Easy Roasted Cauliflower is a delicious and easy side that the whole family will love. Crisp white cauliflower is tossed in with a flavorful olive oil mixture then roasted to golden perfection!
Making great side dishes doesn’t have to take a lot of effort! This easy side dish is the perfect accompaniment for Crispy Baked Parmesan Chicken or even Chicken Stroganoff!
An Easy Cauliflower Side Dish
I always struggle to find a side dish that is healthy, fits nicely with my side, and doesn’t take too much time or effort. I’ve found that roasting vegetables (like my favorite Easy Baked Zucchini) is the perfect side with very little effort and tons of flavor! This roasted cauliflower is simple, super quick, and my husband and daughter call it ‘the star of the show’. What could be better?
While I’ve made Whole Roasted Cauliflower, I find that it takes a bit longer so on a weeknight I prefer to chop it up and roast it. Roasted Parmesan Broccoli is so good, feel free to add broccoli into this dish too!
Most of the roasted cauliflower recipes I’ve seen have parmesan cheese however this dish is both simple and light (although if you like feel free to add a sprinkle of parm to this recipe too)!
While this is one of my favorite flavor combinations, you can definitely swap up the seasonings or even a few chili flakes to this roasted cauliflower to kick it up a notch. Experiment a little and find a flavor combo that makes your taste buds happy!
This easy side is low carb, keto friendly and a totally guilt free option everyone loves. If you have a main dish in mind that is also low carb (like a perfectly cooked Steak), you are well on your way to a perfect dinner!
How To Roast Cauliflower
It is so so SO simple to make roasted cauliflower. I make baked cauliflower too but roasted cauliflower should be cooked at a higher temperature to really encourage the browning.
- Break the cauliflower into bite sized pieces as uniform as possible so they all roast at relatively the same speed. Make sure you dry the cauliflower as water will make it steam instead of roast.
- Combine olive oil and seasonings. Toss your cauliflower and oil mixture together until everything is coated nicely.
- Roast at a high heat (425-450°F) until golden.
How Long To Roast Cauliflower
The real key to perfect roasted cauliflower is a high oven temperature. With a higher temperature, you’ll get the beautiful brown caramelization without overcooking the cauliflower. Lower temperatures will cause the cauliflower to cook too much before it browns!
Roast your cauliflower in a 425-450°F oven for 10-15 minutes or until they are fork tender. I find that throwing them on the bottom rack while I have my main dish roasting is the perfect time saver. I like to flip my roasted cauliflower half way through cooking to ensure it roasts evenly! Serve it alongside a main dish like these barbecue ribs made in the oven, or enjoy it as a healthy and low carb snack option!
More Cauliflower Recipes You’ll Love
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup – Rich and flavorful
- Mashed Cauliflower Potatoes – Easy low carb side dish!
- Cheesy Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole – From scratch, no condensed soups!!
- Cauliflower Fried Rice – Perfect as a side
- Oven Baked Buffalo Cauliflower – Reader favorite appetizer (and my Mom’s favorite recipe on this site)!
Favorite Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons parmesan cheese shredded, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Wash cauliflower and break apart into similarly sized pieces. Dry very well.
- Combine olive oil and seasonings.
- Toss cauliflower with prepared oil and seasoning mixture and mix well.
- Roast 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if using and broil 1-2 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Like our recipes?
Follow us on Pinterest!
More Roasted Veggies You’ll Love
Delicious way to eat cauliflower! I love the lemon zest.
So glad you loved it Kristin!
Love your recipies they are my go to! Thank you for the work you put in. Not sure if you’ve tried roasting cauliflower leaves and thinly sliced stalked too, but they are delicious. They sometimes take longer to cook than the rest of the florets and they are my fav! Especially when roasted or added to curries etc
I have not, but that sounds great AC. Thanks for sharing!
Looks yummy!
Really looks yummy!
Really good, i hate caulflower, but I will definitely be eating more with this recipe. I think all my vegetables will be baked with these ingredients!
I tried these and they are delicious. I always boiled mine and then added butter. This recipe is great.
Thank you Mandy! I’m so glad to hear you love this cauliflower so much!