Cauliflower steaks cooked three different ways make this recipe easy to prepare any night of the week! Delicious tender steaks of cauliflower perfectly flavored with olive oil and a salted seasoning blend. A healthy main dish or side dish that is low-carb, keto-friendly, vegetarian, and paleo!
You will love this Recipe for Cauliflower Steaks
Versatile Flavor. You can flavor your cauliflower with any seasoning you want! Make my homemade simple seasoning blend, or use your own favorite! Try cajun, taco, Italian, or Montreal steak seasoning--add parmesan cheese and fresh herbs for garnish and flavor.
Quick and Easy. Cauliflower steaks are super easy to make because all you have to do is just cut the head of cauliflower into vertical slices, brush then with oil, then sprinkle with seasoning. Cook on the grill, in the air fryer, or in the oven, and you have a perfectly roasted cauliflower steak.
Healthy. This vegetable side dish recipe sugar free, gluten free, keto, low carb, low calorie, vegetarian, paleo, and whole30!
What is cauliflower steak?
So, a cauliflower steak isn't actually a piece of beef steak, but it's actually a thick slice of cauliflower that is served like a steak. It is seasoned well, and then you can either roast, air fry, or grill until cooked to perfection.
Cauliflower Steaks Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh Cauliflower: in this recipe, we used two whole medium heads of cauliflower. Each head of cauliflower yields about three thick-cut "steaks." If any florets fall off, roast them next to the steaks or use them in other recipes!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: use extra virgin olive oil and brush on each steak, or you can use a 100% extra virgin olive oil spray to coat them evenly as well!
- Seasonings: you can use a Montreal steak seasoning or any other of your favorite salted seasoning blends you love! Use cajun, taco, Italian seasoning, or my homemade seasoning blend in the recipe card below.
- Garnish: fresh chopped parsley and parmesan cheese make a delicious garnish for the top of each cauliflower steak.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Be sure to save this pin to Pinterest for later! 😉
How to make Cauliflower Steaks (Oven)
1. Brush each steak with the olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite seasoning blend or my homemade seasoning blend.
2. Place steaks on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes and then flip over and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until your desired doneness is reached.
Please see the recipe card below for full instructions - these are intended to be an overview only - enjoy!
How to cut cauliflower steaks
Start by washing your cauliflower, removing the outer leaves, and trim the bottom of the core. Leave the core intact so that your steaks hold together. Cut the cauliflower heads into three-quarter-inch to one-inch thick slices. If any pieces fall off or apart, you can roast them aside your steaks or save them for a different recipe! Each medium head of cauliflower will yield about three steaks.
Cauliflower Steak Recipe Variations
- Use a 100% oil spray of your choice in place of brushing on an olive oil.
- Use your own favorite store-bought seasoning blend, or use a homemade seasoning blend(check out the recipe card for ideas).
- Add some heat by adding red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or chipotle!
- Top each steak with shredded parmesan cheese for extra flavor and texture!
- Marinade your cauliflower steaks with the seasoning blend for 1 hour prior to cooking to help the steaks absorb the flavors!
Grilled Cauliflower Steak
- Grease your grill grates and preheat to medium heat.
- Place your oiled and seasoned steaks onto the grill.
- Close the lid and cook for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through and remove once cooked through.
Cauliflower Steak Air Fryer version
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees.
- Place your oiled and seasoned steaks in your air fryer basket.
- Cook for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Cook until your desired doneness is achieved.
What To Serve With It
- Season to taste with an additional seasoning blend or salt and pepper.
- Garnish with fresh parsley or parmesan cheese.
- Serve with an easy, fresh green salad with your favorite vegetables, croutons, and dressing.
- Serve as a side dish with your favorite grilled chicken, pork, or steak! Here are some ideas:
- Tender and Juicy Top Sirloin Steak Recipe
- Chicken Thighs in Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Shoulder Roast Recipe
Sauce for Cauliflower Steaks
Sauce ideas - buffalo, blue cheese, herbed butter, ranch, steak sauce, etc.
Roasted Cauliflower Steak storage
Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Cauliflower Steak Recipe FAQs
To put it simply, cauliflower steak is referencing the shape of the cauliflower. When you cut the cauliflower into about 1-inch slices, it appears to look like a cut of steak and is then cooked that way as well.
Yes, you can! When cauliflower sits in the fridge, it is common for it to get these little brown spots. You can use a knife or a peeler to get rid of those brown spots and still consume it.
This may mean that it needs to be roasted for longer. If you cook until just tender, you need to roast until the color gets browned and caramelized- this will give flavor and mean that it is tender and ready to eat.
After washing your heads of cauliflower, allow time to dry and try not to put too much oil on your steaks. If there is too much moisture, the cauliflower will have a hard time roasting and could get mushy instead of roasted and crispy.
📖 The recipe.
Cauliflower Steaks (Oven, Grill, Air Fryer Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 medium heads of cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning, roasted chicken, or other salted seasoning blends of choice such as Cajun, taco, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley for garnish (chopped)
- (optional) parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Trim about 1" off two ends of the cauliflower vertically. Save the ends for another purpose. Cut the remaining cauliflower into 1" steaks. You should get about 3 steaks per head of cauliflower.
- Brush both sides of the cauliflower with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Place on the baking sheet.
- Oven Method: Preheat oven to 425 ℉. Place cauliflower steaks on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Turn over and continue baking until they are tender and browned, about 10 to 15 more minutes, or until the desired doneness is reached. Grill Method: Grease grill grates and preheat grill to medium heat. Place the cauliflower steaks on the grill. Close lid and grill for 6 minutes. Turn the steaks over and cook until tender and golden brown, about 4 to 7 minutes longer or until the desired doneness is reached.Air Fryer Method: Preheat air fryer to 375℉. Place the cauliflower steaks in the air fryer basket. Cook the steaks for 15 minutes. Gently flip the steak after 7 minutes. Continue cooking until the cauliflower is tender and golden brown, about 6 to 8 more minutes or until desired doneness is reached.
Kori's Tips
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS:
- Brush on olive oil or use a 100% olive oil spray to coat the steaks.
- Either the homemade seasoning blend below or any store-bought salted seasoning blend will work in this recipe. My favorites are Cajun, Montreal Steak, Roasted Chicken, Taco, and Creole seasonings. A salted chipotle seasoning blend is wonderful too!
- Add some spice with cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Top the steaks with cheese such as parmesan, mozzarella, or cheddar in the last couple of minutes of cooking.
- HOMEMADE SEASONING BLEND: In a small bowl mix together, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Use or store in an airtight container. For an Italian-style blend, substitute 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning for the paprika. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
- TIPS: Cook the cauliflower steaks to your desired doneness level - some like it crisp-tender, others like it very tender.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Season to taste with additional seasoning blend or salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley or parmesan cheese. Serve with an easy fresh green salad and a favorite dressing or other favorite vegetable.
Nutrition
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