by HollyOven roasted cauliflower is a super easy and delicious way to prepare cauliflower!
An entire head of cauliflower is brushed with a simple homemade garlic butter and baked until tender.
Roasting adds lots of flavor while this method produces a delicious side and is easy to make!
Roasting cauliflower as a whole head turns it into a side dish or main that not only looks impressive, it’s absolutely delicious too!
When roasted in the oven, cauliflower will caramelize to golden brown on the outside while still being perfectly tender crisp.
My mom has been making whole roasted cauliflower for years and she always raves about it so I knew I needed to try it so see what the fuss was all about!
Now I know why, it’s so easy and so incredibly delicious!
The great thing about roasting cauliflower is that its very versatile. While I love the combination of garlic and parmesan (with a hint of lemon), you can really season this with anything you like. Simply brush with butter (or olive oil) season and bake.
My friend makes an incredible Indian spiced cauliflower and I think it’d be an amazing seasoning to try roasted whole!
If you’re short on time, you can create roasted cauliflower steaks out of it by cutting it up and roasting them flat (full instructions below)!
They’ll take much less time while still providing the same delicious flavor combo!
I know you’ll love this recipe, nothing compares to taking such an easy dish filled with parmesan, butter, and garlic, then roasting it to crispy perfection.
What Kind of Meat Goes With Cauliflower?
Cauliflower is a mildly flavored vegetable that can be prepared a multitude of different ways from Mashed Cauliflower Potatoes to Cauliflower Rice.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower is perfect to serve alongside steak, Perfect Pork Tenderloin, or even roasted chicken.
While most often I prepare this dish as a side, it’s a great meatless meal or perfect to serve if you have vegetarian friends!
How Do You Make Cauliflower Steaks?
Oven roasted cauliflower steaks are a great way to change up this whole roasted cauliflower.
To create cauliflower steaks out of this recipe, you’ll want to adjust your baking time but the ingredients will remain the same.
Cutting cauliflower into steaks is easiest to do with larger cauliflower (so buy the biggest one you can find). Cut the steaks at least 3/4″ but I prefer a 1″ cut so they stay in tact better.
How to Roast Cauliflower Steaks
- Remove the leaves from the outside of the cauliflower. (Keep the stem intact to hold the cauliflower together but trim it a little bit)
- Slice your cauliflower head into 1 inch thick steaks from top to bottom.
- Brush your cauliflower steaks with half of the toppings and roast them about 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Flip them, add additional reamining seasonings and roast about 10 more minutes or until tender crisp when pierced with a fork.
If you have already roasted your cauliflower and would like to cut it into steaks, follow the steps above but be sure to take extra care, as the inside of your cauliflower will be roasted and tender!
Keep in mind, cauliflower steaks will not always come out absolutely perfectly shaped, that’s just the way that cauliflower cuts up.
If you have leftover cauliflower, I have found that it keeps well in the fridge.
I love cutting it up and sprinkling it on salad, or even throwing it back in the oven to enjoy again the next day!
Another awesome option to use up any leftover cauliflower is to create a delicious Creamy Cauliflower Soup!
The roasting of this recipe, as well as the garlic and butter make the soup extra delicious!
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Course Side Dish
Cuisine AmericanIngredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest grated
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Trim leaves from cauliflower head. Place in baking dish.
- Combine butter, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, salt and pepper. Brush mixture on top of cauliflower head and cover with foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil and bake for 15 minutes more (or just until tender crisp, do not overcook). Remove and turn oven to Broil.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese on cauliflower head and broil for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly brown.
Nutrition Information
More Recipes You’ll Love
Parmesan Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Oven Roasted Lemon Parmesan Broccoli!
I don’t usually comment on recipes I get, just jump to the recipe and see if I like it. Normally I rice it up and eat it raw, But I more or less used this recipe and it is AMAZING, thank you! Used garlic paste and grated lemon skin, that did it.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Lisa!
Followed directions as written. Cauliflower was not cooked through after 30 minutes. I cooked it another 15 minutes. Finally had to finish broiling it and get it on the table as it was getting late for dinner. It was undercooked after 45 minutes. Not sure if it needed some liquid (water/stock) in the bottom of the pan or my cauliflower was too big and I should have cut it up in the pan before roasting? I probably could have cooked it for another half hour.
Hi Tony, it is possible that your head of cauliflower was on the larger side. That would definitely result in it needing more time. But this recipe does call for it to be cooked 30 mins with tinfoil, and additional 15 without the foil, and then broiled at the end to finish off. So it does take close to an hour to fully cook.
lets give it a try
This is delicous. The seasoninings and especially the texture of the csauliflower (fully cooked, bur a little crispy)- yum!
