Cauliflower Steak

These roasted cauliflower steaks are buttery and tender, and dressed with a luscious, smoky mix of melted butter, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning. An easy vegetarian side dish or main!

When you’re looking to have some fun in the kitchen, turn to cauliflower. It’s a flavorful and versatile vegetable you can transform into pizza crust, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and so much more!

Roasted cauliflower steaks are another fun way to transform cauliflower from a simple vegetable to the mouthwatering star of the dinner. Don’t look at them as competition for a ribeye or Denver steak… Instead, cauliflower steaks are an elevated vegetable side dish or main with smoky flavors and a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

A head of cauliflower is sliced into thick slabs, then dressed with a savory and smoky infused butter sauce. Pop them in the oven and in about 30 minutes, you’ll have your new favorite cauliflower recipe to enjoy as a flavor-packed main or side dish.

Table of Contents

1. Why you’ll love this cauliflower steak recipe
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to make cauliflower steaks 
4. Recipe tips and variations
5. What to serve with cauliflower steaks
6. Storage instructions
7. More creative cauliflower recipes
8. Frequently asked questions 
9. Cauliflower Steak Recipe (Recipe Card)

Why you’ll love this cauliflower steak recipe

Just like cabbage steaks, cauliflower steaks are called “steaks” because the vegetable is sliced into thick slabs before being dressed up with butter and seasonings, then cooked until tender.

• Creative cauliflower recipe. This is no ordinary roasted cauliflower side dish. It makes cauliflower the star of the show!
• Only 5 ingredients. All you need are 5 budget-friendly ingredients to make roasted cauliflower steaks. 
• Healthy. Not only is it versatile, but cauliflower is a healthy vegetable with high amounts of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants.
• Versatile. Enjoy the butter-dressed cauliflower steaks as a healthy side dish with your favorite proteins or make it the star of the meal with a flavorful sauce drizzled on top!

What we really love about this recipe is how quick and easy it is to prepare. In about 30 minutes, you’ll have tender and flavorful cauliflower that’s so much more exciting to eat than regular roasted vegetables!

Ingredients needed

This simple recipe calls for 5 ingredients that might already be in your pantry! This is what you need:

• Cauliflower. Use a large or medium head of cauliflower and slice it into 1-inch steaks. You can use white cauliflower or get creative with purple or orange cauliflower instead.
• Butter. Unsalted butter is preferred. If you use salted butter, omit or reduce the additional salt from the recipe. You can make dairy-free or vegan cauliflower steaks by replacing the regular butter with vegan butter or olive oil.
• Smoked paprika. It’s stirred into the melted butter to create a smoky seasoned butter sauce for the cauliflower steaks.
• Salt and pepper. To round out the flavors in the melted butter.
• Italian seasoning. To season the melted butter.

How to make cauliflower steaks 

This recipe doesn’t call for any fancy cooking methods or tools. Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1 – Slice the cauliflower

Trim and discard the leaves from the head of the cauliflower and place it upright on a cutting board. Starting from the top, slice the cauliflower into 1-inch thick “steaks.” Then use the knife to slice the stalks in a crisscross pattern.

Step 2 – Make the paprika butter

Stir the melted butter, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl.

Step 3 – Brush with butter

Lay the cauliflower steaks on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush both sides with the seasoned butter mixture. 

Step 4 – Bake, then serve

Roast the steaks in the oven until they’re tender and golden brown around the edges. Let them cool slightly, then serve the steaks as a vegetarian main course or a delicious side!

Recipe tips and variations

• For the best cauliflower steaks, choose a cauliflower head with tightly-packed florets and no brown spots or blemishes.
• Keep the core intact. When you’re preparing the cauliflower, only remove the outer leaves and leave the stem in place, as it’s what keeps the cauliflower steaks from falling apart.
• For even cooking, you can roast the steaks on a wire rack on top of a baking dish. This way, the heat can circulate around every inch of cauliflower.
• Mix up the seasonings! Brush the cauliflower steaks with garlic butter instead of paprika butter, or swap the butter for olive oil and sprinkle taco seasoning, curry powder, steak seasoning, cumin, or ranch seasoning over top.
• Add a tomato-based sauce. For an Italian flair, drizzle the cauliflower in a rich tomato sauce, like sugo or pomodoro.

What to serve with cauliflower steaks

You can serve cauliflower steaks both as a side dish and as a main. Here are some ideas to help get you started:

• Serve on the side of your favorite protein: Enjoy the cauliflower next to Greek chicken, vegan meatballs, steak salad, shrimp pesto pasta, or your favorite main dish.
• Serve on a bed of greens or grains: Top the steaks on a bed of cooked white or brown rice, couscous, farro, or wild rice. Or, instead of grains, use the cauliflower as a topping on a leafy green salad or lemon and oil-dressed greens.
• Top with a sauce: Cauliflower steaks only get better with a sauce on top. Add a drizzle of peanut sauce, hot honey sauce, gremolata, romesco, or garlic yogurt sauce for an even bigger burst of flavor. 
• Add a garnish: Like crushed nuts, fresh parsley or basil, crispy chickpeas, lemon zest, parmesan cheese, or crumbled feta.

Storage instructions

To store: Transfer the cooled cauliflower steaks to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

To reheat: You can reheat the cauliflower steaks in a 350ºF oven until they’re slightly crisp and warmed through again.

More creative cauliflower recipes

• Cauliflower casserole
• Sesame Cauliflower
• Cauliflower Potato Salad
• Cauliflower Fried Rice
• Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower

Frequently asked questions