This cauliflower steak recipe is quick and easy to cook either in the oven or on the grill, making a super tasty plant-based meal that can be paired with your favorite sauce. It is keto, gluten-free, low-calorie, and vegan like our mushroom steak.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love this recipe
- Easy: It calls for simple ingredients such as seasonings, cauliflower heads, and olive oil. All you have to do is to cut cauliflower into thick slices, brush with oil, and season. Then roast them in the oven (or cook on a grill) until the middle is tender and the outsider is golden brown and crispy.
- Healthy: It's low-carb, low-calorie, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
- Versatile: You can easily replace several ingredients to use whatever you have at home.
- Meatless yet satisfying!
- Budget-friendly: Cauliflower, oil, and seasonings are simple, low-cost ingredients that most of us have at home.
Cauliflower Steak Recipe
This cauliflower steak can be roasted or grilled taking up to 30 minutes to get ready.
It uses simple ingredients that you find all-year round easily in most countries.
This is one of those plant-based recipes that you can make at least once a week saving time and money while benefiting from its plant power.
It helps your body and the environment!
You can use the seasoning blend as a base to make other vegan steaks.
How to choose cauliflower
Cauliflower heads should be:
Firm and tightly closed.
If white must be pale, with no dark spots.
Cauliflower is in season in June, with its peak from September through November but may vary depending on each leading cultivating state. White is the most typical color!
How to cut cauliflower steaks
- Remove the outer green leaves.
- Trim off the bottom of the cauliflower stem but keep the core intact.
- Cut right through the middle of the cauliflower head, keeping the florets together.
- Next, slice a 1 ½-inch thick steak from each half, yielding about 4 slices. If the head is large, cut one more steak from each of the cut sides, yielding 6 steaks.
- Repeat the process with the other head of cauliflower, removing any florets not connected to the stem. There should be about 8 to 12 pieces in total.
- Make sure to save the excess florets that do not connect to the steaks for making cauliflower rice, risotto, grits, or use in soups and salads.
Ingredients and substitutions
2 heads cauliflower (white, not purple)
¼ cup olive oil (or avocado oil)
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon garlic powder (NOTE: Please do not use minced fresh garlic because it may burn)
A pinch of ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional) -- You may add a pinch of Italian seasoning if you want.
Finely chopped parsley (to sprinkle on top), or another fresh herb of choice.
How to make cauliflower steak
- To make roasted cauliflower steaks, place the oven rack in the lower third position. Preheat the oven to 500ºF (260ºC).
- CUT: Trim the outer green leaves from the head of the cauliflower and then cut off the stem, keeping the core intact. PIC. 1 Using Chef's knife, cut the cauliflower in half lengthwise through the center. PIC. 2 Next, slice a 1 ½-inch thick steak from each half, yielding about 4 slices. PIC. 3 NOTE: If the head is large, cut one more steak from each of the cut sides, yielding 6 steaks. Repeat the process with the other head of cauliflower, removing any florets not connected to the stem. There should be about 8 to 12 pieces in total.
- Place cauliflower steaks on a large rimmed baking sheet (or 2 medium baking sheets).
- SEASON: Drizzle olive oil on both sides of each cauliflower steak. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, turmeric, and smoked paprika, and sprinkle the mixture evenly on both sides. PIC. 4
- ROAST: Tightly cover the baking sheet with foil and bake it for 5 minutes. Then, remove the foil and roast the cauliflower steaks for 10 minutes. PIC. 5
- Gently flip each one of them and roast until a golden brown crust forms on both sides. It will take about 5 to 8 minutes.
- SERVE: Transfer them to a serving platter and garnish the top with red pepper flakes and parsley. Serve with your favorite store-bought (such as pesto or chimichurri) and lemon slices on the side. PIC. 6
Grilled Cauliflower Steak
- CUT & SEASON: To make grilled cauliflower steak, cut and season the steaks as written above. Meanwhile, preheat your electric grill to medium heat (around 350-375ºF/176-190ºC) OR use a charcoal BBQ if preferred, brushing the grates with oil of course.
