The humble cauliflower takes center stage in this simple but flavorful dish. Cut into meaty slices and seasoned with cumin, chili, and turmeric, the roasted cauliflower steaks make a hearty entrée and a heart-healthy alternative to traditional steak. The edges get crisp and caramelized and the center stays nice and tender. Endless variations await you with this dish so read on!
You can grill the cauliflower steaks or roast them in the oven and both ways give a lovely crust and flavorful finish. I find that they fall apart less in the oven, but sometimes I love the smoky flavor that the grill imparts on the cauliflower steaks.
Simple Preparation
All you need for this dish is:
- 1 head of cauliflower
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- ground cumin, turmeric powder, chili powder
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Cilantro for garnish
How to make roasted cauliflower steaks step-by-step:
1. Rinse and dry the cauliflower and lay it on its side on a cutting board.
2. Slice off the end of the cauliflower but leave as much stem as possible.
3. Turn the cauliflower over onto the flat bottom. Slice into 1 inch slices 
4. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Repeat on other side. 
5. Sprinkle with the spices and remaining salt.
6. Bake in 425°F preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden and crisp. 
7. Serve warm or room temperature with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro. 
What are some variations for Roasted Cauliflower Steaks?
For this recipe, we’ve seasoned the cauliflower with cumin, chili powder and turmeric, but there are endless seasoning possibilities. Some other tasty combinations are:
- Lemon zest, pepper, salt, parsley (pairs great with broiled salmon or Moroccan chicken)
- Garlic salt, pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano (goes great with stewed cannellini beans and tomatoes or with grilled chicken)
- Jamaican Jerk seasoning (serve with savory pork or baked beans and sweet potatoes)
- Chili flakes, coriander, cumin, lime, and pepitas (cauliflower prepared this way makes an amazing taco filling – step aside, fish tacos, for this veggie version!)
Serving Roasted Cauliflower Steaks as a main dish?
We like to serve this dish as the main course. I pair it with a protein-rich side, like spiced lentils, or stewed cannellini beans and tomatoes. It’s so easy to add some baby potatoes or baby tomatoes to the baking sheet, so we often have them together. If you’d like to add meat to the meal and serve the cauliflower as a side dish, read on to the next section!
Serving Roasted Cauliflower Steak as a side dish?
If preparing these Cauliflower Steaks as a side dish, you can get really playful with how you season and serve it. Here’s are some different ways I like to prepare cauliflower to accompany other main courses:
- BBQ Chicken- season the Cauliflower Steaks with garlic salt, pepper, sun-dried tomatoes and oregano for an Italian inspired dish.
- Grilled Salmon- sprinkle the Cauliflower Steaks with lemon zest, pepper, salt, parsley, and capers to complement the fish. It’s delicious! The capers get crispy, too and add little pops of savory flavor.
- Roast Pork- season the Cauliflower Steaks with Jamaican Jerk seasoning, or some brown sugar, raisins and allspice. It may sound strange but the flavors are awesome together.
- Mushrooms- Roast big, fat portabello mushroom caps along with the cauliflower and season the with red wine vinegar, dried thyme, shallots (or white onion).
- Tacos- use the chili flake, cumin, coriander, lime and pepita combination to complement Tex-Mex dishes. It makes an awesome side dish alongside tacos or as a vegetarian taco option.
How do I keep my cauliflower from falling apart?
Keeping a large portion of the stem on the head of the cauliflower when you remove the leaves is key. You may have a few pieces that fall apart, but that’s ok. Season and cook them along with the rest and they will turn out great. The other trick is to use a wide flat spatula for turning the Spicy Cauliflower Steaks. The wider and thinner the spatula, the better.
How to store leftovers?
Leftover cauliflower steaks are a myth. They don’t exist and you are not likely to encounter them. If you do, lucky you! Store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days. These are my favorite leftover containers because they can go directly into the oven or microwave (or freezer) and are stackable for space-saving.
How to reheat cauliflower steaks?
I wish I could tell you to use the microwave, but it is not cooked cauliflower’s friend, particularly if crispy is what you desire. Warm leftovers in a pan on the stove with a touch of olive oil for 5 minutes and you will be rewarded with crisp, delicious cauliflower steak once again.
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Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
Description
The humble cauliflower takes center stage in this simple but flavorful dish. Cut into meaty slices and seasoned with cumin, chili, and turmeric, the roasted cauliflower steaks make a hearty entrée and a heart-healthy alternative to traditional steak. The edges get crisp and caramelized and the center stays nice and tender.
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F.
- Rinse and dry the cauliflower and lay it on its side on a cutting board.
- Slice off the end of the cauliflower but leave as much stem as possible.
- Turn the cauliflower over onto the flat bottom.
Thick 1″ slices with the stem keeps the cauliflower steaks from breaking up. - Slice into 1 inch slices
Each head of cauliflower yields about 4 cauliflower steaks. - Place on parchment lined baking sheet and brush the cauliflower with olive oil.
- Season with 1/2 the salt and flip them over and brush the other side.
- Sprinkle with the spices and remaining salt.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Serve warm or room temperature with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.
Notes
For this recipe, we’ve seasoned the cauliflower with cumin, chili powder and turmeric, but there are endless seasoning possibilities. Some other tasty combinations are:
- Lemon zest, pepper, salt, parsley (pairs great with grilled salmon or moroccan chicken)
- Garlic salt, pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano (goes great with stewed cannellini beans and tomatoes or with grilled chicken)
- Jamaican Jerk seasoning (serve with roasted pork or baked beans and sweet potatoes)
- Chili flakes, coriander, cumin, lime, and pepitas (cauliflower prepared this way makes an amazing taco filling – step aside, fish tacos, for this veggie version!)
