This Easy Roasted Cauliflower with Sriracha Butter is the perfect side dish or vegetarian course for the upcoming holidays. The seasoned butter adds robust flavor to every bite with just the right amount of spicy heat to really wake up your taste buds!
A couple of years ago while attending a conference in Southern California, there was a hosted dinner with slow smoked leg of lamb, Moroccan flatbreads, and seasoned vegetable skewers. Alongside the bread were stunningly beautiful golden cauliflowers, that had been brushed with turmeric and roasted whole. I fell in love!
Ever since that evening I have been wanting to roast a whole cauliflower but had never gotten around to it. In our home The Artist loves broccoli and I am the cauliflower gal. So, cooking an entire head for only me seemed excessive. But lately he has begun to rethink it and was willing to give it a try.
My inspiration! Top: Fresh at the farmer’s market. Bottom: Roasted at our conference dinner
That was all I needed, that and Food Network’s Cauliflower Week! Honestly, I was only going to make one for the two of us, and then I saw the beautiful purple ones at the farmer’s market and I couldn’t resist. So we have a rainbow for you today. Isn’t that deep purple glorious! And you guessed it, the Artist and I ate cauliflower for a week just so I could make this beautiful dish for you, LOL.
Honestly, I was only going to make one cauliflower for the two of us, and then I saw these beautiful purple ones at the farmer’s market and I couldn’t resist. So, we have a rainbow for you today. Isn’t that deep purple glorious!
Single purple floret
While I like cauliflower just about any way it is prepared, the addition of the Sriracha butter truly took it over the top. I ate the entire hero plate of cauliflower with melted spicy butter I had used for the photo shoot before I even checked the photos – I couldn’t help myself. And I nearly licked the plate, LOL.
The butter mellowed the heat of the Sriracha, and when combined with the ancho chile powder and cumin, it was perfectly balanced with just the right amount of spiciness and pumped up flavor. It would be great on any steamed vegetables to add a little pizazz and elevate them to cult status. I think I am going to stretch that a little farther – melted and drizzled popcorn is next! 🙂
Bowl of Sriracha butter
If you want to have a wow moment at Thanksgiving or a holiday dinner this year, try roasting cauliflower and bringing them to the table whole. Then each person can cut a slice or quarter off them and enjoy a totally different way to eat their vegetables, LOL. This Easy Roasted Cauliflower with Sriracha Butter is a guaranteed showstopper!
Melted Sriracha butter on a thick slice of roasted cauliflower
Make sure you check out all the other folks’ recipes for cauliflower as well. They are listed below the recipe. We never know what the others are making until the reveal day and it is always fun to see how creative they all are.
Have a fabulous day!
Roasted cauliflower sliced in half and spread with Sriracha butter
How to make Easy Roasted Whole Cauliflower with Sriracha Butter:
- Trim the bottom of the cauliflower heads to they stand straight
- Combine oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Brush over each cauliflower
- Roast until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes
- Mix together the butter, Sriracha, chile powder, and cumin; melt the butter
- Brush over the hot cauliflowers and pass remaining butter at the table
PRO Tip:
Lower the racks in your oven. Place the raw cauliflowers on a baking sheet and put them in the oven. You want to be sure the racks are low enough to give plenty of room for the cauliflower to stand up and not touch the heating element. Now preheat the oven and continue with the recipe.
PRO Tip:
If you are going to serve this for a big occasion like the holidays, I always recommend you do a trial run. Then you won’t have any surprises on the big day. You can figure out exactly how long it will take to cook, practice how to cut it for serving – quartered or sliced – and how much Sriracha you like in the butter.
Key Ingredients for this Recipe
- Cauliflower heads
- Vegetable oil
- Garlic, salt, and pepper
- Softened salted butter
- Sriracha or other hot chile sauce
- Ancho chile powder or chili powder
- Ground cumin
Kitchen Tools I Use to Make This Recipe
Gluten-Free Tips:
This is naturally gluten-free! Sriracha sauce made by Huy Fong Foods, the bottle with the rooster on it, is gluten-free.
Easy Roasted Cauliflower with Sriracha Butter (Gluten-Free)
This Easy Roasted Cauliflower with Sriracha Butter is the perfect side dish or vegetarian course for the upcoming holidays. The seasoned butter adds robust flavor to every bite with just the right amount of spicy heat to really wake up your taste buds!
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 2 medium heads cauliflower
- 1/3 cup organic vegetable oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed into a paste
- 1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Sriracha Butter
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 to 2 tbsp Sriracha or other hot chile sauce, to taste
- 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
Instructions
Adjust your oven racks to the lower third of oven so the cauliflower has plenty of head room. Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly oil a baking sheet with sides with 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil. Set aside.
Trim the base of the cauliflowers to remove the end of the stems and give them a stable bottom to sit on. No need to remove the leaves, but you can pull a few of them off if you prefer. Place the cauliflowers on the oiled baking sheet.
In a small bowl combine the remaining oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Brush the seasoned oil over each cauliflower, covering all the florets. Place them in the oven and roast until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes, or until a long skewer easily pierces all the way to the center. Remove from the oven and set on the stove to cool slightly.
While the cauliflower is roasting, make the sriracha butter. In a bowl combine all the butter ingredients, and heat it in the microwave about 30 seconds to 2 minutes or until melted. Stir all the ingredients until well blended. Brush about 1/3 to 1/2 of the butter over the tops of the cauliflowers while they are hot.
For a spectacular presentation, you can bring the cauliflowers to the table whole and then cut into quarters or thick slices. Pass the remaining Sriracha butter at the table. This lightly spicy butter adds beautiful color and a punch of flavor to an otherwise rather bland vegetable. It will certainly wake up your taste buds. Feel free to add more hot sauce or pass it at the table if your family likes spicy foods.
Serve this with a tossed green salad for a vegetarian dinner or use it as a side dish. This would be a beautiful spicy addition to your Thanksgiving table this year!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 136Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 494mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g
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Create a New Tradition Today!
This recipe is part of Food Network’s weekly FallFest celebration. See the links below for inspiration and great recipes and check out our Pinterest page for even more!
Feed Me Phoebe: Paleo Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes with Pumpkin Seed Scallion Pesto
The Heritage Cook: Easy Roasted Whole Cauliflower with Sriracha Butter (Gluten-Free)
Dishin & Dishes: Cauliflower Steaks with Curried Coconut Puree
Homemade Delish: Cauliflower Au Gratin
Healthy Eats: 6 Classic Comfort Foods with a Cauliflower Twist
Creative Culinary: Roasted Cauliflower with a Parmesan and Cheddar Cheese Frosting
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Six Recipes To Make You Fall In Love With Cauliflower
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Cauliflower Patties
Taste with the Eyes: Grilled Eggplant Pizza with Low-Carb Cauliflower Crust
FN Dish: 6 Ways Cauliflower Can Stand In for Other Favorite Foods
First Published: 15 Oct 2015
Last Updated: 15 Nov 2019
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