Our spicy roasted cauliflower recipe combines perfectly roasted and browned florets, super flavorful spices, and fresh lime juice for an almost addictive cauliflower recipe! A must make!
Key Ingredients
- Cauliflower: Look for firm, creamy white heads with tight florets. Pass on any cauliflower that’s spotted or discolored. For more tips, see how to buy and cut cauliflower.
- Oil: I like using a neutral, high-heat oil like avocado or safflower for roasting veggies.
- Spices: I make my spice mix by combining salt with chili powder (homemade chili powder is amazing), smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne. Adjust the cayenne to your liking: 1/8 teaspoon is mild, and 1/2 teaspoon is pretty spicy. Chipotle powder is also an excellent substitute for cayenne and has a similar heat level.
- Green Onion: I love adding sliced green onions at the end for a burst of color and flavor. The heat from the cauliflower wilts them perfectly.
- Lime: I’m generous with lime juice, and add it right when the cauliflower comes out of the oven.
How to Make Chili Lime Roasted Cauliflower
I roast cauliflower in a 425°F oven. The cauliflower florets will become tender and nicely caramelized in about 30 minutes at this temperature. The trick to roasting cauliflower is to spread the florets out on your baking sheet so they are not touching each other. This way, the hot air surrounds them, and they will brown instead of steam. We have a few roasted cauliflower recipes on Inspired Taste. Don’t miss our buffalo cauliflower wings and this parmesan roasted cauliflower.
For this spiced cauliflower recipe, I toss the florets with oil, salt, chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne. Remember that you can adjust the spiciness of the cauliflower by reducing or increasing the amount of cayenne pepper added to the mix.
Spread the spice-coated cauliflower on your baking sheet and roast it. Stir after 20 minutes, then roast them until you are happy. To serve, scatter a handful of sliced green onions and fresh lime juice over the roasted cauliflower and enjoy!
I’d happily eat this cauliflower straight off the pan. Still, I love this added to rice bowls, tacos, salads, and burritos (like this spicy veggie burrito) or served on the side of anything that might benefit from a pop of flavor and color.
This roasted cauliflower lasts in the refrigerator for a few days. It will lose a little of its texture, but that doesn’t bother me too much. Not to mention, it makes an easy leftover for lunch the next day.
Chili Lime Roasted Cauliflower
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This spicy roasted cauliflower is a quick and easy dish to make. When roasted, cauliflower tastes nutty and slightly sweet. In this spicy roasted cauliflower recipe, we toss cauliflower florets with a generous amount of ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper for some spice. For a spicy dish, add the full amount of cayenne, for milder palates, half the amount called for in the recipe.
Makes 2 large servings or 4 side servings
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 medium head cauliflower (about 1 1/4 pounds), cut into small florets
2 tablespoons olive oil, grape seed oil or neutral flavored oil
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder or use our homemade chili powder, see notes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 scallion, ends trimmed and finely sliced
2 to 3 lime or lemon wedges
Directions
1Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat — lining the pan is not entirely necessary, but this does help with cleanup.
2In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the oil, salt, chili powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Add the seasoned florets to the baking sheet. Spread them out, facing as many of the flatter edges down onto the baking sheet so that they brown nicely.
3Roast until the edges are crisp and brown and the insides are tender, 20 to 35 minutes. After 20 minutes, give the cauliflower a stir to promote even browning.
4Serve tossed with the scallions and a squeeze of lime juice.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- Any chili powder will work for this recipe, but we love using ancho chili powder, which tastes sweet, fruity, and mild. We also love substituting our homemade chili powder blend, which is packed with flavor.
- Smoked Paprika is made from dried and smoked pimiento peppers. It adds a deep smoky aroma and flavor. Unless noted on the packaging, it isn’t typically hot (spicy) and instead is mild and a bit sweet.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
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Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
Side Portion, 1/4 of the recipe
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Calories
103
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Total Fat
7.6g
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Saturated Fat
1.2g
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Cholesterol
0mg
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Sodium
209.8mg
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Carbohydrate
8.7g
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Dietary Fiber
3.5g
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Total Sugars
3.1g
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Protein
3.1g
