Air Fryer Roasted Whole Cauliflower

This air fryer roasted whole cauliflower is a very easy vegan Thanksgiving dinner recipe for the whole family. Made with a homemade bell pepper basil pesto recipe.

I cooked a whole cauliflower in the air fryer and I LOVED it!!

This cauliflower is all kinds of delicious and almost effortless. The secret to it’s deliciousness is the homemade red bell pepper pesto.

This roasted whole cauliflower can be served for Thanksgiving and all year round!

Tips for making it

• Use a small head of cauliflower. I used a 3lb cauliflower which came out to just a little more than 2.5lbs after I removed all the unwanted parts.
• The Air fryer cook times I mention below are all based on the size of my cauliflower. If your cauliflower is bigger or smaller, please adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• My cauliflower took 50 minutes to make in the air fryer, but, check yours at the 45min mark. Depending on your air fryer model, you may have to stop it sooner.
• Make sure you get the pesto into all the nook and crannies of the cauliflower. This way, your cauliflower has a more of an even taste. Don’t be afraid to use a turkey baster, if you have too!!!
• A radical way to do this would be to submerge the whole cauliflower into a bowl filled with the pesto. Keep it submerged overnight. Cover the top with a plastic wrap and then place the bowl in the refrigerator, overnight.
• I highly, HIGHLY recommend letting the cauliflower marinate overnight in the pesto sauce. It will make sure the sauce gets into most of the cauliflower. If you can’t keep it overnight, try for at least 8hours.
• Tuck tiny butter pieces at the bottom of the cauliflower before you cover it with wrap. When you are ready to cook it, it will melt slowly and give the base a very melt-in-your-mouth texture. Use vegan or regular butter.
• Personally, I have never seen the need to preheat the air fryer. But, if you want to preheat it, you can do it. Just adjust your cook time, because it will be about 30-40 minutes.
• If you don’t want to cook it in the air fryer, you can cook it in your oven. Preheat it to 320°F and then cook the cauliflower for about 1hr 20min. Broil it for about 7min to get that crispy top.
• You can use regular pesto instead of using my red bell pepper pesto. Or try my arugula pesto, scallion pesto or cilantro pesto.

Get a crispy outside!

Do you love the outside to be crispy while the inside be soft and melty?

Then, you are exactly like me and we will get along just fine!!!

After, I had finished cooking the cauliflower, I realized that it needed a crispy outside. Not only did it give this cauliflower textures, it also gave it a very unique look.

It’s the equivalent of broiling in the oven. But, the air fryer does it so much better.

There is almost a smoky flavor to this cauliflower.

I have seen some people boil the whole cauliflower first before oven-roasting it. Try it and let me know in the comments below. I would love to see how it turns out.

Why make it in the air fryer?

• The air fryer cooks the whole cauliflower in a shorter time than the oven. An average cauliflower will take about 85minutes in the oven whereas in the air fryer, it will take about 60 minutes.
• The air fryer uses less oils than when it’s cooked in the air fryer.
• The air fryer will get into more of the nooks and crannies of the cauliflower than the oven can.
• Unlike the oven, there is no need to preheat the air fryer.
• The oven uses more electricity to cook the cauliflower than the air fryer. Besides, why turn on the whole oven for just one small cauliflower, right?
• The air fryer can be put in the garage or the patio while it’s cooking the cauliflower. You can’t put the oven outside, lol!
• You can use your oven to cook other vegan Thanksgiving meals like Blueberry crumble, fingerling potatoes or roasted green beans.

Storing leftovers

This is one of those rare recipes I make that can actually be refrigerated or frozen!

I know, I surprise myself sometimes!

To refrigerate it:

• Pour about 1-2 Tbsp worth of the pesto on top of the leftover cauliflower. The more cauliflower your have left over, the more pesto you will will need
• Wrap the cooked whole cauliflower in a plastic wrap or use a shower cap (shower cap should not have been used before!)
• Place the cauliflower in a glass bowl, preferably, over a plastic bowl
• Close the lid and place in the vegetable crisper
• Use within 7 days of refrigerating.
• Put it in the air fryer (320°F for about 15 minutes)

To freeze it:

• Place the remaining roasted cauliflower in a zip-lock or freezer friendly bag.
• Pour some of the pesto in the bag (1-2 Tbsp)
• Then, press the bag to remove any air in it.
• Seal the bag as tightly as possible with no air in it.
• Lay flat in the freezer
• When you are ready to use it, don’t thaw it. Put it in the air fryer (320°F for about 25 minutes)
• Use it within 3 months of freezing

Answering your questions

A few vegan Thanksgiving air fryer recipes!

• Candied sweet potatoes
• Sweet potato drop biscuits
• Blueberry galette
• Potato nibbles
• Sweet potato casserole tartlets
• Air Fryer hasselback sweet potatoes
• Miso glazed vegetables

Ever since I discovered the air fryer, I haven’t been able to stop using it. I have made desserts, side dishes and even breakfast recipes in it.

