These thick slabs of cauliflower steak are delicious, well-seasoned, and satisfying. They work well as the main course or a side dish.
The added bonus: this hearty recipe is easy to make, and the leftovers are excellent.
This cauliflower steak is incredibly flavorful! It's obviously not a beef steak like New York Strip or ribeye steak, but it's "meaty," filling, and satiating, much like other substantial veggies such as grilled portobello mushrooms and grilled eggplant.
From start to finish, this easy recipe takes about 40 minutes to make, making it an ideal choice for a weeknight dinner.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Fresh cauliflower: You will need two fresh cauliflower heads for this recipe.
- Olive oil: I love cooking with this delicious oil. I use olive oil spray for convenience.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and coriander.
Variations
- Sometimes, I use a pastry brush to coat the cauliflower with melted butter instead of olive oil.
- Smoked paprika is an excellent substitute for regular paprika. I love the smoky flavor it adds.
- You can add a teaspoon of onion powder. Half a teaspoon of dried thyme is also delicious in this recipe.
- One of my favorite variations is the balsamic cauliflower steaks shown in the photo below. Instead of using an olive oil spray and sprinkling the cauliflower with spices, I mix two tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder. I brush the mixture all over the cauliflower pieces and proceed to bake them as directed in the recipe card. I love how the balsamic vinegar gets sweet and caramelized in the oven!
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil and spray it with olive oil.
Wash the cauliflower heads, remove the outer leaves, and trim the very bottom of the core, keeping it intact. Slice each cauliflower head into ¾-inch-thick slices.
Arrange the steaks in a single layer on the baking sheet. Scatter the florets around them. Spray their tops with olive oil and sprinkle them with half the seasonings.
Bake the cauliflower steaks for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven, carefully flip them with two wide spatulas, spray them with more oil, and sprinkle them with the remaining spices. Bake them until browned and fork-tender, 10-15 more minutes.
Expert Tip
When you cut the cauliflower heads into slices, some slices will fall apart and turn into florets. Don't worry about those! Simply bake them alongside the intact slices.
That's why you need two cauliflower heads for this recipe, to account for the slices that fall apart.
Plan on getting three steaks out of each cauliflower head.
Recipe FAQs
It's simply thick cauliflower slices that are roasted in the oven. It's not "steak" in the sense that it's made of beef; instead, it has the shape and thickness of a piece of steak. "Steak" refers to how the vegetable is cut before cooking.
No, you shouldn't. Cauliflower stems are edible. Removing the core, even very carefully, will cause the steaks to fall apart.
I remove the outer leaves and trim the very bottom of the stem, but I leave the core intact, and I find that it softens nicely and is delicious when baked.
No big surprises here - it tastes like cauliflower, and more specifically, like roasted cauliflower, since it's typically roasted in the oven. But the experience of eating it is quite different because of the way it's sliced and presented.
Serving Suggestions
I sometimes serve cauliflower steak as a main course, accompanied by a side dish I can bake in the same 425°F oven, such as roasted cherry tomatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, or baked spaghetti squash.
Sometimes, I serve it with fried or poached eggs for a hearty meatless meal.
My favorite way to serve these "steaks" is as a side dish to meat, poultry, or fish. Since I roast them in a 425°F oven, I like to serve them with a main dish I can cook in the same oven, such as Parmesan-crusted chicken, baked salmon, or roasted rack of lamb.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
More Cauliflower Recipes
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Recipe Card
Roasted Cauliflower Steak
Ingredients
- 2 medium cauliflower heads
- Olive oil spray
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - divided; or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper - divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder - divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika - divided
- 1 teaspoon coriander - divided
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil or high-heat-resistant parchment paper and spray it with olive oil.
- Wash the cauliflower heads, remove the outer leaves, and trim the very bottom of the core, keeping the core intact. Slice each cauliflower head into ¾-inch-thick slices. The outer slices will fall apart - simply roast them as florets with the steaks. Plan on getting three steaks out of each cauliflower head.
- Arrange the steaks in a single layer on the baking sheet. Scatter the florets around them. Spray their tops with olive oil and sprinkle them with half the seasonings.
- Bake the cauliflower slices for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven, carefully flip them using two wide spatulas, spray them with more oil, and sprinkle them with the remaining spices.
- Return the cauliflower steaks to the oven and bake them until browned and fork-tender, 10-15 more minutes. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- When you cut the cauliflower heads into slices, some will fall apart and turn into florets. Don't worry about those! Simply bake them alongside the intact slices. That's why you need two cauliflower heads for this recipe, to account for the slices that fall apart.
- Don't trim the core. Cauliflower stems are edible. Removing the core, even very carefully, will cause the steaks to fall apart. I remove the outer leaves and trim the very bottom of the stem, but I leave the core intact, and I find that it softens nicely and is delicious when baked.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Jay
Absolutely loved it! Word of advice, make sure you don't cut them too thick bc it would take longer to cook, so you might have to adjust for that if you cut them like that.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jay! Thanks for the tip about cutting the cauliflower.
Callen
For the life of me I can’t figure out if the slices are to be cut vertically through the top or horizontally through the side! Which is it? Thanks
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Callen,
They should be curt vertically through the top. 🙂
Carol
You baked on highest rack? Is that they won't burn?
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Carol,
Great question! You can indeed see me in the video placing the pan on the highest oven rack. However, that rack was in the middle of the oven.
Bobbi
I made these with the basalmic vinegar and garlic powder portion of the recipe. they were good, but sweet. which I should've realized. I will try the original next time. i used the florets to make Buffalo cauliflower, another favorite.
Vered DeLeeuw
Thanks for the feedback, Bobbi! I appreciate you taking the time.
Helen
Thank you so much for this recipe. I'm a single woman so I cut recipe in 4ths and it's fine for me.
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Helen! Glad you liked it.
Michelle Farmer
I give this recipe a 10 out of 10.
I used the balsamic vinegar recipe that you mentioned and pictured! It was absolutely delicious!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Michelle! Thank you for the review.
One reader
I followed the recipe, it was very tasty, but, instead of the steaks being crispy, mine became soft and spongy, as after some time in the oven they started boiling in their juices. What did I do wrong? And an inquiry, Is there any way to achieve more steaks from one cauliflower? Because as you say the sides fall apart so max 2 or 3 steaks are achievable.
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi! I'm glad you enjoyed the flavor of these cauliflower steaks.
It sounds like your cauliflower had a high water content. Your email address indicates you are from Greece. I don't know if you have different cauliflower varieties than in the United States. In any event, there should be no cooking juices. If there are, I suggest you carefully drain them midway through baking.
As for the number of steaks, the only way to get more of them is to use more cauliflower heads. You can use three baking sheets simultaneously, one on each oven rack, rotating them midway through baking.
A. K.
Great recipe! Today is the 2nd time I made it. First time I served it with edamame and today with baked sweet potato on the side. Thank you for this wonderful, healthy and satisfying recipe - it will be in regular rotation in our house 🙂
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment.
Roy
Delicious! I brushed the cauliflower with melted butter instead of using an olive oil spray. Wife demands it at least once a week from now on. 😀
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you and your wife enjoyed this recipe, Roy!
Yolanda
An easy and tasty recipe. Everyone enjoyed the flavor. Will definitely make again!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Yolanda! It's one of my favorite side dishes.