3-Ingredient Chili Crisp-Baked Cauliflower Steaks Recipe
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Cauliflower doesn't quite get the credit it deserves. A cruciferous vegetable that can be mashed, pureed, riced, fried, and roasted, it is arguably one of the most versatile items in the supermarket and considerably the best vegetable bargain. Because of its mild flavor, it is often used behind other ingredients, serving as a crust for pizza, rice for a grain bowl, or as a mashed side to proteins like steak or chicken. Rarely does cauliflower get to take center stage as the entree — but by slicing it into thick, roastable steaks, the vegetable gets to shine on its own.
This simple three-ingredient chili crisp baked cauliflower steak recipe written with developer Michelle McGlinn roasts cauliflower into tender, fiery steaks paired with a fresh and crunchy scallion salad. The salad also makes use of the cauliflower's green leaves and stem, which are equally as versatile as the florets themselves and can be eaten with just olive oil and some seasoning. The punchy salad complements the heat of the spicy baked steaks, which pair well with a variety of other plant-based, Asian-inspired sides. This is a dinner perfect for cauliflower lovers (or anyone hoping to become one).
Gather the 3 ingredients needed to make chili crisp-baked cauliflower steaks
For this simple recipe, you'll first need a few pantry staples, like olive oil, salt, and pepper. You'll then need a medium-sized head of cauliflower. Look for a head that is about 6 to 7 inches across with tight, firm florets that are bright white in color, with no discoloration or browned spots. From there, you'll just need scallions and a jar of chili crisp. Any brand of chili crisp works here, but be sure there is enough oil in the jar to brush over the cauliflower before roasting.
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Step 2: Remove and reserve the cauliflower stem and leaves
Remove the green stem and leaves from the cauliflower and reserve.
Step 3: Slice the cauliflower into steaks
Slice the cauliflower head into 1-inch thick steaks.
Step 4: Salt the cauliflower steaks
Add the cauliflower steaks to a foil-lined sheet tray and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt.
Step 5: Brush the cauliflower with chili crisp
Add 1 teaspoon of chili crisp to each cauliflower steak, then use a brush to coat the tops completely.
Step 6: Roast the cauliflower steaks
Roast the steaks in the oven for 20 minutes, then carefully flip and roast for another 20 to 25 minutes, until beginning to brown on top.
Step 7: Slice the stems and leaves
While the cauliflower is roasting, begin the scallion salad. Thinly slice the reserved cauliflower leaves and stems.
Step 8: Toss the sliced leaves and stem with scallions
Combine the sliced leaves and stems with the scallion greens, olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and pepper.
Step 9: Serve the roasted cauliflower steaks with scallion salad
Top the roasted cauliflower steaks with scallion salad and serve.
What to serve with 3-ingredient chili crisp-baked cauliflower steaks
3-Ingredient Chili Crisp-Baked Cauliflower Steaks Recipe
These 3-ingredient cauliflower steaks come with a chili crisp glaze and a simple scallion salad (that also includes the cauliflower leaves and stem!).
Ingredients
- 1 medium-sized head of cauliflower
- ½ teaspoon + ⅛ teaspoon salt, divided
- ¼ cup chili crisp
- 4 scallions, chiffonaded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Remove the green stem and leaves from the cauliflower and reserve.
- Slice the cauliflower head into 1-inch thick steaks.
- Add the cauliflower steaks to a foil-lined sheet tray and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt.
- Add 1 teaspoon of chili crisp to each cauliflower steak, then use a brush to coat the tops completely.
- Roast the steaks in the oven for 20 minutes, then carefully flip and roast for another 20 to 25 minutes, until beginning to brown on top.
- While the cauliflower is roasting, begin the scallion salad. Thinly slice the reserved cauliflower leaves and stems.
- Combine the sliced leaves and stems with the scallion greens, olive oil, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and pepper.
- Top the roasted cauliflower steaks with scallion salad and serve.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 84 |
| Total Fat | 3.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.7 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 11.2 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.9 g |
| Total Sugars | 3.2 g |
| Sodium | 390.2 mg |
| Protein | 3.4 g |
What is the best way to slice cauliflower into steaks?
Cauliflower steaks may seem simple enough, but there are actually a few mistakes to avoid when preparing the cauliflower. The florets, which easily separate from the head into individual pieces, can crumble and break if the head isn't sliced properly. Once you've chosen a head of cauliflower that is tightly packed and firm, remove the leaves and the very bottom of the stem. Leave a sizable amount of the stem on the head, about 2 to 3 inches. This helps keep the cauliflower from falling apart.
With the leaves removed and the stem slightly trimmed, slice off the very ends of the cauliflower on either side, then slice across in 1-inch increments. Use a sharp chef's knife or even a kitchen cleaver to slice in a fluid motion rather than sawing the knife back and forth, which will cause the florets to break apart from the head. If any florets break away, you can prep and roast them anyway, or store them in the refrigerator to use for ricing or mashing.
Do I have to brush both sides of the cauliflower steaks before roasting?
In our recipe, the cauliflower steaks are brushed on just one side and flipped halfway through cooking. Because cauliflower is fairly porous, the chili crisp soaks and flavors the steak all the way through, especially as the cauliflower cooks and softens. Because of this, there is no reason to brush both sides with chili crisp, though you certainly could if you want even more chili crisp flavor. For the best results, spoon the chili crisp on the tops of each cauliflower, then use a pastry brush to spread the oil across the tops and around the edges of the florets.
The steaks do need to be flipped while cooking, which helps to brown both sides of the cauliflower. When flipping, you will notice that the underside of the cauliflower is well coated with chili crisp oil. If the solids of the chili crisp have fallen away from the cauliflower, spoon the excess to coat, or spoon extra from the jar over the second side for more flavor.