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Here’s how to grill cauliflower and transform it into a smoky, flavorful masterpiece on the grill! Follow our tips and tricks to add this delicious vegetable to your summer BBQ repertoire.
Why we love this recipe
After being relegated to veggie trays for years, cauliflower is having its moment (buffalo cauliflower or cauliflower tacos, anyone?). With endless cauliflower recipes, why not try it grilled?
Grilling is one of Alex and my favorite cooking methods, and we absolutely love this grilled cauliflower recipe. It infuses a smoky and charred flavor into the vegetable, and you can add BBQ sauce or buffalo sauce to take it over the top!
How to grill cauliflower
One important thing to note: cauliflower has such a tough texture raw, you’ll need to parboil or steam the florets prior to grilling. Otherwise, you end up with very tough florets that are charred and blackened and not at all tender!
Before grilling cauliflower, parboil it in a pan to make sure it’s tender prior to grilling. We use the same technique of cooking veggies before grilling them for hard veggies like grilled potatoes and grilled carrots. Here’s how to grill cauliflower:
Step 1: Preheat a grill to medium high heat. Cut the cauliflower into large florets. Place the florets into a pan with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until fork tender.
Step 2: Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Grill for about 4 minutes per side, until tender.
Step 3: Season as desired, with BBQ sauce if desired.
Tips for cutting cauliflower
The only tricky part to working with cauliflower is actually chopping it into florets! Here’s our quick and easy method for how to cut cauliflower:
- Remove large leaves from the base of the cauliflower so that the stem is exposed; discard the leaves.
- With a paring knife, cut around the stem of the cauliflower.
- Break the cauliflower into large florets with your fingers. Remove any large stems, cutting the cauliflower into smaller florets as needed for the recipe.
Ways to serve grilled cauliflower
There are so many ways to eat grilled cauliflower once you’ve grilled it up! We love it most as BBQ grilled cauliflower or as a buffalo cauliflower sandwich. Here are a few of our favorite ideas:
- BBQ sauce: It would be a perfect side to grilled shrimp or veggie burgers. Try this BBQ grilled cauliflower!
- Teriyaki sauce: Use the same instructions as for BBQ sauce but use our homemade teriyaki sauce; it’s great with grilled tuna or in mango bowls.
- Sandwich: Make our grilled buffalo cauliflower sandwich.
- In a taco: Replace the filling in these cauliflower tacos with grilled cauliflower.
- On a pita: Use grilled cauliflower in this cauliflower shawarma recipe and top with tahini yogurt sauce.
More grilling ideas
Love firing up the grill? Us too! Here are a few more tasty veggies to whip up while you’re grilling:
- Protein: Try grilled chicken, grilled salmon, grilled shrimp, or grilled tofu.
- Corn: Try grilled corn on the cob, grilled corn in foil or elote (Mexican grilled corn).
- Potatoes: Grab grilled potatoes, grilled potatoes in foil or grilled sweet potatoes.
- Broccoli: Opt for grilled broccoli or grilled broccolini.
- Zucchini or asparagus: Make grilled zucchini or grilled asparagus.
- Mushrooms: Try grilled mushrooms or grilled portobello mushrooms.
Dietary notes
This grilled cauliflower recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Frequently asked questions
Both methods work well, depending on your preference. Florets cook faster and are easier to manage on the grill, while steaks offer a larger surface area for charring and a more substantial bite.
Yes! Parboiling cauliflower helps reduce grilling time and ensure the cauliflower is tender throughout.
Cut the cauliflower into large florets so they don’t fall through.
Cauliflower absorbs flavors well, so you can use various seasonings. A simple combination of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder works well. You can also experiment with other spices like cumin, paprika, or curry powder, or marinate the cauliflower in your favorite sauce.
How to Grill Cauliflower
Here’s how to grill cauliflower and transform it into a smoky, flavorful masterpiece on the grill! Follow our tips and tricks to add this delicious vegetable to your summer BBQ repertoire.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower head
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Olive oil
- Homemade BBQ sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Heat grill to medium high (375 degrees Farenheit).
- Cut the cauliflower into large florets.
- Place the florets in pan with 1 ½ cups water and heat to high until bubbling. Reduce the heat to medium and cover; steam for 5 minutes until the water cooks out and the cauliflower is slightly tender when pierced with a fork.
- Place the steamed cauliflower on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. (Or if you want to do BBQ sauce: skip the olive oil: sprinkle it with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Then use a brush to paint the BBQ sauce on both sides of each floret.)
- Place the cauliflower on the grill and cook until tender and blackened, about 4 minutes per side.
- Remove the cauliflower from the grill and place it back on the tray. Taste and add additional salt if necessary. (Or if using BBQ sauce, use the same brush to brush each side of the florets with another coat of BBQ sauce.) Serve immediately.
