Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
Grilled Cauliflower Steaks made with a whole head of cauliflower cut into steaks, seasoned, and grilled until tender and caramelized, using simple ingredients and ready in 20 minutes!
Grilled Cauliflower Steaks are one of my favorite veggies to grill, because they look really fancy, but are actually really easy to make. You can serve this as the main dish or side dish, and they give your dinner a farm-to-table feel. I like to season my cauliflower steaks with some olive oil and spices to grill, and once they’re on the serving plate I’ll top them with some type of dressing or garlic aioli, fresh herbs, and a sprinkle of pumpkin or sunflower seeds. From start to finish, this whole recipe takes about 20 minutes, and is perfect for the veggie lovers in your family!
If you loved this recipe, you’ll also love my Grilled Sweet Potatoes, and my Cauliflower Mac & Cheese!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Elevated Flavor – Grilling the cauliflower brings out an incredible nutty caramelized sweetness that you don’t get from roasting!
Budget-Friendly – You can get 2-3 steaks out of a head of cauliflower (plus the florets from the sides), giving you an affordable way to feed a few people.
Ingredient Tips & Substitutions
Cauliflower Head. Try to find a cauliflower head that’s firm and dense, and also thick and wide enough to cut steaks from. Avoid anything with dark spots.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This helps the seasoning stick to the cauliflower, and also helps keep the cauliflower from sticking to the grill.
You can also use olive oil spray, avocado oil, or vegetable oil.
Spices. You can use any seasoning blend that you’d like, but my personal favorite is a quick mix of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, allspice, kosher salt (or sea salt), and black pepper.
Toppings. This is totally optional, so I didn’t include it in the recipe. But I topped mine with this Lemon Tahini Dressing, fresh parsley, and a few pumpkin seeds.
You can also top these steaks with this Chimichurri Sauce, or this Homemade Tzatziki Sauce.
Kitchen Tools
For this recipe you’ll need a sharp knife, a cutting board, and a grill.
How to Make Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
Place the cauliflower stem-side-down on the cutting board and slice straight through, cutting the cauliflower in half. Then cut 1-inch thick steaks from each side. Save the florets from the side pieces for another recipe.
Whisk together the olive oil and spices, then brush on both sides of the cauliflower steaks. Turn the grill on to medium heat.
Place the cauliflower steaks on the grill over direct heat for 6-7 minutes on each side, with the grill lid closed.
Once fork-tender and golden brown, remove them from the grill. Add any toppings you’d like and serve.
Recipe Variations
- If you like spicy, add some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, buffalo sauce, or hot sauce.
- Make these mediterranean with some oregano and nutmeg, and then top with lemon juice and lemon zest, olives, and feta before serving.
- Try using curry powder or turmeric in the seasoning blend, then topping with cilantro.
- Use extra garlic powder and some dijon mustard, and top with parmesan cheese right before serving for a garlic parmesan version.
- You can also make this recipe with cabbage steaks.
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Recipe Tip! The cauliflower steaks might get soft around the edges before the middle is ready, so flip them carefully so they don’t break apart. Use a wide spatula if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
The stem of the cauliflower is what holds the steaks together, so you’ll only get steaks when the cauliflower slices are attached to the stem. I save the outer florets that fall off the outer edges for meal prep later.
You’ll get about 2-3 good steaks out of a head of cauliflower, so you might want to get 2 heads if you want 4 or more steaks. Make sure the steaks are thick enough, and use a wide spatula to move them if they soften too much.
Recipe Tip! Try not to move the steaks around too much. Let them sit on the grill in one place so they get those nice grill marks.
More Grilling Recipes
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
These are best when just-grilled, so I don’t recommend freezing leftover cauliflower steaks.
Cooking Tips
- They’re done when they’re fork-tender, but don’t forget to check the stem, too. That part will finish cooking last.
- Give the steaks some room on the grill so they sear nicely.
- I don’t let my steaks cook until they’re super soft, I pull them off when they’re more al dente. You can eat cauliflower raw, so it’s more like getting it to a texture that you like.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can use a grill pan or cast iron skillet. Or, make these on a sheet pan in the oven, then broil them for the last few minutes.
- I bring out a small baking sheet with parchment paper to remove them from the grill, so they can lay flat and don’t break apart before serving.
- If you’re making this as a side dish, serve them with my Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.
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Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
Equipment
- 1 Grill
Ingredients
- 2 heads cauliflower, outer leaves removed
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Place the cauliflower stem-side-down on the cutting board. Slice straight down the center, cutting the cauliflower in half. Then cut 1-inch thick steaks from each side, until the outer pieces start breaking into florets. Save the florets for another recipe.
- Preheat the grill on medium heat and close the lid. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and spices. Brush the seasoning on both sides of the cauliflower steaks, getting some of it around the edges as well.
- Place the cauliflower steaks on the grill over direct heat. Grill for 6-7 minutes, then carefully turn over and grill for an additional 6-7 minutes, with the grill lid closed each time.
- Once the cauliflower steaks are fork-tender and caramelized, remove them from the grill. Add any toppings you'd like and serve.
Notes
- They’re done when they’re fork-tender, including the stem. That part will finish cooking last.
- Try not to move the steaks around too much. You want to let them sit on the grill so they get those nice grill marks.
- I don’t let my steaks cook until they’re super soft, I pull them off when they’re more al dente.
- If you don’t have a grill, you can use a grill pan or cast iron skillet. Or, make these on a sheet pan in the oven, then broil them for the last few minutes.
Nutrition
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