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 its deliciousness is the homemade red bell pepper pesto.

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

top and closeup view of an air fryer roasted whole cauliflower on a white dish with basil chiffondale as garinish.
Crispy on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth on the inside! The perfect whole roasted cauliflower recipe.

Tips for making it

  • Use a small whole head of cauliflower. Mine was a 3lb cauliflower which came out to just a little more than 2.5lbs after I removed all the outer leaves.
  • My cauliflower took 50 minutes in mine. Adjust the cooking time to your cauliflower size and air fryer model. The longest time can be about 75 minutes. My preferred cooking method is to make an air fry cauliflower.
  • Make sure you get the pesto into all the nooks and crannies of the cauliflower. Don’t be afraid to use a turkey baster, if you have to!!!
  • 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 recommend using marinated cauliflower. Marinate for about 8 hours to overnight.
  • Tuck tiny unsalted 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 make the thick heart of cauliflower very tender.
  • 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.
A slice of the roasted cauliflower on a white dish topped with the bell pepper pesto. On the plate, a purplish basil on the top right side and a fork on the bottom left are visible
This is a very easy way of making air fryer cauliflower steaks.

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 85 minutes in the oven whereas in the air fryer, it will take about 60 minutes.
  • It uses less oil 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.
Top and angle view of a roasted cauliflower with a crossection cut off to expose the inside.
Not just for Thanksgiving dinner, this vegan whole cauliflower is a Keto-friendly dinner recipe.

🧽 Handy Tip: Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper to make the cleanup process easier. Cooking an air fryer whole cauliflower can be quite messy.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Cut the bottom of the cauliflower. Remove any leaves and stems.
  2. Place the cauliflower in a large bowl and top down. Start by adding the pesto at the bottom of the cauliflower and let it flow into the inside of the cauliflower.
  3. Turn it over and drizzle the remaining pesto on the top of the cauliflower.
  4. Tuck small butter pieces at the bottom of the cauliflower.
  5. Get a plastic wrap piece (about 16″ x 12″) and wrap the cauliflower head.
  6. Put wrapped cauliflower in a bowl and refrigerate overnight (8 hrs).
  7. When ready to cook, lightly butter a baking dish using melted butter.
  8. Unwrap the cauliflower and place it in the baking dish.
  9. Top it with about 1 cup of the basil pesto. Use a basting brush.
  10. Place the baking dish in the air fryer basket.
  11. Replace the basket in air fryer and set it to 320°F (160°C) for 50 minutes or until fork tender.
  12. 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.
  13. Once it’s completed cooking, immediately turn up your air fryer temperature to 350°F (176°C), drizzle with a little olive oil and cook for 5 minutes or until the outside has just turned crispy, based on personal preferences.
  14. Remove from the air fryer and let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil (or avocado oil) Cut into steak sizes and serve immediately. Alternatively, you can sprinkle sesame seeds too.
  15. Use a sharp knife to cut steak sizes.

👩‍🍳 Substitution tip: Don’t like pesto, marinate your cauliflower with an oil mixture that has garlic powder and onion powder.

Storing leftovers

This is one of those rare recipes I make that can be refrigerated or frozen! Shocking, right?

To refrigerate it:

  • Pour about 1-2 Tbsp worth of the pesto on top of the leftover cauliflower. The more cauliflower you have left over, the more pesto you will need.
  • Wrap the cooked whole cauliflower in a plastic wrap or use a new shower cap.
  • 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, put it in the air fryer (320°F for about 25 minutes). For best results, do not thaw the cauliflower.
  • Use it within 3 months of freezing.
Top view of a whole cauliflower on a white dish and garnished with basil chiffondale.
You won’t believe just how easy it is to roast a whole cauliflower in the air fryer.

Answering your questions

Is it necessary to marinate it?

It’s not necessary to marinate the cauliflower, but I think it’s a great idea to do so. Marinating it gives the pesto a chance to seep into every nook and cranny of the cauliflower. So, when you bite into it, it gives your taste buds dance with joy.

What should be the size of the cauliflower?

I chose a medium-sized fresh head of cauliflower. It weighed about 3lbs or about 1.4kg. Keep the weight between 2-4lbs. Also, make sure the cauliflower fits in your air fryer basket.

How many people will it feed?

It will feed 4 people. Cut it into 4 even steak sizes.

Can I roast it in the oven?

Yes, preheat oven to 320°F and cook for 90 minutes. Insert the knife tip and if the tip inserts easily, it’s ready to be devoured. I turn off the oven and let it sit in there for about 15 minutes. Then, it’s ready to serve. But, roasting it in the air fryer is definitely a game changer.

How to serve it

A few vegan Thanksgiving air fryer recipes!

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? Try cooking the whole cauliflower in an Instant Pot.

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

For my air fryer roasted whole cauliflower recipe, I used my favorite (Affiliate link) COSORI Max XL.

Sauces to flavor the cauliflower

  • Cauliflower roasts great when flavored with chermoula sauce. It’s made with fresh herbs and a little oil.
  • Love a little nutty flavor? This peanut satay sauce makes the cauliflower taste so delicious.
  • Tahini is a perennial favorite of mine! I love to flavor my cauliflower, other vegetables, and even pasta with it.
  • Tzatziki is one of my favorite Mediterranean sauces. It’s easy to make using plant-based yogurt or Greek yogurt. It makes the cauliflower very soft.

Sharing is caring

Don’t be shy, chime in below in the comments. Let me hear your opinion on this air fryer cauliflower recipe. If you enjoyed this, please give it 5 stars and Share it on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and even YouTube.

Top view of a whole cauliflower on a white dish garnished with purplish basil

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
Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
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)

For the pesto (if making your own)

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 to!!!
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 300kcal
Keyword Air Fryer Recipes, air fryer thanksgiving recipes, Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
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20 Comments

  1. Looks delicious. I notice that the pesto recipe calls for 8 ounces bell pepper strips – 1/2 jar. Would these be marinated, jarred peppers or do you use fresh peppers? I don’t think I’ve seen peppers in a jar. Thank you.

  2. Such a great, easy, and delicious way to make cauliflower! Plus the fact that it’s healthy AND packed with so much flavor?! BONUS!!!

  3. This is such a delicious way to enjoy cauliflower! So simple and easy too. I can’t wait to try your recipe with dinner this week. Thank you!

  4. This recipe looks super delicious and I can’t wait to try it out soon! This looks like such a delicious and healthy vegan meal. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to try this out!

  5. We had a whole roasted cauliflower at a restaurant recently. It came as part of the chefs ‘feed me’ menu. When it arrived I was so disappointed as I HATE cauliflower. But I tried it and after that first taste my partner had to fight me for his share 😉
    Who knew cauliflower could taste like that! So I had been on the hunt for an easy recipe. And man did yours deliver!!! The pesto was sweet and salty, the cauliflower was tender and roasty. And all in my airfryer!!!
    This is not the cauliflower of my childhood!!
    THANK YOU!

    1. That is such a fun story from your childhood. I was one of those people who loved cauliflower from the first time I had it, but, other members of my family hated it for the longest time. I think this recipe is turning them around. Happy to hear from people like you who love cauliflower too.

  6. Roasted cauliflower sounds good as a Thanksgiving side dish. Looks good. Air fryers sure come in handy for cooking a Thanksgiving feast.

  7. This is such a healthy and flavorful way of enjoying some delicious vegan meal. Looks quick and easy too.