FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook

• My Air Fryer Cauliflower Recipe Is Even Better Than Roasted
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How To Cook Cauliflower In The Air Fryer
• My Recipe Tips
• Air Fryer Cauliflower (Crispy, Easy Recipe) Recipe card
• Flavor Variations
• Serving Ideas
• More Air Fryer Veggie Recipes
• Recipe Reviews

My Air Fryer Cauliflower Recipe Is Even Better Than Roasted

This air fryer cauliflower is one of my favorite ways to use this little appliance — which is saying a lot, as I use it almost daily! I’ve been roasting cauliflower in the oven for over a decade, but when I tried cooking cauliflower in the air fryer a few years ago, I was delighted to find that it cooked in just minutes. Here’s why I love it:

• Perfect flavor and texture – This is such a quick and easy, healthy side dish , and it’s got all of the flavor of roasted cauliflower — but with better browning and in a fraction of the time. It’s just the right level of tender, with crispy, slightly caramelized edges. I need those crispy edges!
• Super fast – Air fried cauliflower takes just around 15 minutes, including the prep time. That’s one of the reasons I make it so often.
• Simple ingredients – In fact, you need just 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper), which you probably have in your pantry already.

If you’re looking for an easier, crispier way to enjoy this vegetable, this is it. It’s now one of my favorite cauliflower recipes . Make it with me!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my air fryer cauliflower recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

• Cauliflower – I prefer to use a whole head of cauliflower so that it’s more fresh, but you can also buy a bag of florets for convenience. You can air fry the stems, too. Just make sure to remove the leaves.
• Olive Oil – Helps the cauliflower crisp up. Avocado oil works as well.
• Lemon Juice – I recommend fresh lemon for best flavor, but bottled is okay for convenience. Feel free to skip this if you like; I just think it adds a nice, bright flavor.
• Spices – My go-to blend is smoked paprika , garlic powder , sea salt, and black pepper. See my variations below for other combinations!

How To Cook Cauliflower In The Air Fryer

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card .

1. Preheat. Heat your air fryer ( this one is my favorite ) first to ensure even cooking.
2. Season. Place cauliflower in a large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the florets in the seasoning mixture.
3. Air fry. Place the cauliflower in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook, shaking the basket half way through, until tender and browned on the edges. I like to garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

My Recipe Tips

• Cut all the florets the same size. This ensures that they will cook at the same rate. If I ever get bagged florets, I always check if some of them need to be cut in half.
• Smaller florets will get you more crispy edges. Cut them small if that’s your jam (like me!), or larger if you like the tender inside more.
• The size of your florets will impact cook time. Smaller florets = faster air fryer cauliflower!
• Don’t crowd the basket. To get nice browning and caramelization, your cauliflower needs breathing room. Make sure the florets are in a single layer, preferably with a little space between them, but it’s okay if they are touching. Cook in batches if necessary.

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 1 head Cauliflower (cut into florets) ▢
• 3 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 2 tsp Lemon juice ▢
• 3/4 tsp Smoked paprika ▢
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder ▢
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F (193 degrees C).
2. Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Add cauliflower to the air fryer basket in a single layer (cook in batches if needed – don’t crowd the basket). Cook cauliflower in the air fryer for 7-10 minutes (depending on the size of your florets), shaking the basket halfway through, until browned on the edges.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get evenly cooked cauliflower with crispy edges.
• Variations: See my flavor variations for other seasoning combinations.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. While you can certainly reheat later, I like to repurpose them for other dishes. Throw extras into my roasted cauliflower salad , mix with stir fry vegetables , whip up my cauliflower soup , or swap the broccoli in my chicken bacon ranch casserole .
• Reheat: I recommend reheating cauliflower in the air fryer again, this time for 2 minutes at 320-350 degrees F. The microwave is okay, but the texture will be more mushy.
• Freeze: You can keep air fried cauliflower in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to spread it on a parchment paper lined sheet pan first and freeze until solid before transfering to a zip lock bag, so that it doesn’t stick together. You can reheat right from frozen, too!

