Oven Roasted Cauliflower is one of the easiest and most delicious ways to prepare keto-friendly cauliflower. Roasting cauliflower in the oven gives it an amazing toasty flavor and deliciously crispy brown edges. This recipe is my family’s favorite way to eat cauliflower — even the kids love it!
Easy Oven Roasted Cauliflower – Keto Approved!
If you’ve never roasted cauliflower in the oven before, I hate to tell you, but you’ve been missing out! You might not understand why this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower is so life-changing, but trust me — this is my very favorite simple way to eat cauliflower.
Sure, you could make Creamy Keto Mashed Cauliflower Potatoes or Keto Cauliflower Rice instead. But sometimes you just need an easy recipe that’s simple to make, and almost all of the cooking time is hands-off.
Oven Roasted Cauliflower is a super easy and healthy side dish perfect any night of the week. This keto side dish pairs well with just about every type of protein main dish, whether you’re serving steak, chicken, pork chops, or baked salmon. And it’s suitable for all types of diets: low-carb, Keto, low-glycemic, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!
What could be better? Even kids will love this simple and delicious baked cauliflower. Once you have this recipe memorized, you may never make cauliflower any other way again!
Carbs in Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a healthy and nutritious vegetable, making it perfect for the keto diet or any other way of eating. Cauliflower is a great source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber too!
1 cup of raw cauliflower contains:
Calories: 25
Protein: 2 grams
Carbs: 5 grams
Sugar: 2 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Net Carbs: 3 grams
Ingredients in Roasted Cauliflower
With only a few ingredients and five minutes of prep time, this is sure to be one of your new favorite recipes. I hope this recipe will become a weeknight favorite at your house like it is at mine.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make roasted cauliflower:
- Fresh cauliflower. Cut the cauliflower into small florets, and rinse well. Make sure to dry the florets well so that the oil and seasonings will coat them. Using a salad spinner is a great idea!
- Olive Oil. You’ll need a decent amount of oil to roast the cauliflower. I use 3-4 tablespoons. It may seem like a lot, but it really helps get the cauliflower brown and crispy.
- Salt and Pepper.
Flavor Ideas for Roasted Cauliflower
For this basic recipe, I call for just salt, and pepper as the seasonings. But, cauliflower has such a neutral flavor — it’s perfect for seasoning with your favorite herbs and spices. I encourage you to add more flavors and seasonings to suit your taste. Here are some ideas.
- Add a few cloves of minced garlic, or 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to the cauliflower before roasting
- Add up to a tsp of dried herbs, or an all-purpose herb blend.
- Add up to a tbsp of taco seasoning to the cauliflower before roasting. Add it to the bowl when you’re tossing the florets in the olive oil. (This is so good!)
- Add up to 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the cauliflower, about halfway through the cooking time. This way it will melt and brown, but not burn in the high heat of the oven.
How to Make Oven Roasted Cauliflower
Making oven-roasted cauliflower is a very simple recipe. After a few minutes of prep, the oven takes care of the rest of the work for you.
To start, wash and dry the cauliflower thoroughly. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Try to keep the size of the pieces relatively uniform so they will cook evenly.
Then, in a large mixing bowl, toss the florets with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Now is the time to add any additional seasonings, like Balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, herbs, or other seasonings.
Next, place the cauliflower on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread it out in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
Finally, roast the cauliflower in a hot oven for about 20 minutes, or until it is tender and caramelized. That’s it!
Tips for the Best Roasted Cauliflower
These tips apply to this cauliflower recipe, but also for other roasted vegetable dishes like roasted broccoli or roasted brussels sprouts.
- Make sure that the cauliflower florets are dry after rinsing them. You can use a salad spinner or pat them down with paper towels.
- Be generous with the olive oil. Toss the florets will to make sure that they are coated in a thin layer of oil. The oil will make sure that the cauliflower cooks and browns well.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. It’s important to spread the cauliflower out into a single layer on a large pan. You can use two pans if you don’t have one pan that is large enough to hold all of it at once. If you crowd the pan, the cauliflower will end up steaming and you won’t get brown and crispy edges.
- Use a high enough oven temperature. 425F is the sweet spot in my oven. You may want to buy an oven thermometer if you aren’t sure if your oven is accurate.
- Shake the pan, or use a spatula to toss the cauliflower about halfway through the cooking time for even cooking.
Other Keto Cauliflower Recipes
If you like cauliflower, here are some other keto cauliflower recipes you might enjoy.
- Creamy Keto Cauliflower Soup A delicious soup that is similar to Loaded Baked Potato Soup.
- Keto Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Cheesy and delicious! Perfect keto comfort food.
- Keto Loaded Cauliflower Casserole All your favorite things — plus bacon — in a yummy casserole.
- Creamy Keto Mashed Cauliflower Potatoes Yummy, not watery, cauliflower mash.
- Keto Cauliflower Rice Perfect to serve with saucy main dishes.
Easy Oven Roasted Cauliflower
Oven Roasted Cauliflower is easy to make and customize with your favorite seasonings. It's a great low-carb side dish, perfect for the keto diet.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
Optional Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare a large baking sheet with non-stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add optional seasonings as desired.
- Place the cauliflower in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender and lightly browned. (Toss halfway through for more even cooking)
Notes
- If you would like to use Parmesan cheese, add it toward the end of cooking so that it doesn't burn.
- Cook time with vary based on the size of your florets -- keep an eye on things!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 98Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Carb count will vary with different ingredients and brands. It should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
