Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks
For years, I thought cauliflower was bland and uninteresting – until I discovered roasted cauliflower, which flipped my opinion on its head. Cauliflower gains so much flavour when it’s roasted!
Then I got an air fryer, and now it’s even easier than ever to make seriously tasty roasted cauliflower! These air fryer cauliflower steaks are so straightforward to make, and the flavours are unreal – especially when they’re drizzled with the simple cilantro dressing.
The roasted cauliflower has plenty of flavour in itself (the crispy bits on the end of each floret are so good), and with the addition of those toasted spices, and the bright and zingy dressing… it all works so well together.
❓ Why Cauliflower ‘Steaks’?
Cauliflower steaks are simply big slabs of cauliflower, cut through the stalk of the vegetable so that they hold together in one big piece. The word ‘steak’ is only there to describe the shape of the cauliflower – these cauli steaks are in no way intended to mimic a ‘real’ meat steak!
Cauliflower steaks look cool on the plate, but there’s absolutely no reason you couldn’t also prepare this recipe using loose florets of cauliflower instead, if that’s what you have. Just coat the florets in the same spice mix, and cook them just like you would a cauliflower steak.
🍽 How to Serve Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks
I’ll be honest – these cauliflower steaks look pretty substantial, but they are definitely more of a side dish than a full meal. After all, you wouldn’t usually just eat a bowl of cauliflower for dinner, otherwise you’d still be hungry, and what’s the point in that?
Ideally, you’ll serve these cauliflower steaks with some form of vegetarian protein and some carbs, to turn them into a satisfying meal. Even just a big dollop of hummus goes a long way to making them more filling!
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🥗 Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.
- cauliflower – you’ll need a whole, large cauliflower so you can cut two thick steaks from the centre. However, you will end up with some loose florets left over, which you can use for another recipe (I can recommend cauliflower wings!)
- spices – I used cumin and smoked paprika
- honey (or agave, if you want vegan cauliflower steaks)
- cilantro (fresh coriander)
- lemon juice
- garlic
Becca’s Top Tip
If you don’t have an air fryer, you could easily roast the cauliflower steaks in the oven instead.
📹 Recipe Video
🔪 Equipment
I’ve tried a few different air fryers over the years, but I currently use the Ninja Foodi MAX air fryer, which has two different baskets. They can be used separately (with different temperatures and timings), or synced to be used in the same way. It’s so handy to be able to cook two different things at the same time – I can often cook a full meal for my family using just my air fryer.
Here’s the one I have on Amazon:
If you're in the UK or Canada, click the link to see a local product.
I also used a mini food processor to blitz up the dressing for these cauliflower steaks. If you don’t have one, you can chop the garlic and cilantro by hand, but using a food processor definitely speeds things up, and gives a smoother, more cohesive dressing.
I’ve had my mini food processor for years – here’s a very similar one on Amazon:
🖨️ Printable Instructions
Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks
If you’ve cooked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating!
Print Pin CommentIngredients
For the cauliflower steaks
- 1 large cauliflower
- 1-2 Tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
For the dressing
- 1 small clove garlic, peeled
- Small bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp honey or agave
Instructions
- Remove the leaves from the cauliflower, and cut the head in half, directly down the centre of the stalk. Cut each half again, just next to the stalk, to give two thick cauliflower steaks. The loose florets of cauliflower can be saved to use in another recipe.
- In a small bowl, combine the oil, cumin, smoked paprika, and some salt and pepper. Mix well, then spread the spice mixture over both sides of each cauliflower steak. I found it easiest to use clean fingers for this!
- Place the cauliflower steaks in the air fryer, and cook at 190°C (375°F) for approx. 15 minutes, turning over halfway.
- While the cauliflower steaks are cooking in the air fryer, prepare the dressing. Add a small clove of garlic to a mini food processor, along with a handful of cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, and honey (or agave, for a vegan version). Blitz thoroughly – you can add a splash of water to loosen the mixture if needed. If you don’t have a mini food processor, you can chop and mix by hand, but the end result is likely to be less cohesive.
- When the cauliflower steaks are just tender in the middle, serve them drizzled with the dressing.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can easily cut and marinate the cauliflower steaks in advance, and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them in the air fryer.
These cauliflower steaks are best eaten fresh, when they’re nice and crispy. However, if you do have any pieces leftover, they can be reheated in the microwave.
Yes! I used honey in my dressing, but you can easily use a vegan alternative, like agave.