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Air Fryer Bundle !

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Air Fryer Cauliflower

Flavor Variations

My classic version on the recipe card is the simplest, but you can totally change it up! Here are some other ways I’ve tried making air fryer cauliflower, and they were all delicious:

• Garlic Parmesan – Halfway through cooking, add 1-2 cloves minced garlic (or just add extra garlic powder in the beginning), and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Shake the basket and finish cooking.
• Curry Spiced – Add 1 teaspoon of curry powder with the other seasonings.
• Chili Lime – Swap out lemon juice for lime juice and add 1/4 teaspoon chili powder to the spices.
• Sauces – Cook the cauliflower in the air fryer, then coat in your favorite sauce! Try tossing buffalo sauce (like my air fryer buffalo cauliflower ) and serve with ranch dressing , or make it cheesy by using the cheese sauce from my cauliflower mac and cheese recipe .

Serving Ideas

I like to serve air fried cauliflower with garlic aioli as a dipping sauce (pictured above), especially when I enjoy it as a snack. Here are some main courses to pair with it for dinner:

• Chicken – When I want to just re-use the same basket, my go-to options are air fryer chicken breast or air fryer chicken legs . If you prefer to make your main dish and side dish in parallel, make my lemon garlic chicken , crispy chicken legs , Mediterranean chicken , or whole chicken wings while you have the cauliflower in the air fryer.
• Beef – My most popular recipe is sirloin steak , but air fryer steak or burgers are great, too.
• Seafood – You can’t go wrong with my 10-minute air fryer salmon . I’ve also served air fryer cauliflower with other fish, like pan fried tilapia and baked haddock . For date night, try my butter poached lobster tails .
• Pork – My juicy air fryer pork chops are super quick, or if you plan ahead, Crock Pot pork tenderloin is amazing.

More Air Fryer Veggie Recipes

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• The Basic Keto Meal Formula
• Understanding Macros
• Keto Food Swaps
• Keto Food List
• Electrolyte Basics
• Keto Diet Types
• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Keto Swaps For Bread

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Keto Swaps For Drinks

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Foods To Eat On Keto

• Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
• Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
• Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
• Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
• Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
• Avocados
• Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
• Almond flour and coconut flour
• Eggs
• Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

• White flour & sugar
• Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
• Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
• Cereal
• Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
• Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
• Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
• Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
• Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
• Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

• Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
• Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
• Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
• Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)

Air Fryer Cauliflower (Crispy, Easy Recipe)

My easy air fryer cauliflower recipe tastes roasted, but is ready in just minutes. It’s perfectly tender inside, with perfect crispy edges!

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for the full recipe, including tips, step-by-step photos, and storage, or to save it to your account. You can also find it at: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/air-fryer-cauliflower/

Ingredients

• 1 head Cauliflower (cut into florets)
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tsp Lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp Smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F (193 degrees C).
2. Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season with smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Add cauliflower to the air fryer basket in a single layer (cook in batches if needed – don’t crowd the basket). Cook cauliflower in the air fryer for 7-10 minutes (depending on the size of your florets), shaking the basket halfway through, until browned on the edges.

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 cup

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get evenly cooked cauliflower with crispy edges.
• Variations: See my flavor variations for other seasoning combinations.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. While you can certainly reheat later, I like to repurpose them for other dishes. Throw extras into my roasted cauliflower salad , mix with stir fry vegetables , whip up my cauliflower soup , or swap the broccoli in my chicken bacon ranch casserole .
• Reheat: I recommend reheating cauliflower in the air fryer again, this time for 2 minutes at 320-350 degrees F. The microwave is okay, but the texture will be more mushy.
• Freeze: You can keep air fried cauliflower in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to spread it on a parchment paper lined sheet pan first and freeze until solid before transfering to a zip lock bag, so that it doesn’t stick together. You can reheat right from frozen, too!

📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Healthy Air Fryer Bundle !

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. :)