Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

5 from 2 votes
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This super simple Garlic Roasted Cauliflower is the perfect flavor-packed, healthy side dish for any meal. Ready to serve in 45 minutes! 

Garlic roasted cauliflower in a bowl.
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Super Simple Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

This easy garlic roasted cauliflower is as easy as it is delicious! And makes a perfect side to any meal. In this roasted cauliflower tutorial, we’re teaching you how to roast the perfect cauliflower with just a few simple ingredients.

Why you’ll love it!

Ready to serve in 45 minutes: easy prep, easy roasting and then it’s ready to serve!

Perfect side dish: looking for a veggie side for your meal? This garlic roasted cauliflower is it!

Option to make it super crispy: broil your cauliflower at the very end for a super crispy finish. YUM!

Cauliflower florets on a baking sheet.

What You Need for Roasted Cauliflower

All you need for this easy roasted cauliflower recipe is 5 simple ingredients:

  • Cauliflower florets
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic cloves
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Cauliflower florets in a bowl.

How to Make Roasted Cauliflower

Prep & Season Cauliflower

Place the cauliflower florets into a large bowl and drizzle on the olive oil. Season with fresh garlic, salt, and pepper, and then massage the cauliflower with the oil and spices.

Transfer cauliflower to baking sheet

Transfer the cauliflower onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and be sure to scrape any garlic or oil from the bowl with a spatula. Spread the cauliflower out evenly over the parchment paper.

Roast cauliflower & Enjoy!

Roast the cauliflower at 400ºF for 30-40 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden brown. Toss the cauliflower after 15 minutes to ensure even cooking.

Best Temp for Oven Roasted Cauliflower

The higher the temp the better when it comes to cauliflower. Why? Well, it’s the secret sauce to getting perfectly cooked cauliflower that still has a bit of a crunch to it and no mush!

While we prefer to roast our asparagus at 400ºF, we’re giving cooking directions for multiple options below if you like your cauliflower a little less al dente:

  • 400ºF for 30-40 minutes
  • 375ºF for 35-45 minutes
  • 350ºF for 40-50 minutes
Cauliflower florets on a baking sheet.

Top Tips for Roasted Cauliflower

Bake time will vary: Remember that the bake time for this roasted cauliflower will vary depending on how moist your cauliflower is and how hot your oven runs.

For extra crispy cauliflower: If you like your cauliflower extra crispy, broil the cauliflower on high for 3-5 minutes or until it reaches desired crispiness.

FAQs

How do you make crispy roasted cauliflower?

For crispy roasted cauliflower, we recommend baking at a higher temperature. Our recipe calls for baking at 400ºF for a perfectly crispy and not mushy roasted cauliflower.

Why does my roasted cauliflower get mushy?

Roasted cauliflower can get mushy from overcrowding the pan — it causes the cauliflower to steam rather than roast. Make sure to leave enough space between florets to avoid this.

Should cauliflower be washed before roasting?

Yes. We recommend washing your cauliflower after cutting into florets to ensure you remove any dirt.

Roasted cauliflower floret.

Storage

Store roasted cauliflower in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

To reheat in the microwave: Place cooked cauliflower on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 60-90 seconds.

To reheat on the stove top: Add about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet and turn burner to medium/high heat. Sauté cooked cauliflower for 3-5 minutes or until warm.

Roasted cauliflower in a bowl with a spoon.

5 from 2 votes

Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

This super simple Garlic Roasted Cauliflower is the perfect flavor-packed, healthy side dish for any meal. Ready to serve in 45 minutes! 
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
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Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration!
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Ingredients 

  • 1 large head cauliflower, chopped into florets
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and massage the oil, garlic, salt, and pepper into the cauliflower to be sure every piece of cauliflower is oiled and spiced.
  • Pour the cauliflower onto the parchment paper and be sure to scrape any garlic or oil from the bowl with a spatula. Spread the cauliflower out evenly over the parchment paper.
  • Roast the cauliflower at 400ºF for 30-40 minutes or until the cauliflower is golden brown. Remove and toss the cauliflower after 15 minutes.

Tips & Notes

  • Bake time will vary depending on how moist your cauliflower is and your oven.
  • If you like your cauliflower extra crispy broil the cauliflower on high for 3-5 minutes or until it reaches desired crispiness.
  • This recipe was updated on July 14th, 2022.

Nutrition

Calories: 142 kcal, Carbohydrates: 6 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 11 g, Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 4 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Emily Richter

Emily is Fit Foodie Finds' editor-in-chief. She has a master's degree in strategic communication and a passion for food. She is an incredible at-home cook, making her writing an important part of the content creation process.

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Jazmín
June 19, 2019 1:27 am
Recipe Rating :
     

5 stars
It looks great! Thank you very much for sharing

Sara
Sara
May 28, 2017 3:06 pm

Way too much garlic salt. The cauliflower was too salty to eat 🙁 Will make again using either far less garlic salt or just granulated garlic and salt separately.

Shari
Shari
March 18, 2017 5:56 am

Great recipe, but too much salt! Will cut in half next time. Also baked on a sheet of parchment paper. Worked perfectly!

JudyAnn Wehking
JudyAnn Wehking
February 25, 2017 5:49 am

Since i follow a vegan-based diet, I experiment with roasting all kinds of veggies to include cauliflower ( I use curry and other spices) but when I saw this recipe and read about using it instead of popcorn, I was intrigued. I noticed 1 tablespoon of garlic salt and was concerned about the sodium content. Thoughts???

Alice
Alice
January 14, 2017 10:40 am

Beginning to explore for recipes since we are expecting guests who have dietary needs – specifically looking to find gluten free recipes.