Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks are a flavorful main dish or side for your Thanksgiving table. Or a veggie dish for any time. Make crispy 'steaks' in your air fryer!
I'm always looking for delicious vegan main dishes for holiday dinners (or just regular dinners). There are actually tons of meatless options, but honestly, most of them are very complicated.
That's why these cauliflower steaks are so great. They are "steaks" so they feel like a main dish. And they're a vegetable, so they're healthy. But they aren't tons of work.
You mix up a quick marinade, slice the cauliflower into steaks, brush on the marinade, then cook. You can make these cauliflower steaks in the oven but if you have an air fryer I highly recommend it - it makes the steaks crisp and cooks faster than the oven.
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Why I love these Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks
- Dietary needs - these cauliflower steaks are vegan, oil-free, gluten-free and sugar free.
- Delicious main or side dish - serve these cauliflower steaks as a Thanksgiving main dish or as a vegetable side
- Made in the air fryer, with an oven option - the air fryer cooks these "steaks" quickly and gets them super crisp. If you don't have an air fryer or would rather use the oven, you can make these cauliflower just as easy in your oven
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Cauliflower: for best results use larger heads of cauliflower so you can get more "steaks" out of each cauliflower
- Lemon Juice: fresh lemon juice is best
- Maple Syrup: for a completely fruit sweetened marinade, use date syrup
- Dijon Mustard
- Spices: garlic powder, oregano, salt & pepper
- Fresh Thyme: for garnish
How to make Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks
Step 1. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
Step 2. In a small bowl whisk the lemon juice, syrup, mustard, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step 3. Slice the cauliflower into steaks. Trim the bottom few leaves of the cauliflower, but leave most of the stem intact. Slice each cauliflower into 1" steaks - you will get 2-3 steaks per cauliflower. The remaining florets can be tossed in any leftover marinade and baked or air fried.
Step 4. Brush the marinade mixture onto both sides of each steak.
Step 5. Air fry for 15-20 minutes until the steaks are crisp and cooked through. Serve with a garnish of parsley and fresh thyme.
FAQ & Expert Tips
The exact cook time for this recipe depends on the type of air fryer you own. If you are making this recipe for the first time, check the tempeh a few times throughout the cooking process to avoid burning.
In this recipe I used a NuWave Brio 14qt. air fryer - it's slightly larger than a standard air fryer and does take slightly longer to cook certain foods, but I have adjusted the recipe instructions for a standard air fryer.
I usually don't cook with oil - you don't need any! Especially when cooking in an air fryer.
An air fryer works similarly to a convection oven. It circulates hot air to cook all sides of the food at a rapid pace. Because of the quick cooking time the tempeh will not get stuck to the base of the air fryer.
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for this meal. Allow it to fuel and nourish our bodies. Amen.
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Cauliflower Steaks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Oregano
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
- 2 Heads Cauliflower
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- In a small bowl whisk the lemon juice, syrup, mustard, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Slice the cauliflower into steaks. Trim the bottom few leaves of the cauliflower, but leave most of the stem intact. Slice each cauliflower into 1" steaks - you will get 2-3 steaks per cauliflower. The remaining florets can be tossed in any leftover marinade and baked or air fried.
- Brush the marinade mixture onto both sides of each steak.
- Air fry for 15-20 minutes until the steaks are crisp and cooked through. Serve with a garnish of parsley and fresh thyme.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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