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Sliced and baked cauliflower steaks with parmesan cheese make a gorgeous presentation. A low carb side dish for veggie lovers!

I wouldn’t call myself a veggie lover. For many years I was content with canned corn and green beans if I had to have veggies touch my plate. But in my adult life, I’ve learned the beauty of roasting vegetables.

If you’re veggie-hesitant like I am, I’m going to win you over today with these gorgeous roasted cauliflower steaks.

Why you’ll love baked cauliflower with Parmesan:

Easy to prepare. No endless chopping of vegetables.
A gluten-free, low carb side dish (or main dish for vegan Meatless Mondays).
Deliciously flavored with a drizzling of olive oil, garlic parmesan and cracked pepper.
A gorgeous presentation, simple enough for weekdays, but pretty enough for company.

Why is it called a cauliflower steak?

I’m not exactly sure how a cauliflower steak got its name. Is it because it is a vegetarian version of a “steak”? Well…I’m not sure you can compare this to a juicy cut of garlic butter steak.

Is it because you cut a large slice instead of worrying about the individual florets? Maybe. But whatever the reason, cauliflower steaks are popular both at home and in restaurants. Serve it alongside a beef steak or in place of one. Your choice.

Ingredients for Cauliflower Steaks

The main ingredient you need for roasted cauliflower steaks is a nice head of fresh cauliflower. Second would be olive oil.

baked cauliflower ingredients on a table

After that you can season the cauliflower steak however you’d like. But we love garlic parmesan flavor. It’s a classic flavor everyone loves and the perfect way to test out a roasted slice of cauliflower.

Can you use frozen cauliflower? No, we don’t recommend frozen cauliflower for this vegetarian steak recipe.

How to Make Baked Cauliflower Steaks with Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 425º Fahrenheit and have a dark roasting pan (with edges) ready to go. Dark pans help the cauliflower get a little more crispy.

Trim the stem of the cauliflower and remove the green leaves.
Place the cauliflower right side up on a cutting board. Using a large knife cut the cauliflower in half. From each half cut a 1 inch thick slice. If the cauliflower is very large you may be able to cut 1 or 2 more slices. Along with the slices of “steak” you will have lots of florets left over. You can roast these along with the steaks or save them to use in other recipes.

slices of cauliflower on a cutting board

Mix minced garlic with the olive oil in a small bowl. Want to boost flavor? Use roasted garlic!

olive oil with seasonings in a glass cup

Arrange the cauliflower slices on a baking sheet and brush generously on both sides with the olive oil garlic mixture. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with crushed red pepper.

brushing olive oil on a slice of cauliflower

Bake for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes carefully flip the cauliflower steaks over and brush with more garlic oil.

Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the steaks.

Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the edges of the cauliflower are brown. Watch it closely. If it is overcooked, the cauliflower can become soggy.

Make Cauliflower Parmesan

If you love chicken parmesan but want something a little different for dinner, substitute the chicken for cauliflower!

After the chicken is cooked, top with marinara sauce, a sprinkle of Italian seasoning, garlic powder and mozzarella cheese. Broil for on high for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Watch it closely! It makes such a unique cauliflower parmesan recipe.

What to Serve with Cauliflower Steaks

This easy vegetarian meal is delicious served with a side salad or baked potato. It also goes great with:

How do many steaks do you get per cauliflower head?

Most people can easily cut 2-3 nice size steaks from a head of cauliflower. You’ll have extra florets leftover, but if you want to serve more than 2 or 3 people a full slice of cauliflower, pick up more than one head.

Can you grill cauliflower steaks?

Yes you can, but we recommend grilling them in a cast iron skillet rather than directly on the grates. They won’t fall through the grates as easily that way.

Love cauliflower recipes?

Try one of these next: