Roast cauliflower in half the time with this easy air fryer frozen cauliflower recipe. A flavorful blend of pantry staple spices adds a warm and delicious seasoning, and there's no need to thaw the cauliflower florets!
I have been leaning BIG time into frozen vegetables lately. They're frozen right away to preserve freshness, often contain comparable nutritional attributes to fresh vegetables, and are a whole lot more convenient. Not having to wash, dry, slice, etc. saves a good amount of recipe prep time.
Roasted frozen broccoli is an easy side dish I always have in my back pocket, so I kept the theme running with air fryer frozen cauliflower. Cauliflower florets go from frozen solid to perfectly tender and roasted (well, air fried) all in about twenty minutes.
Much like with an air fryer baked potato, the big benefit here is the time savings. I wouldn't say this air fryer roasted cauliflower gets crispy crunchy as it doesn't have breading, but it ends up just like the texture of oven-roasted cauliflower with golden-brown edge crispness and a fork-tender texture.
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Reasons to Love This Recipe
- It's done in half the time. About 20 minutes of cook time are all you need to go from frozen solid to perfectly cooked cauliflower, thanks to the speed of the air fryer. The texture will be similar to that of traditionally roasted cauliflower.
- It's convenient. Simply open a bag of frozen cauliflower florets, toss with oil and spices, and air fry straight away. No washing or chopping fresh cauliflower or even needing to thaw!
- The seasoning blend. While you can stick with classic salt and pepper, a few extra pantry staples complement the flavor of cauliflower beautifully.
Recipe Ingredients
- Frozen Cauliflower: Bags of frozen cauliflower florets come in a variety of size. I most often find them in 15-ounce packages, but anywhere between 12- to 16-ounces works with this quantity of ingredients.
- Olive Oil: You can coat the florets in a bowl with olive oil or you can spray or mist them with olive oil instead if you'd like to use a bit less. You can also use your favorite neutral-flavored cooking oil, such as avocado, grape seed, or canola oil.
- Spices: This go-to blend includes kosher salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, paprika (sweet or smoked) and curry powder. The curry powder is optional, but I've found curry powder really ties together these seasonings in a warm, spiced way.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Coat - Toss frozen cauliflower florets (no thawing) in a bowl with olive oil and spices.
- Arrange - Spray air fryer basket with cooking spray to prevent sticking, then arrange the cauliflower on it in an even layer. Leave a little room between florets so the air can circulate all around them.
- Air Fry - Air fry at 375°F (191°C) for 9-10 minutes, then shake up the basket or flip each floret over. Return the tray to the air fryer and air fry again for another 4-5 minutes, or until they're as golden-brown as you'd like them.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Fresh cauliflower variation. The same seasonings, steps, and air fryer temperature work for fresh cauliflower florets, too. They will just take around 5 minutes or so less to cook, so keep a close eye.
- Using less oil. If you'd like to use less oil you can spray/mist the frozen florets with olive oil on the tray rather than toss them in a bowl. I have a misting bottle I fill with olive oil, but if searching out a store-bought olive oil spray I like to look for ones without propellant.
- Different flavor options. Choose your favorite spice blend! Taco seasoning, Greek or Italian seasoning, buffalo seasoning, etc. You can also make air fryer frozen broccoli with this recipe.
- Reheating air fryer frozen cauliflower. Place leftover air fryer cauliflower back in the air fryer for 4-5 minutes at 350°F (177°C) to reheat it back to its crisped up state.
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Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 15 ounces frozen cauliflower florets (12 to 16 ounces fine)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon curry powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add frozen cauliflower florets (do not thaw) to a bowl and toss with olive oil.
- Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and curry powder to a small bowl and stir to combine. Scatter spices over the cauliflower and toss to combine until evenly coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket generously with cooking spray (or grease in your preferred manner), then pour the cauliflower onto it in a single layer, arranging the florets as needed so there's a tiny bit of space between each one. If your air fryer basket is on the smaller side you may need to cook in several batches.
- Place the basket in the air fryer and air fry at 375°F (191°C) for 9-10 minutes, then carefully flip the florets over and air fry for 5-6 more minutes, or until the cauliflower has crisped and cooked to your liking.
Notes
- Fresh Cauliflower: Fresh florets can be used instead of frozen. Keep the temperature the same, but reduce the total cook time by 5 or so minutes.
- Oil: Another neutral-flavored cooking oil can be used, such as avocado, grape seed, or canola.
- Cook Time: The cook time can vary depending on the air fryer model, so adjust as needed so this air fryer cauliflower becomes golden-brown and roasted to your liking.
- Storage: Store leftover roasted frozen cauliflower in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat Instructions: Add cauliflower back to the basket of the air fryer, then air fry at 350°F (177°C) for 4-5 minutes, or until warmed and crisp again.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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