Whenever I want my kids to gobble up their veggies, the name of the game is air-fried and crunchy. Whatever the vegetable, if it’s well-browned with crispy edges, they’re likely to reach for seconds. This 2-ingredient cauliflower recipe is as simple and speedy as it gets, and it’s guaranteed to disappear at dinnertime.
I’ve learned that the fastest, easiest route to crisped-up cauliflower is to use the air fryer. Its powerful blast of convection heat does the trick in half the time of my oven, and it preheats much more quickly, too. Roasted vegetables in less than 20 minutes have been a real game changer in my house in the last few years—it’s become a race to get food on the table before my kids get a chance to raid the snack cabinet!
Shopping for and Prepping Cauliflower
When I’m shopping for cauliflower, I like to buy the biggest head I can find at the store (usually this ends up being around 3 pounds). Broken down into florets, it yields two batches worth of cauliflower. If you’re just looking to make a single batch, a 1 1/2-pounder will yield about 1 1/4 pounds of florets, enough to fill up the average air fryer basket.
Breaking down a head of cauliflower into florets isn’t too difficult. If you need a quick lesson, check out this helpful tutorial. My only additional tip would be that it’s nice to get the florets into truly bite-sized (1 to 1 1/2-inch) pieces for maximum browning.
Unless you have a very big (8-quart capacity or larger) air fryer, you’ll want to keep your batch of air-fried cauliflower florets to 1 1/4 pounds or less for optimum browning. As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to make sure everything fits in your air fryer basket in a single layer. Air frying more cauliflower than will fit in a single layer can result in soggy, less crisped florets.
Simply Recipes / Coco Morante
The Secret Ingredient
Just a little garlic salt is all that’s needed to take your air-fried cauliflower from good to great. I toss the cauliflower with oil and garlic salt in a large, lightweight mixing bowl to make sure the seasonings are evenly distributed, plus my kids love to watch the veggies go up in the air over and over. After about 50 tosses (counted out loud for extra credit), the florets are ready to cook.
How To Make My 2-Ingredient Crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower
To make three to four servings, you’ll need:
- 1 to 1 1/4 pounds cauliflower florets (half a large head or all of a small to medium head)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (Kinder’s or Lawry’s are my favorite brands)
Preheat an air fryer to 400°F. While the air fryer is preheating, add the cauliflower to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the avocado oil over the cauliflower, then sprinkle with the garlic salt. Toss until all of the florets are evenly coated with the oil and seasoning.
Add the cauliflower to the preheated air fryer, shaking it to ensure that it is spread out in an even layer. Air fry until the cauliflower is crisp-tender and browned in places, about 15 minutes, shaking the basket once halfway through the cooking time.
Transfer the cauliflower to a serving dish and serve right away—it’s crispiest while it’s still piping hot! Be sure not to leave it in the air fryer after the cooking program ends or it can begin to steam and become soggy.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. To reheat, air fry at 400ºF for 2 to 3 minutes.
Simply Recipes / Coco Morante
Even More Garlicky Air-Fried Veggies
You can prepare lots of other vegetables this way, too. Carrots, parsnips, delicata and butternut squash, sweet and regular potatoes, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are other favorites in our house. Cut the veggies into bite-sized pieces and cook as directed. Fairly hardy vegetables can go for the full 15 minutes, whereas more delicate vegetables like green beans and asparagus will cook through in about half the time.
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