20 Cauliflower Air-Fryer Recipes That You'll Crave

Cauliflower is a bit of shape-shifting vegetable that can mimic the flavor and texture of many other foods — or at least it makes a satisfying alternative. This makes it a great choice for vegetarians, keto-dieters, or people who prefer to disguise their vegetables as something else. Even if you just plain love cauliflower, it's fun to play around with new recipes.

It also happens to be air-fryer friendly, so mealtime can be that much easier. These cauliflower air fryer recipes will win over your heart and your taste buds.

Cauliflower cheese bread is one of the best ways to reimagine cauliflower, and most of the time it's keto-friendly. Aroma offers a simple 5-ingredient cauliflower cheese bread recipe that takes about about 35 minutes to make. It's perfect for a dinner or a late-night snack that still helps you get a dose of veggies. 

Absolutely nothing can replace classic tortilla chips in a plate of nachos. Now that I've made that clear, if you're looking for an alternative to chips, this healthier version of nachos uses cauliflower as the base so you can still enjoy all the flavorful fixings that go on top.

Ingredients

• ¼ head of cauliflower, chopped into small bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ can of black beans, drained
• ¼ can of corn, drained
• ¼ cup shredded cheese of your choice
• ¼ diced tomato
• ¼ avocado
• ¼ cup red onion or pickled red onion
• Sriracha mayo (about half of this recipe) or regular sriracha (optional)
• ½ jalapeno, sliced (optional)
• Cilantro (optional)

Instructions

1. Line the air fryer tray with tin foil. Preheat the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix cauliflower, oil, and all spices.
3. When the air fryer is preheated, add cauliflower and spread it out as evenly as possible. Roast for 15-20 minutes, pausing to shake the tray halfway through.
4. Once the cauliflower is cooked to your liking, add cheese, beans, and corn. Continue air frying for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.
5. Remove from the air fryer still in tin foil and place it onto a plate.
6. Add the rest of your fresh nacho toppings.
7. Drizzle with sriracha mayo and/or plain sriracha, if desired.

Cauliflower "wings" (like these from Delish Knowledge) aren't the same as chicken wings, and we aren't trying to fool you. But they're similar in spirit: they're warm finger foods and good vehicles for various sauces. They're easy to make with so few ingredients, and they make an awesome healthy appetizer. With football season coming up, give these a try! 

Similar to a potato, cauliflower adapts well to whatever flavor palate your going for. So it makes sense that cauliflower tots from Ambitious Kitchen can turn out almost as tasty as actual tater tots. Air fry them, add a little salt, dip 'em in ranch or ketchup, and enjoy feeling like a kid again. 

For a really nice sweet-and-savory treat, try From the Comfort of My Food Bowl's air fryer teriyaki cauliflower bites. These are actually coated in batter before you air fry them, making them even more scrumptious. They're guaranteed to be a hit at your next hangout with friends! 

I love a good quiche, and I need more of them in my life. But I don't always feel like baking a whole one. This recipe lets you make two single-serve veggie quiches, a great option for when you just have a little cauliflower on hand. Share one with a friend or enjoy your quiche two days in a row.

Ingredients

• Two 4-ounce ramekin dishes
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shredded carrot
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons sour cream, cottage cheese or Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar or feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons of mozzarella to top the quiche

Instructions

1. Steam, saute, or air fry the veggies. Once cooked, wrap them in a paper towel and gently press to squeeze out extra water.
2. Preheat the air fryer to 325°F for 5 minutes.
3. In a bowl, combine eggs and egg yolk, half and half, sour cream, salt and pepper, cheddar or feta cheese, and cooked vegetables.
4. Lightly coat both ramekins with cooking oil, melted butter, or cooking spray.
5. Add the quiche mixture to ramekins.
6. Top each with 1 tablespoon of mozzarella cheese.
7. Cook one quiche at a time for 10 minutes each.

It seems like we're always trying to disguise cauliflower as other things like pizza or wings. Poor cauliflower. This veggie deserves to be itself for a bit with this roasted air fryer cauliflower recipe from Love & Lemons. Keep this snack simple and let the cauliflower shine through with a basic coating of olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon, and parsley. Light, refreshing, and not trying to be anything it's not! 

Since cauliflower can be considered rather plain in flavor, it pairs well with flavorful sauces and, of course, cheese — making these cauliflower pizza bites the perfect air fryer recipe to try on a Friday night! Blue Jean Chef offers options for pepperoni pizza bites or, if you're feeling wild, try the goat cheese & olives with lemon and rosemary pizza bites! 

Love & Lemons' Buffalo cauliflower is a popular way to enjoy this veggie, and it's easy to do in the air fryer. The strong and spicy flavor of the sauce hides the flavor of cauliflower if you don't love it. Me personally, I love anything buffalo-flavored. I also appreciate that it's an excuse to dip something in ranch. 

Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite foods, and Dr. Davinah's Eats' garlic cauliflower mash hits in the same comforting way. Plus, it's so easy! You just toss the cauliflower florets in olive oil and some spices, roast them in the air fryer for 10-15 minutes, and then blend them up with cream cheese, butter, and heavy cream into a divinely creamy mash.

A roasted cauliflower salad is just the dish for a satisfying, veggie-loaded meal.

