This roasted garlic cauliflower requires less than 10 minutes of prep work and pairs well with everything from pasta to stir-fries.
Cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies to roast. We’ve had it with sage, with curry powder, with paprika – or just like this, highlighted on its own. You can’t really mess it up. I used to think that cauliflower was pretty bland. However, I’ve since grown to appreciate its unique flavor (particularly when it is roasted). If you think you don’t like cauliflower and haven’t had it in a while, give this roasted garlic cauliflower a try and see if your tastes have changed!
Our favorite cauliflower recipe? Perfect Roasted Cauliflower
How to roast cauliflower
This roasted garlic cauliflower is about as simple as it gets. When roasting cauliflower, you want to chop it into even-sized pieces so everything bakes at the same rate. The smaller the pieces, the quicker the cauliflower will cook. However, you don’t want to chop the cauliflower too finely, or else the pieces might burn in the oven.
The oven temperature should be fairly high, as you want the outside of the cauliflower to get beautifully golden brown and slightly crispy (the darker parts are the most flavorful!). However, you don’t want the temperature so high that the outside of the cauliflower cooks while the inside stays raw. We’ve found 450FºF to be the perfect temperature, but some ovens burn hotter than others so you may need to adjust your oven temperature a bit after you’ve tried out this roasted garlic cauliflower recipe.
Last but certainly not least is the importance of olive oil in this recipe. The olive oil helps the cauliflower become golden on the outside and adds a touch of flavor. You want to drizzle on just enough oil that the cauliflower is slick to the touch, but not swimming in oil. Too much oil will cause the cauliflower to burn or become soggy in the oven. When in doubt, add a tablespoon of oil at a time until you’ve reached a ratio you’re happy with.
Because this cauliflower is flavored simply with salt, pepper, and garlic, it pairs nicely with a variety of dishes. Serve it alongside pizza for a hearty meal, with some salmon or shrimp, or toss it into a stir-fry or pasta dish. You can also mix in some other veggies like broccoli and roast them at the same time.
Looking for more cauliflower recipes?
If you love this cruciferous veggie, you’ll also love these cauliflower recipes:
- Grilled Buffalo Cauliflower Sandwich
- Cauliflower Casserole with Gnocchi
- Cauliflower Shawarma Pita
- Moroccan Spiced Cauliflower Soup
- Cauliflower and Tomato Coconut Curry
- Roasted Cauliflower with Apples and Dill
This roasted garlic cauliflower recipe is…
Begetarian, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, and plant-based.
PrintRoasted Garlic Cauliflower
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This roasted garlic cauliflower requires less than 10 minutes of prep work and pairs well with everything from pasta to stir-fries.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Chop the cauliflower bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic.
- In a bowl, combine the cauliflower, garlic, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Add just enough olive oil to lightly coat the cauliflower and toss to combine.
- Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet and bake for around 40 minutes or until browned, turning once. To serve, add lemon juice to taste.
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: roasted garlic cauliflower
17 Comments
sally
January 14, 2011 at 12:39 amLove roasted cauliflower or any roasted vegetable for that matter!
Tiffiny Felix
January 14, 2011 at 1:11 amI’ve wanted to try roasting cauliflower for a long time…your’s looks so good; just the kick in the pants I need :)
Kevin
January 14, 2011 at 10:12 amI want to do this with our next batch of cauliflower. I like the simplicity of it.
suchitra
January 14, 2011 at 11:18 amone of my fav veggie- looks perfect!
Caramel Wings
January 14, 2011 at 11:44 amThis looks so yummy… Cauliflower is one of the best and yet one of the most under rated vegetables of all times.
Tiffany
January 14, 2011 at 3:47 pmI love roasted cauliflower too! (p.s… I really like the cloths underneath your serving plate! They’re very pretty!)
Jennie @ Oh, Sweet Day!
January 14, 2011 at 10:11 pmRoasting cauliflower is one of my favorite quick side dishes!
Medifast Coupon
January 15, 2011 at 10:24 pmThis is perfect! What a great way to get the most out of this veggie! The flavours are blended so well and roasting is the perfect method of cooking.
foodies at home
January 20, 2011 at 1:41 amI honestly can say that I have never had roasted cauliflower, but I am definitely going to try it now!
Claudie
January 23, 2011 at 1:41 amI just tried out the recipe tonight. I added a bit more garlic (5 cloves) + a carrot I needed to take care of soon. It was FABULOUS. Healthy, and yet so tasty — even my husband loved it.
Tammy D
March 2, 2011 at 11:38 amI just discovered roasted cauliflower in the past few months. Who knew? It is marvelous. I sprinkle a bit of grated parmesan cheese over it. It sure beats steamed or boiled with Velveeta melted over it!
Rebecca
April 23, 2011 at 2:06 pmRadishes are also good this way. We usually do radishes and cauliflower together, but no garlic, just olive oil, salt and pepper
Kristin
April 28, 2011 at 7:43 pmThis is absolutely delicious! Who knew cauliflower could taste so good?!
Ruby Jo
May 4, 2011 at 12:25 pmYou guys make everything look beautiful!!!
Today, I came here to look up the perfect boiled egg (in process now)–but I am definitely going to try this cauliflower. All winter long, I roasted all my veggies and loved them. Do you all ever try grapeseed oil? It is one of my favorites on veggies right now.
Alex
May 4, 2011 at 12:29 pmThanks!
Hopefully the egg recipe works the same at your altitude… you’ll have to let us know! We haven’t tried roasting veggies with grapeseed oil – thanks for the recommendation.
hellooolife
January 3, 2012 at 1:02 amI made this tonight, it was delicious. Thank you!
Memoria
January 15, 2012 at 6:30 pmThis dish was fantastic. I look forward to trying out your other roasted cauliflower recipe. Thank you.