- After preheating, place each cauliflower steak into a single layer on the grill with the seasoned side down. Cook for around 4-5 minutes (or 5-6 for thicker slices) or until browned and crispy. Then, flip the steaks over, and repeat. They must be golden brown and crispy outside and tender in the middle.
Useful Tips
- Choose firm, tightly closed heads, with no dark spots.
- Remove the outer leaves and cut the cauliflower head into thick slices. Be careful when slicing the heads as they may fall apart, turning into florets.
- Brush each slice on both sides with oil and season it well.
- Bake or grill them on both sides until crispy and golden brown outside and tender in the middle.
FAQ's
What is cauliflower steak?
It consists in thick cauliflower slices that are roasted in the oven or grilled on an outdoor grill. It's not really a meat steak although resembles the shape and thickness of a piece of one. The word "steak" refers to how the veggie is cut before cooking.
What does cauliflower steak taste like?
It tastes like cauliflower (roasted or grilled).
Should I remove the core when slicing the cauliflower?
No, not at all; otherwise the head slices will turn into florets. You remove the outer leaves and cut the stem but not the core.
What to serve cauliflower steaks with?
These keto cauliflower steaks are a complete meal on their own topped with your fave sauce or with some sunny-side-up eggs.
But if you'd like to serve it with a side, a fresh salad, mashed sweet potatoes, or mashed potatoes would pair well with them!
How to Store
Store cool leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
To reheat, place your cauliflower steaks on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F just until warmed through. If you let them burn, they'll become bitter. Avoid heating them in the microwave because cauliflower has high water content and may become soggy.
You can freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months in a Ziplock bag.
Other Cauliflower Recipes
- Cauliflower curry soup
- Cauliflower hummus
- Keto mac and cheese
- Cauliflower bread
- Low-carb sushi bowl
- Cajun dirt rice (keto)
PIN & ENJOY!
Cauliflower Steak
Equipment
- 1 Chef knife
- 1 large baking sheet
- 1 oven or outdoor grill
- 1 small bowl
Ingredients
- 2 heads cauliflower white, not purple
- ¼ cup olive oil or avocado oil
- Salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder NOTE: Please do not use minced fresh garlic because it may burn
- A pinch of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- A pinch of red pepper flakes optional -- You may add a pinch of Italian seasoning if you want.
- Finely chopped parsley to sprinkle on top, or another fresh herb of choice.
Instructions
Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
- Place the oven rack in the lower third position. Preheat the oven to 500ºF (260ºC).
- CUT: Trim the outer green leaves from the head of the cauliflower and then cut off the stem, keeping the core intact. Using Chef's knife, cut the cauliflower in half lengthwise through the center. Next, slice a 1 ½-inch thick steak from each half, yielding about 4 slices. NOTE: If the head is large, cut one more steak from each of the cut sides, yielding 6 steaks. Repeat the process with the other head of cauliflower, removing any florets not connected to the stem. There should be about 8 to 12 pieces in total.
- Place cauliflower steaks on a large rimmed baking sheet (or 2 medium baking sheets).
- SEASON: Drizzle olive oil on both sides of each cauliflower steak. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, turmeric, and smoked paprika, and sprinkle the mixture evenly on both sides.
- ROAST: Tightly cover the baking sheet with foil and bake it for 5 minutes. Then, remove the foil and roast the cauliflower steaks for 10 minutes.
- Gently flip each one of them and roast until a golden brown crust forms on both sides. It will take about 5 to 8 minutes.
- SERVE: Transfer them to a serving platter and garnish the top with red pepper flakes and parsley. Serve with your favorite store-bought (such as pesto or chimichurri) and lemon slices on the side.
Grilled Cauliflower Steak
- CUT & SEASON: To make grilled cauliflower steak, cut and season the steaks as written above. Meanwhile, preheat your electric grill to medium heat (around 350-375ºF/176-190ºC) OR use a charcoal BBQ if preferred, brushing the grates with oil of course.
- After preheating, place each cauliflower steak into a single layer on the grill with the seasoned side down. Cook for around 4-5 minutes (or 5-6 for thicker slices) or until browned and crispy. Then, flip the steaks over, and repeat. They must be golden brown and crispy outside and tender in the middle.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
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