Air Fryer Recipe
Roasted Cauliflower Florets
These roasted cauliflower florets are just the thing for the air fryer, turning crisp at the edges with a lovely savoury flavour.
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Method
- Wash the cauliflower well, then cut it into bite-sized florets.
- In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss until they are evenly coated.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C.
- Spread the florets in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
- Scatter grated parmesan over the hot cauliflower, if desired, and garnish with parsley before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
Cauliflower browns well when its cut faces are dry and lightly oiled: the air fryer’s fast convection drives off surface moisture, then the oil helps transfer heat for crisp edges. Paprika and garlic powder cling to the oil, while adding parmesan after cooking prevents it scorching before the florets soften.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4–6 litre basket holding one large cauliflower in a loose single layer; smaller baskets may need two batches. In a single-drawer model, shake hard halfway so pale undersides rotate upwards; in a dual-zone fryer, split evenly between drawers and check 2–3 minutes early as thinner layers brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Steamy, soft florets with little colour by minute 12 means the basket is overcrowded or the cauliflower was wet; cook in batches and pat florets dry before oiling.
- Burnt spice specks but firm stalks mean the florets are too large or uneven; cut stalk sections no thicker than about 2 cm and shake earlier to expose new surfaces.
- Edges are crisp but the centres taste bland if the seasoning stayed in the bottom of the bowl; toss with your hands or a spatula until the oil visibly coats the cut faces, not just the crowns.
- Parmesan turning bitter or dark brown means it was added at the start; sprinkle it on after cooking, or add only for the final 1 minute at most.
Variations & substitutions
- Use smoked paprika instead of sweet paprika for a deeper, barbecue-like flavour; it browns similarly but can taste harsher if overcooked, so check early.
- Swap olive oil for rapeseed oil for a more neutral flavour and slightly higher heat tolerance; the cauliflower will taste less fruity but crisp just as well.
- Add 1 teaspoon curry powder to the oil mixture; its spices darken quickly, so shake thoroughly and check the edges from minute 12.
- Finish with lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon after cooking; adding lemon before air frying adds moisture and slows browning.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled cauliflower in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 4–6 minutes until the edges re-crisp.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
