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.
Cauliflower is such a versatile vegetable! It's easy to serve it frequently while keeping things interesting with recipes such as roasted cauliflower, mashed cauliflower, and cauliflower pizza crust.
I especially love cauliflower steak. It's incredibly flavorful, and while it's not a beef steak like New York Strip or ribeye steak, it's definitely "meaty," filling, and satiating, much like grilled portobello mushrooms or grilled eggplant.
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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. But if you prefer an oil with a higher smoke point, you can use avocado oil instead.
- 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. Dried thyme is also delicious in this recipe.
Cauliflower Steak 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. The outer slices will fall apart. Simply roast them as florets with the steaks. Plan on getting three steaks out of each cauliflower head. (Photo 1).
- 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. (Photos 2-4).
- Bake the cauliflower slices for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven, carefully turn them, spray them with more oil, and sprinkle them with the remaining spices. Bake them until browned and fork-tender, 10-15 more minutes. (Photos 5,6).
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.
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; rather, 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.
I often serve these "steaks" 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
Cauliflower Steak Recipe
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 from the oven, carefully turn, spray with more oil, and sprinkle with the remaining spices. Bake them until browned and fork-tender, 10-15 more minutes.
Video
Notes
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition per Serving
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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. 
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.
Natalie Moore
This is my favorite way to cook cauliflower! Love the flavor and the texture. And it was easy to make.
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you liked this recipe, Natalie!
Lauren Moore
So good. Very flavorful. I took off one star because I disagree with the name "steak." I would call it roasted cauliflower slices. But we loved the flavor!
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Lauren!
Roy
I didn't have coriander so I used oregano. These were delicious!
Vered DeLeeuw
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Roy!