Combine the goodness of cauliflower, turmeric, garlic and an air fryer, you get these delicious Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks. Super easy and ready in just 15 minutes. These crispy yet tender bites make an excellent plant based entree. Packed with all the flavors and textures, simply yum!!!

Anvita

There is no denying that we at Belly Rules The Mind, simply love cauliflower. Simply because it’s so nutritious and is such a versatile vegetable. Not everyone might like Broccoli, but cauliflower is one crusiferous vegetable not many people will complain. Just one cup of cauliflower can yield so many health benefits.

Packed with phytonutrients, vitamins, anti-inflammatory compounds and lots of fiber.
While cauliflower does contain some protein, it’s technically considered a carbohydrate since it’s a plant derived food.
Low carb and keto-friendly? Yes, it’s great for folks following a low-carb diet as it contains a small amount of carbs but is high in fiber.
While it’s low-carb it’s great to boost you Vitamin C count, just one cup yields 77% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin C

In short it’s great for everybody, that’s the reason we have so many cauliflower recipes on the blog. You can find them here.

Cauliflower Steaks

Name: Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp dried, unsweetened cranberries; 2 tbsp tahini; fresh cilantro or parsley; cooked quinoa; 1 cup quinoa; 1.25 cups water; 1 cauliflower head; 1 tbsp oil; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 1/2 tsp paprika (optional); 1 tsp garlic, minced or grated (optional); 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tbsp lime juice

My go-to vegan steak recipe when I have attend a BBQ party. Recently we were invited by a German family at their house for a BBQ party. Since they take their steak seriously, I offered that I will bring in my own vegan steak if they didn’t mind.

BBQ parties here are very different from the US. There is a lot of serious charcoal grilling followed by a sit down dinner. No paper plates or disposable cutlery. If one doesn’t have enough cutlery for the crowd, no one takes offense in bring in their own. The menu is so different from too, no burgers and buns and corn and chips and salsa. None of that.

So I had made these cauliflower steaks a couple times in the US and decided to take these for the BBQ with me along with my Air Fryer. Ya, everyone was fine with it as I didn’t want to share the same grilling space.

These Cauliflower steaks are perfectly crispy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside. Packed with lots of flavors and goodness from the turmeric, garlic, paprika & lime juice. Sure to impress even the meat lovers. I marinated and took a few extra pieces for the crowd and they loved it.

How to cut cauliflower steaks?

Obviously thoroughly wash the cauliflower before you use it.

Trim the leaves and the bottom stem of the cauliflower, leaving the core intact.

First cut through the center of the cauliflower head to make sure the florets are intact.

Then cut thick, 1 inch slices.

Do not throw away the disintegrated florets instead use them to make cauliflower rice or soup.

Cauliflower Steak Marinade

A lot of the flavor inspiration for me comes from my Indian roots, so I used a lot of turmeric and garlic in my cooking, like the Turmeric Lemon Rice or Yellow Turmeric and Pomegranate rice.The flavors complement very well plus both are good for the body. So I made a marinade using turmeric, grated garlic, paprika, salt and some lime juice. Since Air Frying eliminates 80 % of the oil otherwise I literally use 1 table spoon of oil to make my marinate and spreads in on the steaks.

If I have the time, I let the steaks marinate for an hour before I cook them or else I have cooked them even without letting them sit for an hour.

If you are not a fan of turmeric or garlic, feel free to use your favorite herbs to the marinate.

How to make Cauliflower Steaks in Air Fryer

Although these Cauliflower steaks can be grilled or roasted in the oven (400 degrees F for 25 minutes) I like that I can carry my Air Fryer (used for vegetarian only) and these come out perfectly cooked.

Once you have cut the steaks and marinated them as per the instructions above.

It’s time to preheat your Air Fryer at 350 degrees F.

Layer the steaks in a single layer in the inner basket of the Air Fryer. Air fry them for 15 minutes at 375 degrees F flipping them in between. Time and temperature might slightly vary depending on the Air Fryer brand you are using.

