This is the best oven-roasted cauliflower recipe you will ever make! Using a variety of your preferred spices, make a perfect batch of this quick and delicious veggie side dish every single time.
Whenever I can't quite decide on a side dish to serve with my healthy dinner, I usually end up reaching for broccoli or cauliflower since my husband and I both love it. Sometimes, I'll make cauliflower rice, or I'll mash the cauliflower with a touch of cheese, but most often, I roast the florets until the edges get brown and it starts to take on a nutty flavor. We also love Sauteed Cauliflower, Grilled Cauliflower, and Mashed Cauliflower.
I love how versatile this vegetable is! It takes on the spices or sauces that you use and always turns out perfect no matter how you make it.
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Roasting is my favorite way to make cauliflower. You really can't get much easier than adding spices to the cauliflower and putting it in the oven. After you make this once, you'll probably have this recipe memorized.
Key Ingredients for Roasted Cauliflower
This recipe for healthy roasted cauliflower comes together in just 20 minutes! Here is a bit more information about the ingredients, including any substitutions you can make:
- Cauliflower: Cut the cauliflower into bite-sized florets as this helps them roast evenly. I've seen people put the entire head of cauliflower in the oven as well! That's another option, but I prefer just to chop up the cauliflower first, so the edges are nice and crispy. Learn about all cauliflower here.
- Olive Oil: I prefer to use olive oil as my cooking oil, but if you have avocado oil, you can use that instead. Using a healthy fat oil will help the spices stick to the cauliflower and crisp it up.
- Spices: This is where you get to be creative and have fun! Use your favorite herbs and spices. I like the way garlic and red pepper flakes taste together, so I used it. I also think that garlic powder covers the entire cauliflower floret more evenly than minced garlic, so I prefer to use the powder.
Note: For a complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions on how to make this roasted cauliflower in the oven, take a look at the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!
What To Serve With This Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Since cauliflower is such a mild-tasting vegetable, it goes with almost any main course. In fact, it will taste divine with balsamic flank steak with roasted tomatoes. It's also the perfect side dish for healthy chicken piccata. It rounds out the dish’s flavor, but it doesn't add a lot of carbs or calories.
Basically, no matter what you make, this roasted cauliflower will taste amazing with it.
Recipe Tips And Ideas For Roasted Cauliflower
Follow these tips to make sure that your cauliflower turns out crispy every single time!
- Do not overcrowd the baking tray. This will cause your cauliflower to bake unevenly. Some of your cauliflower might turn out almost overdone, and other pieces not cooked at all.
- Use pre-cut cauliflower florets! Save yourself time and buy a bag of cauliflower florets from the produce department.
- Add cayenne pepper for a bit of a kick. This will give your cauliflower some heat.
- Cut the florets, so they have flat edges. The flat edges will lay against the pan better and caramelize as they bake (which means even more flavor).
- Roast them until they are golden brown. Don't take them out too soon! The dark brown colors are the tastes coming out, and it's what makes them taste so delicious.
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Adding parmesan cheese on top before you bake it will give it a crispy coating and make it taste even better.