Mine did not brown well. First time to use this broiler, don’t believe it reached the right temper. It’s a keeper.
The recipe says it takes 1 hour cooking time, but according to the instructions it says between 48-50 minutes. I just want to make sure that the instructions are correct: 30 minutes with foil, 15 minutes uncovered, and 3-5 minutes after the cheese is added. I have never made this before, but a lot of other recipes I’ve seen have a much longer cooking time. Thank you.
Yes, that is correct Elizabeth. I hope you enjoy it!
I have never roasted cauliflower so I thought I would try this recipe even tho my husband does not like garlic.
While it was baking he said, “that smells really good”!
After he tried a slice I told him, “take the rest to your sister’s so they can try it” and he replied, “no! I want some more”!!
I will be keeping this recipe!!
Yay Kathleen, so glad he loved it!
HI Holly! I’m trying this tonight. After reading some of the comments I’ve decided to roast the cauliflower in my terra-cotta roaster in my oven instead of using foil. There was a comment that implied this was not a vegetarian friendly recipe. This is absolutely a vegetarian recipe (not vegan) being a vegetarian for over 30 years and cooking vegetarian meals daily I am excited to try your version. I am also going to try a vegan version for my vegan side. Substituting the butter with Olive oil and the parmesan with nutritional yeast. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Happy Cooking!!!
Let me know how it turns out Sheila!
i tryed this today and the cooking time was way off it took 90 mins to cook covered and at 60 mins i had to cut it up a bit for it to finish cooking ..but i did like it alot thanks for the share
I’m not sure why yours took so long to cook but I am glad you enjoyed the flavor!
I had the same experience—wound up increasing the oven temp, and still had to zap it in the microwave before returning to the oven with the cheese. I won’t be trying this one again.
I just made this and it’s just sooooo delicious! It was tender, flavorful, and I loved the zip from the lemon zest! I’ll be making this again many times!
So glad you loved it!
Sadly this was an epic failure. 45 minutes yielded a still completely hard head of cauliflower. Additional cooking time did not help. Even though there was lots of flavour in the melted butter, there was absolutely no flavour in the cauliflower itself.
How disappointing! Did you cover it with foil? Cauliflower should most certainly cook within the time/temperature in the recipe!
Cooking this tonight and very much looking forward to it! Although please check with your veggie friends before serving them this dish as Parmesan is not vegetarian!
Enjoy Anna!
I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years and Vegetarians do eat dairy and cheese (I eat cheese w/o rennet). This recipe is Vegetarian friendly. I have many vegan friends I cook with. Vegans consume absolutely No dairy or cheeses. So, if one is cooking for vegan friends you could easily substitute the butter with olive oil and omit the cheese or you could substitute parmesan with nutritional yeast. I just wanted to clear that up because sometimes people are confused about vegetarians via Vegans and what we eat.
Happy Cooking!!!
Parmesan cheese contains animal rennet . It is NOT suitable for vegetarians .
Just WONDERFUL.
Even without the black pepper and the parmesean.
Yum. Thanks.
So glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve gotten really into roasting cauliflower later so definitely need to this a try!
Your version on this recipe looks amazing! I’ve seen a lot of slow cooker and roasted cauliflower recipes here lately and no one’s looks as appealing as yours! I’ve just printed this recipe and I’m going to make it this week! This will go with so many main dishes!!!
Thank you for Pinning! :) Enjoy!
Oh yeah I can see how your roasted cauliflower would go great with pork tenderloin. In fact I would serve it too with sausages and maybe some mash potato at the side or sauerkraut and dumplings. =D Otherwise maybe salmon or or also prawns. I am all over your whole roasted cauliflower!!
Mmmm, your suggestions are making me hungry!
I’m obsessed with whole roasted cauliflower! This version sounds fabulous and my family would definitely love it!
I’ve been wanting to try roasting cauliflower whole for a while now. Yours looks fantastic! Love that it gets nice and caramelized on the outside but nice and tender inside. YUM!
I love roasted veggies, but it’s never occurred to me to just roast it whole!
Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables. I cannot wait to try this recipe it looks so good.
I don’t typically care for cauliflower, but between the garlic butter and the Parmesan, you just might convert me!
:) Enjoy Abby!!
I always chop mine up. Not again. This looks great!!
I am a huge cauliflower fan and I can’t wait to try this! Thanks for sharing.
Oh my word- this sounds spectacular!!! I’m literally drooling. I want to try this now!!!
This always makes such a great presentation at the dinner table. Roasted veggies are the best, and this cauliflower is no exception. My family would devour this in a minute.
I LOVE whole roasting cauliflower. It’s one of my favorite ways to eat it. I can’t wait to try this version!