All you need to make this delicious and super simple air fryer cauliflower are a few pantry staple spices, a little olive oil, and 15 minutes of your time (well, even less if you don't count the cooking time). This air-fried cauliflower was made using the Instant Pot Duo Crisp with an air fryer lid but will translate to almost any other air fryer.
Air Fryer Cauliflower
Have you ever been in that situation when cauliflower was in season and you bought a whole head but then you couldn't decide what to do with it? Well, this air fryer cauliflower rice is for you!
This cauliflower is lightly spiced with garlic and onion powders, smoked paprika, and mixed herbs and air-fried with just a fraction of oil compared to deep-fried or pan-fried cauliflower (or even roasted cauliflower). Using an air fryer such as Instant Po Duo Crisp or another model, you still get the crispy fried or roasted texture and taste of cauliflower.
The best part? You can serve this spiced fried cauliflower in many ways: as a healthy side with meat, fish, or vegetarian protein, in salads, buddha bowls, wraps, soups, and more.
Also read: Quick & Easy: How to Steam Cauliflower in Instant Pot
Cutting The Cauliflower
Remove the outer leaves (save them for soups or separate roasting). Wash the cauliflower and wipe it with a towel. Cut the florets off around the stem or pull them off my hand. Some of them will be quite chunky so you want to cut those into halves or even quarters. Ideally, you want even-sized pieces of cauliflower so they can cook at the same time.
How To Cook Cauliflower In Air Fryer
- To achieve the best air-fried texture of cauliflower, you need a little bit of oil. Because of the shape and texture of the cauliflower florets, it's not always easy to simply drizzle the olive oil all over as you would need to rub it all in, which can sometimes require more oil than you'd like to use.
- Using an olive oil spray is a great solution as you can achieve much better coverage with less oil. If you don't have a spray, pour a little oil in your palms and rub over the florets.
- Once you've cut the cauliflower into small florets, place them on a plate or tray in a single layer. Spray with olive oil.
- Combine the spices, herbs and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the cauliflower and rub a little with your hands. Reserve about a teaspoon for later.
- Set up your air fryer. We're using the Instant Pot Duo Crisp with an air fryer lid. Spray the air fryer basket with a little extra oil and add the cauliflower florets. Sprinkle with the remaining spice mix.
- Secure the air fryer lid. Set to Air Fry function at 200-205 C / 400 F for 15 minutes. Flip every 5 minutes.
- Serve with a few lemon wedges on the side.
Also read: What Are The Pros And Cons Of An Air Fryer?
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Air Fryer Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 lb cauliflower broken into small florets (cut larger florets in half)
- Olive oil spray
- ⅔ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅔ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅔ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅔ teaspoon mixed herbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cut up the cauliflower and mix the spices and salt in a bowl.
- Place cauliflower florets on a plate or tray in a single layer. Spray liberally with olive oil. Season evenly with the spice mix and reserve about a teaspoon for later.
- Set up your air fryer. We're using the Instant Pot Duo Crisp with air fryer lid. Spray the air fryer basket with a little oil and add the cauliflower florets. Spray it with extra oil and sprinkle with the remaining spice mix.
- Secure the air fryer lid. Set to Air Fry function at 200 C/ 400 F for 15 minutes. Flip every 5 minutes.
- Serve with a few lemon wedges on the side.
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