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Make the BEST lemon and herb roasted cauliflower – tender-crisp, lightly charred, caramelized, and coated in a bright, flavorful marinade to elevate any meal. Plus, it’s ready in under 30 minutes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Cauliflower, but make it fancy? Coming right up! Roasting cauliflower brings out its sweet, nutty flavor, imparting a perfect blend of crispy, caramelized edges and a tender middle. Meanwhile, a simple marinade of lemon, garlic, Italian seasoning, and fresh herbs transforms this humble vegetable into an elegant, bright, and zesty side dish.
Not only is it made entirely from simple, inexpensive ingredients, but it takes only about 20 minutes to roast and pairs wonderfully with most plant proteins, pasta, wraps, and even tossed into salads. Packed with flavor, this recipe proves that cauliflower is anything but bland – especially when roasting is involved.
You might also enjoy this recipe for the best cauliflower steaks (with multiple toppings), breaded cauliflower, BBQ cauliflower wings, and/or spicy roasted cauliflower.
The Ingredients
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients, substitutes, and quantities.
Recipe Variations
- Vegan parmesan: (or nutritional yeast) sprinkled before serving for a ‘cheesy’ twist to this simple vegan roasted cauliflower recipe.
- Spice: Add cayenne or red pepper flakes.
- Cumin: For savory, earthy depth to the lemon and herbs.
- Other herbs: Sub green onion with fresh thyme/rosemary.
- Broccoli: Sub half the cauliflower for broccoli.
- Tomatoes: Add cherry tomatoes/baby plum tomatoes to the pan.
- Breadcrumbs: Sprinkle panko breadcrumbs for satisfying crunch.
How to Make Lemon and Herb Roasted Cauliflower
Step 2: Next, rinse, dry, and finely chop the parsley and green onion. In a small bowl, mix the juice and zest from one lemon, oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, parsley, and green onion.
Step 3: Use a brush to spread the lemon herb sauce over the cauliflower. Then preheat the oven to 400F/200C. Roast the garlic lemon cauliflower for 15-20 minutes. Optionally broil for 2-3 minutes at the end for more char. Remove the roasted lemon cauliflower from the oven, serve with additional lemon wedges, and enjoy!
Start light to ensure you have enough, then go back over them with any leftovers.
It may take up to 30 minutes to become tender. For the most even roasting, rotate the tray halfway.
FAQs
Yes – Air fry it in batches, spreading it evenly with space between for airflow. Air fry the lemon, herb, and garlic cauliflower for 10-14 minutes at 375F/190C.
Sure, though you may need to adjust the roasting time slightly.
Technically, yes, though it might not become as crispy. For this recipe, I’d actually recommend thawing it entirely first so it can still marinate in the lemon and herb sauce pre-roasting.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Use even-sized pieces: That way, they’ll roast evenly.
- Don’t overcrowd the tray: Otherwise, the cauliflower with steam, not caramelize, in the oven. Use two baking sheets if necessary.
- For quick cleanup: Optionally line the baking sheet with foil.
- For more tender cauliflower: Cover the baking sheet with foil for 10 minutes, then remove and roast for 10-15 minutes for charred edges.
What To Serve With Lemon Roasted Cauliflower
This simple herby lemon garlic cauliflower is a truly versatile side dish that tastes great with practically any meal, including:
- Your favorite plant protein (Including chick’n, tempeh, and marinated or crispy baked tofu)
- Pasta (like vegan lasagna, creamy tofu tomato pasta, green pea pasta, etc.)
- Bowl meals (like a Buddha bowl, burrito bowl, sweet potato quinoa bowl, etc.)
- To garnish cauliflower soup (and other soups)
- Mediterranean flavors (like in this easy hummus tortilla wrap/pita, vegan lemon-garlic Mediterranean quinoa, Mediterranean vegan pasta salad, etc.)
Storage Instructions
Fridge: Let the lemony cauliflower cool, and store it in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer: The fresh herbs (and roasted lemon slices) likely won’t freeze well. If you plan to freeze the roasted cauliflower, I recommend only adding the fresh herbs when serving. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: In the oven (at 375F/190C) until heated through or in a microwave (in 30-second increments – this will be softer).
Slice the cauliflower head in large 2-inch filets. Be careful so they don’t break. If they do, set the cauliflower florets aside.
- Place the cauliflower filets on the baking sheet. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the juice and zest of one lemon, oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, parsley, and green onions.
Using a brush or a spoon, evenly distribute the sauce over the cauliflower. Go light to make sure you have enough to coat all of the cauliflower. If you have any sauce left, spread it evenly all over the cauliflower until there is no more sauce left. Set aside to marinate while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Roast the cauliflower for 15 minutes or until the desired doneness is achieved. You could broil it for 2 to 3 minutes if you’d prefer a charred flavor.
Remove from the oven and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
- Use even-sized pieces: That way, they’ll roast evenly.
- Don’t overcrowd the tray: Otherwise, the cauliflower with steam, not caramelize, in the oven. Use two baking sheets if necessary.
- For quick cleanup: Optionally line the baking sheet with foil.
- For more tender cauliflower: Cover the baking sheet with foil for 10 minutes, then remove and roast for 10-15 minutes for charred edges.
Calories: 406kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 11gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gSodium: 1310mgPotassium: 1643mgFiber: 13gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 791IUVitamin C: 288mgCalcium: 162mgIron: 4mg
