So easy, crispy, and delicious, this Air Fried Cauliflower is an awesome snack, side, or app to make! With three different seasoning options and a yummy cheese sauce, you can quickly make this tasty cauliflower side in minutes.
Let me introduce you to my newest obsession:
Air Fryer Cauliflower.
Guys, if you haven’t tried to make Cauliflower in your Air Fryer, what are you freaking waiting for? It’s crispy, crunchy, and gets those yummy caramelized edges.
Also, it’s super fast – way faster than oven roasting!
This recipe came to me one day over lunch when I had a head of cauliflower that just needed to be used, but I didn’t have enough time to make an elaborate dish. So I decided to air fry it with my salt-free taco seasoning.
And since I always have my cheese sauce in the freezer, I paired it with some melty, yummy cheese and omg.
I immediately shared it with my Ask the Fit Foodie Group because I just needed someone to know.
Those smart ladies had even more ideas…one said, this would be a super yummy Superbowl snack.
And anther had the idea to use Old Bay Seasoning like in my CopyCat Crab Fries. Then there was talk about a ranch seasoning.
I mean…how did I get so lucky in my blog life? ❤️
Anyway…
How to Air Fry Cauliflower
1. Wash your cauliflower well and dry it with a clean kitchen towel. Then slice cauliflower into florets sized so they will be easy to grab and dip.
2. Preheat your Air Fryer to 390°F. I sometimes forget this step and it’s not crazy important, but it helps with the overall cook time.
3. Drizzle or brush the cauliflower florets with olive oil, then toss with your desired spice blend. It helps to do this in a bowl you can really coat the cauliflower. For the taco seasoning, you will need to add some salt, too.
4. Roast in the Air Fryer at 390°F for 12- 15 minutes flipping halfway through. I like it crispy, so I check it often to make sure it’s crispy, but not burning.
And that’s it! For extra yum, you can make my cheese sauce as a yummy dip! And like I said before, this freezes perfectly so you can portion it out and freeze what’s left!
How freaking delish, right?
What other seasonings could I use?
I love the three seasonings in this recipe, but there are endless seasoning options for Air fried Cauliflower. You could do:
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
- Fresh herbs and parmesan cheese like in this Air Fried Cauliflower recipe from It’s a Keeper.
- Pizza seasonings like oregano, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper
- Nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor that is vegan friendly.
If you love Buffalo, you could do butter and hot sauce like in this post from Grandnanny’s House.
Also, If dipping Cauli isn’t your thing, this Air Fried Cauliflower would also make a delicious side dish, perfect for a busy weeknight. It would be super yummy with my Air Fryer Chicken Thighs or my Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken.
More Air Fried Cauliflower Recipes:
Air Fryer Cauliflower with Tahini | Two Sleevers
Air Fryer Cauliflower Curry | Recipes from a Pantry
Buffalo Cauliflower Wings | Erin Lives Whole
Like this post? Check out more in The BEST Healthy Air Fryer Recipes!
Air Fryer Cauliflower - three ways
Ingredients
Air Fryer Cauliflower:
- 1-3 small heads cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon olive oil per head of cauliflower
- salt
Seasoning Options:
- 1-2 teaspoons Salt Free Taco Seasoning
- 1-2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 2-3 teaspoons Homemade Ranch Seasoning see recipe below
Cheese Sauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of gluten free flour or whole wheat flour
- 2 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter butter, or ghee
- 1 1/2-2 cups unsweetened original almond milk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Homemade Ranch Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and slice cauliflower into florets. Drizzle or brush the cauliflower florets with olive oil, then toss with your desired spice blend. For the taco seasoning, you should add 1/4 tsp of salt or more to taste.
- Roast in the Air Fryer at 390°F for 12- 15 minutes flipping halfway through. I like it crispy, so I check it often to make sure it’s crispy, but not burning.
- While the Cauli is cooking, make the cheese sauce. In your skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk together.
- Slowly whisk in 1.5 cups of almond milk, and continue to whisk until the mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Once thickened, remove sauce from heat and stir in cheddar cheese until fully melted, adding salt to taste. If you need to thin it out, add in some additional milk in 1/4 cup increments.
- Serve your Air Fried Cauliflower with the cheese sauce as a dip, or drizzled on top! It's also delicious sans cheese.
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