Yes, you can roast cauliflower from frozen and it still gets so deliciously crispy! Roasted Frozen Cauliflower is one of our favourite vegetable side dishes, and with the added Parmesan our kids love it too. All you need is a bag of frozen cauliflower, some oil, seasoning and optional Parmesan.
ℹ️ About Roasted Frozen Cauliflower
Having vegetables stashed in the freezer is always a must! It saves anything going to waste at the back of the fridge!
If you are anything like us, you buy loads of fresh produce with the best intentions and stuff just goes to waste. Frozen veggies are your friend!
They are budget friendly and it's so convenient as it is already all chopped up. Roasting cauliflower from frozen does take a little longer compared to fresh, but it's worth it and a great way to use frozen vegetables.
Follow on for all our tips on how to roast frozen cauliflower and all the flavour options so you can have it a different way every time.
If you have ever wondered "can you roast frozen cauliflower", then the answer is yes and it's buttery soft and delicious.
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📋 What you will need
- Frozen Cauliflower - We used a 2lb (1kg) bag of frozen cauliflower. Try to make sure all the florets are evenly sized, so they cook evenly.
- Olive oil - We used an olive oil spray, as it was easier to coat the frozen cauliflower this way.
- Salt and pepper - Generously season
- Garlic and onion powder - This is the flavours we chose for our roast frozen cauliflower, but we have given lots of other options below.
- Parmesan - Cheese always makes vegetables better, right? Adding some Parmesan and putting it back in the oven gives a lovely crispiness to roasted frozen cauliflower.
Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of measurements.
🧾 How to make Roasted Frozen Cauliflower - Step by step
One: Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas mark 6.
Two: Place the frozen cauliflower florets on a non-stick baking tray.
Three: Spray the cauliflower with oil generously and then sprinkle with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.
Put the tray in the oven for 30 minutes. Flip the cauliflower and then put it back in the oven for 10 minutes.
Four: Sprinkle parmesan over the cauliflower.
Five: Put it back in the oven for 5 minutes, until crispy.
🔄 Variations
The great this about roasting frozen cauliflower is that there are so many different ways to season it, so you never need to have it the same way. We have kept it simple with some onion and garlic powder, but here are some of our other favourites:
- Curry powder
- Mexican seasoning
- Cajun Seasoning
- Italian Seasoning
- Turmeric and paprika (adds an amazing colour)
- Old Bay Seasoning
You also don't have to just roast cauliflower. Frozen broccoli also roasts really well and you can do a half and half mix for this recipe.
Top Tips
- Make more than you think you will need, as we always end up snacking on it straight from the baking tray before it has even made it onto our plates!
- You will need to use a non-stick baking tray for this, as it gets very crispy once the Parmesan goes on it.
- You can use parchment paper if you prefer, and it does make clean up easier.
- Do NOT allow the cauliflower to thaw before it goes in the oven. Roasting cauliflower from frozen allows it to have the perfect texture, and not go mushy.
- Every oven cooks differently, so start checking your cauliflower after 20 minutes, to make sure it isn't getting too crispy.
🍳 Serving Suggestions
Roasted frozen cauliflower goes with almost anything. It is such a versatile side dish. We love it with some grilled chicken or salmon or even stirred in to fresh pasta with melted butter and some extra grated parmesan.
For a really comforting dish, you can't go wrong with homemade meatballs and mashed potatoes and this cauliflower on the side.
❓ FAQs
Yes, you can, but you will need to use 2 baking sheets. One bag of cauliflower serves 3-4 people, so use 2 bags if you are serving 4 plus.
This can happen if either your oven was not hot enough (every oven cooks differently) or that you had too much cauliflower on your baking tray. You need to make sure there is enough space so that it crisps up and doesn't just steam.
If you have any leftovers, then they can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the microwave at 50% until heated through or you can just have the leftovers cold on a salad.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Frozen Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 kg Frozen cauliflower florets
- 2 teaspoon Olive oil spray (1 teaspoon = ~8 pumps)
- 2 pinch Sea salt
- 2 pinch Black pepper
- 0.5 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon Onion powder
- 15 g Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas mark 6.
- Place 1 kg Frozen cauliflower florets on a non-stick baking tray.
- Spray the cauliflower with 2 teaspoon Olive oil spray and then sprinkle with 2 pinch Sea salt, 2 pinch Black pepper, 0.5 teaspoon Garlic powder and 0.5 teaspoon Onion powder.
- Put the tray in the oven for 30 minutes. Flip the cauliflower and then put it back in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle parmesan over the cauliflower.
- Put it back in the oven for 5 minutes, until crispy.
Notes
- Make more than you think you will need, as we always end up snacking on it straight from the baking tray before it has even made it onto our plates!
- You will need to use a non-stick baking tray for this, as it gets very crispy once the Parmesan goes on it.
- You can use parchment paper if you prefer, and it does make clean up easier.
- Do NOT allow the cauliflower to thaw before it goes in the oven. Roasting cauliflower from frozen allows it to have the perfect texture, and not go mushy.
- Every oven cooks differently, so start checking your cauliflower after 20 minutes, to make sure it isn't getting too crispy.
gunjan says
This recipe was great and I am so happy that i stumbled into your recipe. I had frozen cauliflower for a while and wanted to check the best way to cook. I made this yesterday and came out so good.
Tara says
Oh yum! I love how you made this with frozen cauliflower. Such a quick and easy delicious side.
Andrea says
This quick and simple side dish is perfect for my family. I love that it uses frozen cauliflower. That makes things much easier.
Patricia says
It's so great to have this recipe up my sleeve! It super-easy to make, and yes, everyone loves it! Great option!
TAYLER ROSS says
I made this cauliflower with dinner last night and it was incredible! The perfect easy side dish for any meal
NATHANAELLE M YOSHIMURA says
The parmesan is a really nice touch to season the cauliflowers. Super quick and healthy side dish!
Holly says
I love cauliflower, but I have to admit that I don't make it often because I hate the mess it makes when you cut it up. I have always been opposed to frozen veggies, but this recipe turned out great! I can pull out just the amount I need and it's quick and delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Dina and Bruce says
This was a tasty side dish for chicken tonight!
Katherine says
This turned out perfectly. It's so handy to use frozen instead of fresh!
Ann says
I love finding recipes that cook from frozen. I often don't decide my meals until the very last minute. Thanks!
Gianne says
The texture was perfect and the flavor was so savory. It was super easy to prepare and tasted just as good as fresh cauliflower.
Tara says
Oh yum! Such an easy and delicious side. I love that the cauliflower can be prepared straight from the freezer.
Tayler says
I made this cauliflower with dinner last night and it was delicious! My new go to easy side