How To Cook Cauliflower - 6 EASY ways to cook it that taste the best - with the LEAST amount of effort. 😉 Roasting in the oven, steaming in the microwave, making riced cauliflower or air fried cauliflower, and simmering on the stove are my go-to favorites!
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You'll ❤️ Easy Ways to Cook Cauliflower
I don't know about you, but I'm always searching for a great cauliflower recipe! A couple of my favorites are this Zesty Italian "Pasta" Salad made with pasta or cauliflower, and if I want comfort food, I make this Cauliflower "Mac and Cheese". If you want cauli that's super flavorful make buffalo cauliflower. Good stuff! Enjoy! 🙂
Cooking cauliflower is quite easy. It's very simple to prepare, and there are multiple ways to cook it.
I have six go-to recipes for cooking it - steam it in the microwave, roasted cauliflower in the oven (my personal favorite!), make riced cauliflower, air fry it or simmer it on the stovetop in water, and mashed cauliflower.
How To Microwave Cauliflower
Here's how to steam cauliflower in the microwave.
Microwave cauliflower (from fresh) is a quick and simple method - and the one that I use most often! Many low carb recipes call for basic cooked cauliflower, and this is the faster way I've found to do that. You might also microwave frozen cauliflower - it's even easier.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium head cauliflower cut into 1" florets
Directions
- Place cauliflower florets in a large microwave-safe dish.
- Cover with 1/2 water.
- Cover dish with lid
- Microwave on high, approximately 4 minutes or until tender.
- Drain well and serve.
Serving Suggestion
If serving as a side toss cauliflower florets with extra virgin olive oil or butter and season your favorite way - freshly ground black pepper and salt is the simplest.
My favorite way is to drizzle with melted butter, salt, pepper, a tiny squeeze of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of a favorite fresh herb. A sprinkle of parmesan cheese makes it yummy too!
Serve it on it's own as a side to your favorite protein. Or, if cooked to crisp-tender, it works great as a low-carb substitution in a recipe calling for pasta such as this Zesty Italian Pasta Salad (with Pasta or Cauliflower)
How To Cook Cauliflower on Stovetop
Here's how to cook cauliflower on the stovetop:
Ingredients:
- 1 medium head of cauliflower cut into 1" florets
- salt
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
- Reduce temperature to medium-low.
- Add cauliflower florets to pot, and cook until fork tender (about 5-7 minutes)
- Drain well and serve
Serving Suggestion
Toss with melted butter then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Feel free to garnish with 1 tablespoon of your favorite herb and even some parmesan cheese.
How To Cook Riced Cauliflower
It's everywhere these days and is the perfect low-carb substitute for rice. Here's how to make riced cauliflower - it's super easy to do and cost-effective, so why not make your own?
Ingredients
- 1 medium to large head of cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Cut cauliflower head into small florets, about 1/2" in size.
- Using a food processor with a grater attachment or a box grater, grate the cauliflower into "rice". You can also use a food processor with a chopping blade by adding the cauliflower florets in small batches and pulsing until they are rice-sized.
- Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium-high.
- Add cauliflower and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, or until your desired tenderness is reached.
- Season with salt and pepper (and anything else you like!)
Serving Suggestion
Enjoy as a vegetable side, or use as a replacement for rice in many dishes.
You may also want to try out this Coconut Cauliflower Rice recipe with this Thai Basil Chicken.
Meal idea! Serve Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff or this Chicken in Tomato Basil Cream Sauce over the riced cauliflower.
Mashed Cauliflower
Making mashed cauliflower that's as good as mashed potatoes is easy! These are buttery, fluffy, creamy - and not runny. Serving these for the holidays? Make these up to 2 days ahead of time and reheat when you're ready. Here's how to make them:
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower
- 4 tablespoons butter (softened)
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
- Cut cauliflower head into small florets, about 1/2" in size.
- Place it in a large microwave safe dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover and microwave until very very soft, about 15 minutes.
- Drain the cauliflower in a colander.
