Cauliflower steaks in air fryer are delicious! You have got to try this low carb healthy vegetable side dish in your Ninja Foodi or Cosori with dinner tonight. You get crispy edges and the seasoning bakes right on for a wow flavor!
If you love vegetables, cauliflower steaks will be up your alley. With a little olive oil and your favorite seasonings you too can make this easy side dish for dinner too. Just one of many air fryer recipes we make almost every week now.
What are cauliflower steaks?
These are thick slices cut from the center of a cauliflower head that resemble a “steak” in shape and size. They are usually seasoned and cooked by roasting which brings out a rich, nutty flavor while keeping a meaty texture. This plant based dish is popular as a vegetarian or vegan main course and can be served with sauces, grains, or salads.
My kids weren’t so sure when I first put these on the dinner table because they were used to air fryer cauliflower cut into smaller florets but after one bite they were like “oh my, you have to make these all the time!” which is a huge mom win for me. 😉
Ninja Foodi Cauliflower Steaks
We have an AirWave, Cosori and you can make these as one of our popular Ninja Foodi recipes too. You just need one of these nifty hot air machines with a basket to get it tender yet crispy on the edges. You really can’t go wrong with any of our air fryer vegetable recipes I tell you, the best way to cook them by far.
Use whatever seasonings you would normally add if you just were cooking florets. If you want to make these chimichurri <—–I’d use this olive oil blend and brush it on each piece before (and maybe after too) cooking.
How to Cut Cauliflower Steaks
This isn’t rocket science folks. Yes it is going to kinda’ crumble, that is okay. First off use a sharp knife, that will help you get a nice smooth slice. The thicker they are the longer it will take to get tender in the middle. Longer it takes the crispier it gets on the edges, but I like that personally.
Figure you’ll get about 6 pieces per head of cauliflower. I could eat two as an entire meal myself honestly if I wanted a vegetarian dinner idea. I do that every now and then. Whether you make these oven baked or as an easy Ninja foodi recipe it turns out great.
Ingredient Notes
We like to use about EIGHT seasonings for this (that you likely already have in your cupboard). This mixture makes for a salty and bold blend and is easy to just sprinkle it on to your delight after a bit of olive oil so it will all stick nicely. You want to keep these nice and moist so the middles are nice and fork tender when done.
As for your whole head of fresh cauliflower, you will want to first remove green leaves and the hard base.
Then you will need a sharp knife to slice into pieces. A baking sheet if using the oven, or just your air fryer basket will be needed to cook. A pastry brush is helpful to brush on the oil.
How Long to Air Fry Cauliflower Steaks
Timing will vary because of the thickness of each piece for sure, and personal preference. If you want them very tender and/or crispier on the outside then more timing would be needed obviously. I would say in general 15 minutes is about right when we make them.
Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer or sheet pan for oven
Ingredients
Instructions
- Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks – Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees for 5 minutes. ** Oven ** Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- On a cutting board use a very sharp knife to slice into 1" thick pieces. It will fall apart a bit and that is okay, push smaller pieces aside and you can cook those later to enjoy.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper lay steaks on top. Use a brush to add oil on both sides of all slices.
- In a small bowl mix together all seasonings (except parsley) listed. Sprinkle seasonings on all pieces on both sides so it sticks well.
- ** In air fryer ** Lay as many of your now coated pieces inside your basket that will fit without overlapping. Air fry at 375 F for 7 minutes on each side, so 14 minutes total….or until they are as tender as you'd like them to be and as browned on the outside as you want. Continue cooking in batches.
- Baked Cauliflower Steaks – Leave on baking sheet and bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes flipping halfway thru, or until the same…tender and browned on the outside.
- Garnish with diced fresh parsley and squeeze lime juice on top of each slice. Enjoy.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other easy cauliflower recipes you’ll love
Want to try something spicier?? We made spicy buffalo air fryer cauliflower wings here too which may just knock your socks off in a good way. Want to bake them? NO problem, follow our baked cauliflower recipe with a yummy sauce on top and let us know what you think!
You can see the deliciousness right here! Jump to recipe below and enjoy with some air fryer frozen chicken breast and/or salmon with dry rub.
Literally, it takes the same as if you made it in smaller pieces. This white vegetable is somewhat flavorless other than what you put on it, that is why we kinda’ load it up. Just because they are flat instead of florets doesn’t change the flavor of the veggie overall. I mean that does make sense.
That depends on the thickness and how fork tender you want them to be but about 20 minutes is typically how long you will want to cook them on a sheet pan with some olive oil and seasonings.