I can’t believe how much my life is easier because of this device. Discover some of my favorite Thanksgiving air fryer recipes and your life will be simpler too.

Want to see some of the other delicious ways to use cauliflower?

Want even more healthy recipes? I have the collection of the easiest healthy recipes you can make all year round.

A word about air fryers

Not all air fryers are created equal!

Even if you set the same time as I do, your air fryer might cook it slower/faster than mine. I suggest you check after about 40 minutes to make sure that it is cooked.

To know if your cauliflower is done, poke a knife at the top. If the knife goes through easily with very little pressure, it is done cooking.

For my air fryer roasted whole cauliflower recipe, I used my favorite (Affiliate link) COSORI Max XL. Comment below and let me know what kind of air fryer you use and your cook time for this air fryer roasted whole cauliflower.

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Air Fryer Roasted Whole Cauliflower

Rini

How to cook a whole cauliflower in the air fryer! This is a very easy vegan Thanksgiving dinner recipe.

5 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Calories 300 kcal

Equipment

• COSORI Air Fryer
• Baking tray

Ingredients

  

For marinating the cauliflower

• 3 lb Whole cauliflower
• 1.5 cups red bell pepper pesto you can use regular pesto
• 1 Tbsp butter cut into small squares, vegan or grass-fed butter

For cooking the cauliflower

• 1 tsp butter to brush the baking dish, vegan or grass-fed butter
• 1.5 cups red bell pepper pesto to baste the cauliflower

For garnish (optional)

• 2 basil leaves cut chiffondale
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

For the pesto (if making your own)

• 2 Tbsp pine nuts lightly roasted
• 2 cup purplish basil or regular basil
• 1 tsp salt Adjust to taste
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 8 oz bell pepper strips 1/2 of a jar

Instructions

 

• If you are making the pesto, blend the ingredients of the pesto and set aside
• Cut the bottom of the cauliflower. Remove any leaves and stems.
• Place the cauliflower in a bowl, top down.
• Start by adding the pesto at the bottom of the cauliflower and let it flow into the inside of the cauliflower
• Turn it over and drizzle the remaining pesto on it
• Get a plastic wrap piece (about 16″x12″)
• Tuck small butter pieces at the bottom of the cauliflower
• Wrap the cauliflower and place it in a bowl
• Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours
• After marinating, remove from the refrigerator and set aside
• Lightly butter a baking dish
• Unwrap the cauliflower and place it in the baking dish.
• Top it with about 1 cup of the basil pesto.
• Use a basting brush to make sure the whole cauliflower gets drenched in the pesto
• Place baking dish in the basket of the air fryer
• Replace basket in air fryer and set it to 320°F (160°C) for 50 minutes
• At about the 25 minute mark, remove the basket and baste it with the remaining 1/2 cup of bell pepper pesto
• Put the cauliflower back in the air fryer and complete the cooking process
• Once it’s completed cooking, immediately turn up your air fryer tempreture to 350°F (176°C)
• Cook the cauliflower for 5 minutes or until the outside has just turned crispy
• Remove from the air fryer and let it cool for 2-3 minutes.
• Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately

Video

Notes

*** CALORIES INFORMATION IS APPROXIMATE.  CONSULT A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION.

TIPS

• Use a small head of cauliflower. I used a 3lb cauliflower which came out to just a little more than 2.5lbs after I removed all the unwanted parts.
• The Air fryer cook times are all based on the size of my cauliflower. If your cauliflower is bigger or smaller, please adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• My cauliflower took 50 minutes to make in the air fryer, but, check yours at the 45min mark. Depending on your air fryer model, you may need to stop it sooner than 50minutes.
• Make sure you get the pesto into all the nook and crannies of the cauliflower. This way, your cauliflower has a more of an even taste. Use a turkey baster, if you have too!!!
• A radical way to do this would be to submerge the whole cauliflower into a bowl filled with the pesto. Keep it submerged overnight. Cover the top with a plastic wrap and then place the bowl in the refrigerator, overnight.
• I highly, HIGHLY recommend letting the cauliflower marinate overnight in the pesto sauce. It will make sure the sauce gets into most of the cauliflower. If you can’t keep it overnight, try for at least 8hours.
• Personally, I have never seen the need to preheat the air fryer. But, if you want to preheat it, you can do it. Just check your cook time, because it will be about 30-40 minutes.
• If you don’t want to cook it in the air fryer, you can cook it in your oven. Preheat it to 320°F and then cook the cauliflower for about 1hr 20min. Broil it for about 7min to get that crispy top.
• You can use regular pesto instead of using my red bell pepper pesto.

Keyword Air Fryer Recipes, air fryer thanksgiving recipes, Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes