Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables and this Spicy Roasted Cauliflower is a delicious way to prepare it.
Sometimes I roast cauliflower into submission, until it’s almost burned and charred. This recipe requires a little more finesse though because the sauce on the cauliflower will burn if you over-do it. To help with this, I like to add half the sauce at the beginning of roasting, almost like a marinade, and then half closer to the end to keep the flavors bright and fresh.
The sauce on the cauliflower packs a bunch thanks to a variety of spicy ingredients. It’ll wake up your tastebuds and you’ll be glad to have a bowl of the cilantro dipping sauce close by (plus maybe a beer).
I can see this cauliflower as a great side dish for almost any meal. It could also work as an appetizer if you served the florets with little toothpicks!
How to Prepare Cauliflower for Roasting
I use a paring knife normally to just cut off florets into whatever size you like. Try to get them to be roughly the same size. Obviously if you are roasting two very differently sized items, they won’t cook evenly so try to avoid that.
I like to lay out my florets on a large baking sheet and they are ready for some sauce!
Like I said, I add about half of my sauce to the cauliflower and toss them around. In hindsight, it might’ve been a good idea to line my baking sheet with foil or parchment paper to make clean up a little easier.
This is ready for the oven!
Roasting and Finishing the Cauliflower
When the cauliflower is almost done roasting (around 30 minutes) I like to take it out and add the rest of the spicy sauce to it. Keep in mind you should be stirring the cauliflower every 10 minutes or so while it roasts, but this last hit of sauce really brightens up the flavors.
Once the cauliflower is done, it’ll be deeply charred in spots and tender throughout on the larger pieces. I like to serve it with some lime wedges for squeezing and a big bowl of cilantro dipping sauce! (If you aren’t a cilantro fan, you could use chives as well.)
Take a dip! It’s delicious!
This Spicy Roasted Cauliflower keeps well in the fridge for a day or two and reheats in a skillet or in the microwave. I prefer skillet!
Spicy Roasted Cauliflower
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- ½ kosher salt
- Limes, for garnish
- Cilantro, for garnish
Cilantro Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 cup whole milk yogurt
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
- 1 lime, juice only
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. In a small bowl combine olive oil, spices, salt, and sriracha. Stir to combine.
- Cut cauliflower into florets and drizzle with about half of the spicy sauce. Stir to combine and spread out on a large baking sheet.
- Bake cauliflower for 30 minutes. Stir the cauliflower every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. Drizzle the rest of the spicy sauce on near the end of the cooking time so it is fresh and doesn’t burn.
- Serve roasted cauliflower with lime wedges, garnished with cilantro and serve with yogurt dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Here are a few other great cauliflower recipes!
- Roasted Cauliflower Mediterranean Bowl
- Spicy Cauliflower Dip
- Garlic Butter Mashed Cauliflower from Healthy Fitness Meals
