Air Fryer Cauliflower is a delicious low carb side dish recipe your family will fall in love with. With only 5 minutes hands on time, this will be a recipe you will come back to over and over.
If there is one type of recipe I have been getting requests for more than any other it is low carb recipes. And I get it. Lowering the amount of carbohydrates in your diet not only has great health benefits, it is a great way of controlling your appetite.
One of the heavy hitters when it comes to low carb eating is cauliflower. This versatile vegetable can be used to replace rice and pizza crust plus so much more.
But, I really love cauliflower just roasted as a side dish. In fact, one of my kids delights in cauliflower as a side dish. It makes appearances regularly on our dinner table.
In this Air Fryer Cauliflower recipe we are crisping it up using the air fryer. This is very similar to my Roasted Broccoli recipe, we are just letting the air fryer do the roasting and freeing up our oven.
How to Cook Cauliflower in the Air Fryer
- Prepare the cauliflower. I like to cut the florets into bite sized pieces. See my tips below to make quick work of cutting up your cauliflower.
- Season the cauliflower. In a large bowl toss the cauliflower with fresh garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
- Cook it in the air fryer. Put the cauliflower in the basket of the preheated air fryer. Cook it for 15 to 20 minutes, tossing it once or twice while it is cooking.
- Top with cheese. This is optional, but we love to toss the hot cauliflower with finely grated Parmesan cheese.
Cosori Air Fryer
How to Cut Cauliflower
The prep time on this recipe is 5 minutes. This is short, but if you are proficient at cutting up a caulfilwer it should work.
- Cut the cauliflower in half.
- Cut the thick core of the cauliflower from each half.
- Cut off the florets and cut them down to bite sized pieces.
Health Benefits of Cauliflower
In addition to being a great option for those following a low carb diet, cauliflower has some really great health benefits.
- Cauliflower is naturally fat free, cholesterol free, and low in sodium.
- It is high in fiber.
- Some research suggests that it may reduce your risk of cancer.
Making this Recipe More Healthy
Please note that while cauliflower is naturally fat free and low in sodium, we are reversing that a little in this recipe by adding both oil and salt. If these are concerns for your diet, you can make this recipe with half the amount of oil and half the amount of salt and it will still be delicious. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 a teaspoon of kosher salt.
Picking a Good Head of Cauliflower
There are a few things to look for when picking out a head in the grocery store to make this air fryer cauliflower.
- First and foremost, pick a head of cauliflower that is bright white and doesn’t have any brown spots.
- The whole head should be tight together without any loose sections.
- Finally, the cauliflower head should have bright green leaves that are tightly attached.
Once you get your cauliflower home, you can store it in the refrigerator for four to seven days pre-cut. Use cut cauliflower within four days.
FAQ
Yes! Prepare the cauliflower exactly as written, spreading it out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake it in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, tossing once in the middle.
Yes! This recipe cooks down from about 6 cups of cauliflower to only 2 cups. This recipe can easily be doubled. Keep in mind that you will need to cook it a little longer.
Other Healthy Side Dishes
If you are looking for other great and healthy side dishes, try some of these!
If you make this Air Fryer Cauliflower recipe or any of my other side dishes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Air Fryer Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower (about 6 cups of florets)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated is best
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add it to the basket of your air fryer.
- Air Fryer for 15 to 20 minutes. Toss once in the middle.
- While still hot, toss the cauliflower with the cheese. Serve and enjoy.
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