Instant Pot Cauliflower Steaks in an Instant Pot using an Air Fryer Lid

After marinating the steaks. Place steaks in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cover the lid and Air Fry them for 15-20 minutes at 350 F. Flip the steaks half way through using a tong and cook until tender and crisp.

What to serve with Cauliflower Steaks

I enjoy my cauliflower steaks with either my all time favorite Avocado Cilantro Dressing or even drizzle the curry that I made with my Indian Masala Sauce that I used to dress my Instant Pot Whole Roasted Cauliflower. However lately I am enjoying Tahini a whole lot, so this time I paired quinoa cooked in the Instant Pot, tahini, cranberries and some fresh green cilantro. You could also serve it with Lemon Herb Rice instead of quinoa.

Can I freeze cauliflower steaks?

If you have an abundant supply of cauliflower, yes you can freeze them. typically you blanch the vegetable before freezing it as it kills the bacteria if any, but you can freeze the cauliflower without blanching too. Just make sure you wash it in warm water and apple cider vinegar thoroughly before using it.

I hope you consider trying these Cauliflower Steak in your Air Fryer. Don’t forget to share your flavor inspiration or how did you dress them up. Take a picture and send it our way on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind.

More Cauliflower Recipes

More Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks

Yield: 5 steaks

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Cauliflower Steak

1 cauliflower head
1 tbsp oil
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp paprika (optional)
1 tsp garlic, minced or grated (optional)
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp lime juice

For the plate

Cooking Quinoa in Instant Pot

1 cup quinoa
1.25 cups water

Instructions

How to Cut Cauliflower Steaks

Thoroughly wash the cauliflower.
Trim the leaves and the bottom stem of the cauliflower, leaving the core intact.
First cut through the center of the cauliflower head to make sure the florets are intact.
Then cut thick, 1 inch slices.
Do not throw away the disintegrated florets instead use them to make cauliflower rice or soup.

Marination

In a bowl toss in the oil, turmeric, paprika, garlic, salt and lime juice. Mix well. Spread the mixture on the steaks and let them sit for an hour if you have the time. If not they are good to go in the fryer too.

Air Fryer Instructions

Preheat your Air Fryer at 350 degrees F.
Layer the steaks in a single layer in the inner basket of the Air Fryer.
Air fry them for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F flipping them in between. Time and temperature might slightly vary depending on the Air Fryer brand you are using.

Instant Pot with Air Fryer Lid Instructions

Roasting in Oven Instructions

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F
Place steaks on a bare or parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20-15 minutes

Instant Pot Quinoa

Toss in the quinoa and water in the inner pot.
Close the lid and seal the vent.
Pressure cook on high for 1 minute.
Allow pressure to naturally release
Fluff quinoa with a fork.
Serve in a bowl

Plating

Scoop the cooked quinoa on a plate.
Arrange the cauliflower steaks above the quinoa or on the side.
Drizzle the Tahini.
Garnish with cranberries and fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley.

Notes

All notes are mentioned in the post above.

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Frank

Sunday 8th of November 2020

Anvita thank you for taking the time to post this recipe. As with a lot of recipes I look for one that makes sense to me. In this case, I was looking for relative thickness of the “steaks”, the temp level and the time. My raw steaks were about 1” thick and I used the Ninja Foodi Grill on Air Crisp function, 375° for 7 minutes per side. My seasonings were olive oil and salt on both sides, and after flipping I added garlic powder and pepper to the top side. I also prepared some melted garlic butter to use for dipping. The flavors are what you add to cauliflower, it’s the texture that makes the difference and your air fryer technique is perfect. If I didn’t know better this could have been sautéed lobster or sautéed mild white fish. It was fabulous with and without the butter, different flavors both ways. My wife, who doesn’t like cauliflower but was willing to try it, also thought it was delicious! Great, great job, Avinta!

Air Fryer Cauliflower Steak