Looking for a fun plant-based appetizer, main dish or side? These air fryer cauliflower steaks are full of flavor from delicious spices, have the best crispy edges and are so good served with a creamy herb dipping sauce. Ready in about 20 minutes!
With crispy edges, tender centres and the best hint of spice, these air fried cauliflower steaks have fast become a popular recipe in my home. We use turmeric, paprika and thyme for so much flavor, and I do suggest a creamy dipping sauce such as tahini dressing or parsley sauce for extra deliciousness!
Much like my air fried mini sweet peppers, air fryer leeks, air fryer celery and air fried bok choy, these cauliflower steaks are perfect as a side for a family dinner, but are equally delicious as an appetizer or vegan main dish.
Love simple but tasty air fryer vegetable sides? Do check out my air fried butternut squash and air fried romaine lettuce too!
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
Full of flavor. We use fragrant turmeric, sweet paprika and thyme for a tasty marinade for the cauliflower steaks.
No need to turn the oven on! The beauty of the air fryer is getting that roasted cauliflower steaks taste and texture, but so much more quickly!
Vegan, gluten free, low histamine and keto cauliflower steaks. This tasty low carb vegetable is so healthy, versatile, and suitable for so many dietary requirements.
🥘 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some pointers on the ingredients:
- Cauliflower - pick a medium sized head of cauliflower without any browning or bruising. If possible, I suggest picking one that has more tightly packed florets so they don't break off while handling it.
- Spices - using turmeric gives the cauliflower a lovely hint of spice, and that beautiful color too! You can either use regular paprika, or my low histamine readers will likely wish to use sweet paprika.
📖 Swaps and variations
Add garlic powder - for even more flavor, use ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder in the marinade.
Swap dried thyme for another herb. Parsley or oregano would also be nice!
🔪 How to slice cauliflower steaks
One of the key steps is to cut your cauliflower steaks into roughly inch thick slices. To do so:
- Remove the outer leaves of the cauliflower and set aside.
- Hold the cauliflower so the stalk is at the bottom (underneath the florets) and use a sharp knife to cut through the middle of the stalk, so you have two halves.
- Then slice inch thick pieces into 'steaks' either side in the middle, through the stalk. Cutting through the stalk will stop the cauliflower steaks from falling apart.
👩🍳 Step by step instructions
Making cauliflower steaks in an air fryer is very simple, with just a few steps.
All the instructions are in the recipe card below, but some images to help guide you:
Step 1: Slice the cauliflower steaks
Slice the cauliflower into inch thick pieces through the centre of the cauliflower head (image 1).
Step 2: Make the marinade
Combine olive oil, turmeric, sweet paprika, thyme, salt and black pepper (if using), and mix to a paste (image 2).
Step 3: Coat the cauliflower
Use a silicone brush to coat each cauliflower steak with the marinade (image 3).
Step 4: Air fry the cauliflower steaks
Air fry the cauliflower steaks for 10-15 minutes at 390F, flipping with tongs halfway through cook time (image 4).
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Use a sharp knife to slice the cauliflower steaks (it's also helpful if someone else holds the cauliflower still while you slice!).
- Using a silicon brush to coat the steaks helps you get the marinade into all the florets.
- Brush the marinade all over so you get nice crispy cauliflower steaks.
- Arrange the cauliflower steaks in an even layer in the air fryer basket with some room between them.
- Check the cauliflower after 10 minutes to see how much longer to air fry for. All air fryers are a little different, and some run hotter than others. And we don't want burnt cauliflower!
📋 Frequently asked questions
It's very easy to air fry cauliflower florets, but they need a shorter cook time than cauliflower steaks. My air fryer cauliflower and broccoli recipe should be helpful!
No, you can simply use oil and a little salt and black pepper if you prefer!
It takes 10-15 minutes to air fry cauliflower steaks, depending upon their size and thickness and the temperature you are cooking them at.
If some florets fall off while slicing your cauliflower, perhaps you would like to make my spiced cauliflower salad or my cauliflower pasta sauce!
🍽 How to serve air fryer cauliflower steaks
- Pair with a creamy dipping sauce, such as the tahini sauce set out in the recipe card below, or my paprika dip for a tasty appetizer or side.
- Making lots of fun appetizers for a party? I think you'll love to pair this recipe with my corn and mango salsa and my cream cheese stuffed sweet peppers!
- If you love air fryer cooking, then perhaps you would like to serve with my air fried boneless chicken thighs or my spiced air fryer turkey burger.
- Enjoy as a side with a healthy soup such as my zucchini broccoli soup or orzo vegetable soup.
🥣 More tasty side dishes
Find lots of healthy side dishes, including my popular crispy potato fritters, my frozen riced cauliflower and roasted Brussels sprouts and asparagus. Some recent recipes:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And I love to hear from you - so please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ and comment if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks
Ingredients
- 1 small cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika*
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
For the tahini sauce (optional)
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 4 tablespoon water adjust amount as needed
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs
Instructions
- Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower and cut 1 inch thick slices through the head of the cauliflower, so you have 2-3 'steaks' rather than small florets.
- Combine the olive oil, turmeric, paprika, thyme, salt and black pepper in a small bowl, then use a silicone brush to coat the cauliflower steaks.
- Preheat the air fryer to 390F / 200C for 3 minutes. Use tongs to add the cauliflower steaks to your air fryer basket. Air fry at 390F for 10-15 minutes, using tongs to flip the steaks halfway through cook time. Adjust the timing as necessary for smaller or larger cauliflower steaks, and to the level of crispiness you like.
- If making the green tahini sauce, combine the ingredients and stir or whisk until it becomes creamy in texture. Adjust with more tahini or water as needed.
Notes
- Use a sharp knife to slice the cauliflower steaks through the stalk so they don't fall apart.
- Using a silicon brush to coat the steaks helps you get the marinade into all the florets.
- Brush the steaks all over so they get nice crispy edges.
- Arrange the cauliflower steaks in an even layer in the air fryer basket with some room between them.
- Check the cauliflower after 10 minutes to see how much longer to air fry for. All air fryers are a little different, and some run hotter than others.
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate. Please note that it includes the tahini sauce.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
- tahini (for sesame), which scores 1.
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