Perfect Cauliflower Steak in 20 Mins!

Instructions

How to cut cauliflower steaks

1. Peel off the leaves as much as you can.
2. Cut off the stem at the bottom with the remaining leaves.
3. Place it with the stem below, and cut the head of the cauliflower in half.
4. Take a sharp knife and cut a 1-inch slice from both halves. (If you have a large cauliflower head, you may be able to cut TWO 1-inch thick slices from both halves.)

Not to waste any cauliflower, you can use the remaining florets to make vegan cauliflower soup, roasted cauliflower with tahini, or cauliflower mince for vegan spaghetti bolognese. Check out all recipes using cauliflower.

Pre-cooking

1. In a large stockpot, boil water with a pinch of salt on the stovetop.
2. Use tongs to a slotted turner to gently place the slices in the hot water.

3. Cover it with a lid and cook them for 5 minutes. Use medium heat to keep it simmering.
4. When the time is up, place them on a plate to let them cool.

Pan-frying

1. In a small bowl, mix all spices for the dry rub: onion powder, mustard powder, smoked paprika powder, black paper, and salt.
2. Place the pre-cooked cauliflower steaks on a plate or cutting board.
3. Sprinkle the spice mix on both sides. Gently pat it with your fingers to make it stick.

4. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add butter.
5. Add cauliflower steaks, garlic cloves, and fresh rosemary twigs when the butter melts.

6. Fry them for 5 minutes on each side. The stem part takes the longest to soften. You can test it with the tip of the knife. In the end, the steaks should be crunchy, not too soft, so you can actually bite into them.

Cooking tips

• Don’t overcrowd the pan → Crowding the pan will cause the cauliflower to steam instead of fry, so give the slices enough room to cook properly.
• Don’t forget the garlic and the rosemary → While you may think they are not necessary, I assure you that frying the cauliflower steaks in garlic and rosemary-infused butter is utterly amazing.
• Use high heat → This is a typical recipe for high heat to get the yummy crispy crust. Since the slices are pre-cooked, you don’t need a long time to get them tender, even in a skillet.

Serving ideas

We love serving vegan cauliflower steaks with vegan mashed potatoes and vegan green peppercorn sauce (pictured). However, there are more delicious side dishes you can select:

• Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms
• Pan-fried Oyster Mushrooms
• Sauteed Julienned Carrots.
• Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
• Savory Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
• Sweet Potato Rice
• Easy Vegan Risotto
• Roasted potato, sweet potato, or butternut squash
• Potato salad
• Creamy polenta
• Rice or quinoa mix

Condiments and sauces

These condiments and sauces can add flavor, texture, and variety to your cauliflower steak dish. They can be used as a marinade, a dip, or a drizzle to elevate the taste and make it more enjoyable.

• Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce
• Maple Dijon Tahini Sauce
• Vegan Spinach Pesto
• Vegan Onion Gravy
• Oil-free Hummus
• Cashew Alfredo Sauce
• Chimichurri Sauce from our tofu steak recipe
• Vegan Bechamel White Sauce
• Vegan BBQ Sauce

Equipment

• Kettle: I usually use a kettle to boil water, which takes less time.
• Stockpot: Use rather a wide than tall stockpot. Make sure the slices you want to pre-cook fit within. You also need a lid to cover the pot.
• Slotted turner: We use silicone slotted turners a lot. Not only to flip the steaks in the skillet, but also to easily submerge them in the boiling water.
• Cast-iron skillet: We always use our UnoCasa skillet if we want something crispy. It makes the steaks perfect.

Storing tips

• Fridge: We recommend storing the cauliflower steaks separately from any sauce and side dish in airtight containers for up to 3-4 days. They might lose their crispiness after a day, so it is better to serve them immediately.
• Reheat: You can reheat the steaks in the microwave or a frying pan. Start with low heat, as you don’t want to burn the spices.
• Freezer: Yes, you can freeze the fried steaks in freezer bags. After they are thawed, they will definitely lose the crispy crust. Use a frying pan to reheat them and give back some of their crunches.

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Cauliflower Steaks in 20 Mins!

Nandor Barta

Let's make delicious vegan cauliflower steaks that are tender inside and crispy outside. Slice a whole head into thick pieces, pre-cook them for 5 minutes, add ample seasoning, then pan-fry them for 10 minutes! You will love them with vegan mashed potatoes and vegan green peppercorn sauce. And no need to turn on your oven!

5 from 14 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Main Course

Servings 2 servings

Calories 305kcal

Equipment

• our Cast-iron Skillet by UnoCasa
• Slotted turner
• Stockpot

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 lb Cauliflower 2 steaks + 4-6 florets/pieces
• ▢ 4 Tbsp Dairy-free butter
• ▢ 1 tsp Onion powder
• ▢ ½ tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
• ▢ 1 tsp Cumin
• ▢ ½ tsp Mustard powder
• ▢ ¼ tsp Black pepper
• ▢ 1 tsp Salt
• ▢ 3 cloves Garlic
• ▢ 3 twigs Rosemary (fresh)

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Instructions

 

How to cut cauliflower steaks

• Peel off the leaves as much as you can.
• Cut off the stem at the bottom with the remaining leaves.
• Place it with the stem below, and cut the head of the cauliflower in half.
• Take a sharp knife and cut a 1-inch slice from both halves. (If you have a large cauliflower head, you may be able to cut TWO 1-inch thick slices from both halves.)

Pre-cooking

• In a large stockpot, boil water with a pinch of salt on the stovetop.
• Use tongs to a slotted turner to gently place the slices in the hot water.
• Cover it with a lid and cook them for 5 minutes. Use medium heat to keep it simmering.
• When the time is up, place them on a plate to let them cool.

Pan-frying

• In a small bowl, mix all spices for the dry rub: onion powder, mustard powder, smoked paprika powder, black paper, and salt.
• Place the pre-cooked cauliflower steaks on a plate or cutting board.
• Sprinkle the spice mix on both sides. Gently pat it with your fingers to make it stick.
• Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add butter.
• Add cauliflower steaks, garlic cloves, and fresh rosemary twigs when the butter melts.
• Fry them for 5 minutes on each side. The stem part takes the longest to soften. You can test it with the tip of the knife. In the end, the steaks should be crunchy, not too soft, so you can actually bite into them.

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Notes

The spice mix is enough to coat the pieces as well. You can roast them or pan-fry them like you would the steak slices. You can also use the remaining florets to make vegan cauliflower soup, roasted cauliflower with tahini, or cauliflower mince for vegan spaghetti bolognese. Check out all recipes using cauliflower.

Video

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Cauliflower Steaks in 20 Mins!

Amount Per Serving (1 steak with sauce)

Calories 305 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Sodium 973mg42%

Potassium 1014mg29%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 14g16%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 493IU10%

Vitamin C 141mg171%

Calcium 89mg9%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.