This baked cauliflower is always a side dish favorite. With a bit of garlic and baked until golden brown, this Oven Roasted Cauliflower is ready in about 30-minutes. Add some red pepper flakes if you prefer things a bit spicy!
These delicious cauliflower bites go great with these kid-friendly dinner recipes, Baked Catfish Nuggets, and Simple No Veggie Meatloaf.
Table of contents
Why we love this recipe
It's simple! - Since this recipe uses just a few ingredients, you can have it oven-ready in a short time. For an even quicker prep time, buy the bag of pre-chopped cauliflower at the grocery store.
It's tasty! - The crispy cauliflower lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder is good by itself, but once you top it off with shredded parmesan cheese... oh my! Yum!
It's kid-friendly - I know kids don't always like to eat their veggies, but we never had a problem with this recipe. The kids loved the golden, crispy bites and would clean their plates.
Recipe ingredients
How to cut cauliflower
Over the years I have found this method the easiest for me to prep the cauliflower for roasting. If you have pre-cut cauliflower, skip to the next section.
First - Cut the head of cauliflower in half.
Second - Cut each half in half, now you have four sections.
Third - Cut out the center stem from each section.
Fourth - Once the stem is removed, clean up the cauliflower leaving just the florets.
Fifth - At this point, you can break apart the florets, or cut them to the desired size. For oven-roasted cauliflower, try to get them as close to the same size as possible for even cooking.
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Recipe directions
If you bought pre-cut cauliflower, follow the directions starting here.
Preheat the oven.
Sixth - Pile the cauliflower florets in the center of a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and add seasonings. Mix well. You can use tongs or your hands.
Seventh - Spread out the florets so the cauliflower will get that nice crispy, golden brown. If the florets are too close they tend to steam and soften. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake until fork tender.
Baking the cauliflower at 425 degrees F takes about 20 - 30 minutes. It all depends on the size of the florets.
I used to turn and stir the cauliflower halfway through baking. I don't anymore. I like the one side really brown as shown above. Experiment with both ways to see what your family likes best.
Mom tip
If the kids are still a bit fussy about this vegetable recipe, try giving them some ranch dressing to dip them in. That always seems to do the trick.
Recipe Faq's
Bake the cauliflower at a high enough heat. Usually around 425 degrees F. Do not overcrowd the baking sheet. This gives the veggies a chance to brown and not steam.
Depending on the size of the floret, and the temperature of the oven, it should take around 20 - 30 minutes.
Use a fork to pierce the cauliflower. If the fork slides in easily it should be done. If the floret falls apart, the cauliflower is overcooked.
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Printable Recipe
Oven Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head Cauliflower cut into bite size pieces
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets.
- Pile the cauliflower onto a baking sheet.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower.
- Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Mix everything until the cauliflower is well coated.
- Spread out the cauliflower, trying not to overcrowd the pieces.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 - 30 minutes until fork tender and golden brown.
- Sprinkle finished oven-roasted cauliflower with Parmesan cheese.
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