Cauliflower is delicious when cooked in the air fryer. It comes out softened and lightly caramelized in just 8 minutes.
For cauliflower that’s mostly softened at the stem and well-browned in places on the seedy, flowery parts, I find that 8 minutes is perfect in the air fryer. This gives you a delicious and super easy side dish for any dinner.
Scroll down to read more about how it all comes together or click here to jump straight down to the recipe.
Video: Making Various Air Fryer Veggies
What Kind Of Cauliflower Should You Use?
I love convenience so I sometimes buy the bag of cauliflower florets sold in the produce department. The 12 ounce bag is perfect here.
However, a head of cauliflower is often a lot cheaper. If you’re going in that direction, you’ll get the head of cauliflower and cut it into bite-sized florets.
Season The Cauliflower
Put the cauliflower florets into a bowl and toss them with 2 teaspoons of cooking oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Of course, that’s just the basics. You could season with an Italian blend or add in some garlic powder, whatever you like.
Note that you could do this right in the air fryer basket instead of dirtying a bowl. However, I find that some of the oil and seasoning drops straight through the holes in the basket when I add it directly to the basket. Using a bowl ensures more of it adheres to the cauliflower. But this is really not a huge deal, so do what works best for you.
If you’ve got a few extra minutes, you can try our Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower with wing sauce and other great flavors. It makes a great snack.
Time And Temperature
Get the air fryer preheating to 400°F. It doesn’t take long to preheat, but note you’ll likely be ready to add your cauliflower to the air fryer before it’s done preheating. That’s totally fine. Get that veg in there as quickly as you can so you can move onto something else.
You’ll want to air fry for about 8-10 minutes. Cook for 5 minutes. Give them a toss and continue to cook until your desired softness and browning level, 3-5 more minutes.
You can test whether it’s soft enough by poking a thicker piece with a fork. They should be soft but with a bit of texture still.
If you like it darker, go ahead and go for 2-4 more minutes. The flowery parts can get quite brown and crisp, but the stems get really soft by that point. Also, the really browned parts can taste a bit bitter. If you let it get that dark, you might want to salt it all lightly before serving. That cuts the bitterness a bit.
More Air Fryer Recipes
There are so many veggies that are delicious cooked in the air fryer!
Air Fryer Cauliflower Recipe
Cauliflower is delicious when cooked in the air fryer. It comes out softened and lightly caramelized in just 8 minutes. Feel free to use your favorite seasonings here.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 12 oz. cauliflower florets
- 1–2 tsp. cooking oil*
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Put the cauliflower in a medium bowl. Add the oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Transfer cauliflower to the basket of the air fryer, even if it isn’t done preheating.
- Shake to arrange in a single layer as much as possible. Some overlap is fine.
- Put air fryer basket into air fryer and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Give them a toss and cooked until your desired softness and browning level, 3-5 more minutes.
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