit of crisp along the edges as you see here. Serve as is or with the same sauce as we used in our slow cooker cheesy cauliflower dish.

What to make with leftovers

This Cheesy Cauliflower Bake Recipe actually pretty darn amazing. If you made this in a large batch and didn’t finish it all then you should make this with it. It is supposed to be on the softer casserole side of things so it works well.

You can heat with some heavy cream under high pressure and make Instant Pot cauliflower soup with it in 10-15 minutes.

Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower from Frozen

To make this you would follow our air fryer cauliflower wings recipe but us the timing in this post. This makes a great vegetarian alternative to chicken but still has the spicy flavors you love. You can toss with bottled Frank’s Hot Sauce or use a homemade blend.