How to Roast Cauliflower In the Oven
Follow these simple steps on how to roast cauliflower in the oven to achieve those desirable toasted and tender cauliflower bites!
This is a simple guide to roasting cauliflower. It’s comprised of the most basic steps to help you achieve your ultimate goal of tender roasted cauliflower.
Having said that, this recipe can also be enhanced with additional spices or toppings to give it a new flavor.
This post is about how to roast cauliflower in the oven.
How to Roast Cauliflower in the Oven
What do I need to roast cauliflower?
You will need:
- A Head of Cauliflower: Fresh cauliflower is key here. Frozen cauliflower will not work well because it has a high water content that affects its speed and ability to roast well.
- Olive Oil: This is necessary any time we are roasting vegetables. It helps to coat the vegetable and helps it to brown without causing it to dry out.
- Salt and Pepper: To taste.
- Additional Spices: Optional. The choices here are vast from parmesan cheese, paprika, lemon, balsamic glaze, garlic, etc.
How do you roast cauliflower?
Start by chopping the head of cauliflower into big chunks of florets. If there are some florets that are much bigger, then cut them in half. In my opinion, I like these pieces the most because the flat side allows for a bigger surface area for browning, thus caramelization.
Put them in a big bowl and add the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
Next, transfer the cauliflower onto a shallow-rimmed baking pan and bake at 425ºF for 20 minutes. Flip each piece over and continue roasting for 5-10 more minutes or until the chunks are tender and golden brown.
That browning or caramelization is everything because that’s where the flavor’s at!
You can dress up the cauliflower any way you like! Eat it as is, warm right out of the oven, or dress it with parmesan cheese and garlic. This is an excellent base for other dishes too like this Orzo Pasta Salad With Feta and Roasted Vegetables.
If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy these:
- Balsamic Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts
- How Do You Make Caramelized Onions
- Yummy Honey Balsamic Carrots
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🖤 Thank you for visiting and happy roasting! 🙂
This post was about how to roast cauliflower in the oven.
How to Roast Cauliflower in the Oven
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Wash and chop the cauliflower into big chunks. If the florets are big, cut them in half, lengthwise. Put them in a large bowl.
- Toss the cauliflower in olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Spread the cauliflower in one layer on a low-rimmed baking pan and bake for 20 minutes. Flip each piece over and continue roasting for 5-10 more minutes until tender and golden brown.
- Enjoy it warm, as is, or dress it with lemon, parmesan cheese, or balsamic glaze (optional).