Ingredients

• ¼ head of cauliflower
• ⅓ cup of chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 cups mixed greens 
• ½ of a Persian cucumber, sliced
• 1 ounce crumbled feta cheese
• ½ avocado, sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat air-fryer to 400°F.
2. Break cauliflower head into bite-sized florets.
3. In a bowl, toss together cauliflower, chickpeas, olive oil, paprika, chili powder, garlic, and a dash of salt and pepper. 
4. Add this mixture to the air fryer and cook for about 20 minutes, tossing several times throughout until nicely roasted.
5. While those ingredients are roasting, prepare a salad bowl with mixed greens and cucumber.
6. Once air-fried ingredients are finished cooking, add to spring mix and cucumber. Top with avocado and feta.
7. Serve with vinaigrette dressing like honey mustard or Thai vinaigrette, depending on your mood. 

Try Bon Appeteach's air-fried cauliflower "steak" if you want cauliflower to be the main event of your meal. Now listen, I know cauliflower will never taste like a steak. It's more about the size, shape, and eating it with a fork and knife than it is about the flavor. And it tastes pretty darn good. You even get to add melted butter on top at the end, which is enough to make me want to suspend my disbelief and try it.  

Cauliflower for breakfast!? You heard that right. Pop these cauliflower hashbrowns from Healthier Steps in the air fryer for about 25 minutes to get a crispy serving of veggies first thing in the morning! 

One thing I've recently learned about myself is if a recipe includes the words "chili" and "lime," I'm always game. That's why this chili lime roasted cauliflower is the perfect side dish to add some flavor to your meal, especially for Mexican night. 

Ingredients

• 1 medium head cauliflower cut into small florets
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 lime wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine cauliflower florets with all the spices (not the lime). 
3. When the air fryer is ready, line the tray with foil. Add cauliflower to the air fryer, as much as you can fit while letting it lay relatively flat. 
4. Cook for about 25 minutes or until the cauliflower is a nice roasted brown. 
5. Remove from the air fryer and continue cooking the rest of your cauliflower until finished.
6. Toss with a squeeze of fresh lime juice before serving. 

For a vegetarian dish that captures the flavor of a fish taco, might I suggest an air fried cauliflower taco from Delish? You still get to enjoy the yummy (vegan) mayo sauce and red cabbage that are as important to me as the actual fish.  

Fritters are tasty morsels that can work as a breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. They're easily customizable and hard to mess up, perfect for a little air-fryer cauliflower experimentation.

Ingredients

• 1 head of cauliflower chopped into florets
• 2 eggs
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• ½ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Put chopped cauliflower into the food processor and pulse it until you have cauliflower rice. 
2. Remove the cauliflower and press between paper towels to remove as much water as you can. 
3. Sautee onions, salt, and olive oil on the stove. Once onions are clear, add cauliflower and cook until it's soft. 
4. In a bowl, whisk eggs, then add parmesan and cheddar cheese, flour, parsley, and garlic powder, stirring to combine. 
5. Add the cauliflower and stir to combine. 
6. Test the mixture by scooping it up into a small ball then flattening. Add more flour if the mixture seems too wet. 
7. Start pre-heating air fryer at 380°F.
8. Continue making small fritter patties. You can lay them out on a plate before they are ready to be air fried. 
9. When the air fryer is ready, spray with cooking spray and then lay fritters in one flat layer without touching each other. 
10. Spray the tops with more cooking spray, then air fry for about 3 minutes. Flip them, and cook for another 3 minutes until they are a nice golden brown and as crispy as you'd like. Repeat steps 9 and 10 until you've air fried all of your fritters! 

Craving fried rice, but want to make it a bit healthier? Vegetarian air-fried rice from Kinda Healthy Recipes is here to save the day. And this recipe is ridiculously simple, using frozen cauliflower and other veggies, plus a few spices and sauces you probably already have. Combine them in an air fryer-safe dish, and in 10-15 minutes, you'll have a tasty meal that's made entirely of veggies! 

WeightWatchers is pretty good at coming up with healthy recipes that actually taste good. These crispy cauliflower falafel balls are no exception — along with a side of tahini. It's a vegetarian match made in heaven, and a great use of cauliflower.

This list wouldn't be complete without something involving sriracha! If you love a little heat, try these air fried honey sriracha cauliflower florets from Easy Veg Recipes. You only need five ingredients for the sauce (sriracha, honey, coconut aminos, sesame oil, and rice vinegar), and of course, the cauliflower. I have most of those ingredients in my pantry already, so this one's high on my list. 

Because cauliflower is relatively neutral in flavor (why else would it be such a versatile veggie?), it works well as a vehicle for spices and paired with more flavorful veggies, like sweet potato. This curried cauliflower & sweet potato nutrition bowl makes a delightful meal in any season, and it's easy to throw together in your air fryer.

Ingredients

• ¼ of a cauliflower head, cut into bite sized florets
• ½ of a sweet potato, cut into bit sized cubes
• 1 cup cooked quinoa or rice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
• Fresh lemon
• Indian raita sauce to top your bowl, optional

Instructions

1. Line the air fryer with foil. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
2. In a bowl, combine cauliflower, sweet potato, olive oil, and spices.
3. Once the air fryer is preheated, coat tinfoil with olive oil using a basting brush.
4. Add cauliflower and sweet potato mixture to the air fryer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked to your desired tenderness. Toss halfway through.
5. Once the veggies are cooked, remove them from the air fryer and serve over warm quinoa or rice. Top with raita sauce, pumpkin seeds, and squeeze fresh lemon.

I don't know about you, but I need to get to the store and get some cauliflower! Don't underestimate the delicious versatility of this vegetable. It's not just broccoli's sad, colorless cousin. It has a lot to offer in flavor and nutrients. And its air-fry-ability is just a bonus. Pick a recipe or two to discover a new healthy meal.