Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks Recipe {With Lemon Herb Yogurt Sauce}

These air fryer cauliflower steaks are a delicious way to get your veggies in for the day!

Cauliflower is a versatile vegetable used as an ingredient in many dishes, but it also can be enjoyed on its own as a veggie dish. Serve these up by themselves, or as a tasty side dish!

How Do You Cut Cauliflower Into Steaks?

You’ll first want to cut the head of cauliflower down the middle so you have the stem on both halves. Then cut the halves in half once more.

Be warned, that if you are making these for guests, you may want to pick up two heads of cauliflower because you will get about 2 good steaks per head. this is because the stem is what holds the steaks together. Once you cut the outer edges of the cauliflower, you end up with florets instead of steaks. This is normal. So plan accordingly.

Recipe Tips For Making Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks

This is an important note because we all like our vegetables cooked to a different level of doneness. So here are my two cents on cooking this recipe:

1. If you follow the directions in this recipe, you will have an al dente texture. It will still have a crunch. ( I like my veggies to have crunch! )
2. If you prefer a softer cauliflower, your best bet is to slightly pre-cook the whole cauliflower first. Whether you blanch, boil, or steam, you’ll want to keep a close eye on it. Just for reference, steaming a full head of cauliflower will be approximately 3-4 minutes for al dente and up to 8-10 minutes for soft cauliflower (depending on the size of the head).
3. Should you choose to cook the cauliflower first, I highly recommend not overcooking it because, while you won’t be air frying it for very long, it will still continue to cook. So air on the side of caution and pre-cook only until the cauliflower is al dente.

How Long To Air Fry Cauliflower Steaks?

When you have steaks like this, the center of the cauliflower won’t cook as fast as the edges will. So if you want to air fryer these for longer than the 10 minutes mentioned in the recipe, be sure to flip them and rotate them several times during the cooking process. Not only will this help keep things from burning, but will also help you keep an eye on things.

Dietary Considerations

Vegan – These are naturally vegan if you use vegan yogurt.

Vegetarian – These are naturally vegetarian.

Keto – You can use sour cream instead of yogurt to make these keto-friendly.

Gluten-Free – While this recipe doesn’t call for anything that would normally contain gluten, paying attention to the individual ingredients you guy is still necessary. As long as they are all gluten-free, then this is naturally the same.

How To Serve Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks

The following suggestions are based on pairings with the sauce as well as the cauliflower. If you do not use/make the sauce, then it opens up the possibilities even further. But with the sauce I recommend:

• Chicken
• Fish
• White beans
• Toast
• Potatoes
• Steak
• Greek salad
• Italian Chopped Salad
• Greek Pasta Salad
• Orzo Salad

Recipe Variations

This recipe is incredibly versatile. Simply play around with the spices, or even try adding some cheese. Here are my recommendations:

Spices

• Cilantro
• Onion powder
• Curry powder
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Turmeric
• Taco seasoning

Dairy

• Parmesan cheese
• Melted butter
• Cheddar cheese

For The Sauce

• Lime juice instead of lemon

About The Ingredients

Cauliflower Steaks

Cauliflower – Look for a medium-sized head with no black or brown spots.

Oil – Use any type of oil you are comfortable cooking with. But I recommend something with a high smoke point so your air fryer doesn’t produce so much smoke. Try avocado oil or coconut oil. Avoid olive oil because it has a very low smoke point.

Smoked paprika – If you don’t have smoked, regular paprika is the next best thing. But try to find smoked because the flavor is wonderful in this recipe.

Garlic powder – Garlic granules will work too. Just avoid garlic salt.

Black pepper – White pepper could work too in a pinch. Or you can omit it completely.

Yogurt Sauce

Plain yogurt – You can use dairy or non-dairy yogurt. Greek yogurt will work too. I used Kite Hill almond milk yogurt (not paid to promote them).

Lemon juice – This can be bottled (no sugar) or fresh. Fresh is, of course, always better, if you have it.

Fresh dill

Fresh parsley

Honey – You can really use any sweetener you prefer here.

Garlic powder – Or garlic granules. Just avoid garlic salt.

Salt – I used pink Himalayan salt, but you can use whatever you normally cook with.

How To Air Fry Cauliflower Steaks

Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks

Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C) if your air fryer has a preheating function. If not, you can obviously skip this.

Clean and trim your head of cauliflower, removing the leaves and stem from the cauliflower head.

Using a sharp knife, cut the cauliflower into 1½-inch thick slices. Note that if your steak doesn’t hold together, you can easily cook this as florets too.

Place a steak or two (however much fits in your air fryer basket in a single layer) into your air fryer basket or tray. Lightly spray both sides with an oil sprayer.

Sprinkle on the spices. Remember to divide the spice measurements by the number of slices you have. So for example, you would divide the 1 tsp. of garlic powder called for into a ¼ tsp. on each steak.

Cook at 375 F. for 10 minutes. Cooking time may vary between appliances. See notes on attaining the consistency you want. You should have crispy cauliflower steaks when these are done, at least around the edges. The inner portions will be crunchy, as mentioned.

Yogurt Sauce

While the cauliflower cooks, in a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients and whisk well to combine.

Putting It All Together

Remove the cauliflower steaks from the air fryer and serve with yogurt sauce over the top. Feel free to garnish with more fresh herbs for presentation.

How To Cook Cauliflower Steak In An Oven?

To bake these, you’ll want to place the steaks on a baking sheet and bake/roast them at 375 F. for approximately 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. You can bake them longer or shorter to achieve the consistency you want. If they start to brown too much, simply place a loose sheet of foil over the pan and continue baking. You want these to be, at least around the edges, golden brown when finished.

Storing Leftover Cauliflower Steaks

Store the cauliflower and the sauce separately in an airtight container(s). Both will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezing Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks

Freezing is not recommended for leftovers from this recipe.

Reheating Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks

You can either warm these in the microwave (without the sauce), or you can place them back into the air fryer (without the sauce) and warm them at 300 F. for about 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through.

Recipe Supplies

More Healthy Cauliflower Recipes

• Cauliflower Fritters
• Lemon Thyme Cauliflower Rice
• Sheet Pan Chicken And Cauliflower

More Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

• Air Fryer Smashed Brussels Sprouts
• Air Fryer Falafel
• Air Fryer Tuscan Chicken Thighs
• Air Fryer Apple Fries
• Air Fryer Chicken Wings
• Air Fryer Chicken Breast
• Even More Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

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Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks Recipe Card