- Transfer to a bowl of a food processor and add remaining ingredients. Process on high, periodically scraping down the side, until smooth. Depending upon the size of your food processor you may need to process in 2 batches.
- Reheat in the microwave if needed.
- Season with salt and pepper. Top with cheese, gravy, more butter - whatever you like.
Air Fryer Cauliflower
Here's how to make simple, yet completely delicious, air fryer cauliflower:
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of cauliflower (cut into 1 to 2" florets).
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl add cauliflower florets then toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. (You can also add 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika and a 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder - delicious!!)
- Transfer florets to the air fryer basket and cook until desired tenderness is reached, about 8 to 12 minutes (depending upon your air fryer).
- Adjust salt pepper to taste.
Serving Suggestions
Add a little smoked paprika, garlic powder, or onion powder for even more flavor. Use a salted seasoning like lemon pepper seasoning like I used in this Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower.
How To Make Roasted Cauliflower in The Oven
Roasted cauliflower has a really delicious taste you will LOVE. Serve it as a side to your favorite protein, in salads, or as a substitution for pasta in a recipe.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed for making roasted cauliflower:
Cauliflower Florets
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Cut cauliflower into 1" florets
- Add cauliflower to a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper
- Place the cauliflower in a single layer onto a baking sheet that is covered in foil or parchment paper.
- Roast 20 to 25 minutes until tender and golden brown.
Serving Suggestion
My favorite way to make roasted cauliflower is to add garlic, parmesan, and herbs. Add this before roasting. Get creative! The best part about this recipe is that it's easy to adapt!
Recipe idea! Use in this Low Carb Tuna Casserole - it's total comfort food.
Top Tips
If you need to know how to cut cauliflower, be sure to check out this video from Healthy Nibbles and Bits!
More Recipes from Seeking Good Eats
If you are roasting cauliflower to use in another recipe, omit the salt and any additional seasoning.
Recipe
Easy Roasted Cauliflower (+4 Cooking Methods)
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 medium to large head of cauliflower
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Roasted Cauliflower
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Cut cauliflower into 1" florets
- Add cauliflower to a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper
- In a single layer, spread cauliflower onto a baking sheet that is covered in foil or parchment paper.
- Roast 20 to 25 minutes until tender.
Cauliflower Rice
- How to rice it: cut 1 large head of cauliflower into small pieces about 1/2" in size. Working in small batches, use a food processor with the chopping blade. Pulse the cauliflower until it is riced.
- How to cook it: Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium-high. Add cauliflower and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, or until your desired tenderness is reached. You can also microwave it with ¼ cup water, covered for 6 minutes. Drain.
Cook in Microwave
- Cut 1 medium head of cauliflower into 1" florets and place in a large microwave-safe dish. Add ½ cup water. Cover dish with a lid and microwave on high, approximately 4 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached. Drain.
- Note: if using cooked cauliflower in another recipe, transfer it to a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
Cook on Stovetop
- Cut 1 head of cauliflower into 1" to 2" florets. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Reduce temperature to medium-low. Add cauliflower florets to the pot, and cook until fork tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain.
Air Fried Cauliflower
- Cut 1 head of cauliflower into 1" to 2" florets. Preheat air fryer to 380°F. In a medium bowl toss cauliflower with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Transfer to the air fryer basket and cook until desired tenderness is reached, about 8 to 12 minutes (depending upon your air fryer).
Notes
Nutrition
© 2023 Seeking Good Eats™
✔️ More Cauliflower Recipes
If you are looking for more ways to cook cauliflower, look no further! Check these out:
Beth says
This is a super helpful post. I love to roast cauliflower but really appreciate the other methods you share, especially for riced cauliflower which I am just beginning to use.
Jodi paul says
I supplement 1cup rice califlower for one cup flour in my pizza dough. I this before time to rise. does need to be properly drained.
seekinggoodeats says
Great idea for cutting back the carbs in pizza dough! I'm going to try your tip! Thank you! 🙂