Mexican Roasted Cauliflower {paleo + vegan + whole30}

Name: Mexican Roasted Cauliflower {paleo + vegan + whole30}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets (mine was about 2 1/2 pounds – if you’re using a smaller cauliflower, reduce the amount of avocado oil, salt, and spices ever so slightly. You can always add more salt after it’s done cooking); 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 teaspoon cumin; 1/2- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; Cilantro; Red or green onion; Fresh lime wedges; Avocado

February 16, 2023 · Nyssa Tanner 24 Comments

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Mexican inspired roasted cauliflower is so flavorful and easy it might just become your new favorite veggie side dish! Cauliflower florets are tossed with flavorful spices and roasted until crispy and caramelized, served with a healthy squeeze of lime juice, cilantro, red onion, and maybe even some avocado for good measure. Gluten free, paleo, vegan, AND whole30 friendly!

A large plate of Mexican spiced roasted cauliflower, garnished with cilantro, avocado, lime wedges, and finely diced red onion.

The best Mexican spiced roasted cauliflower

I don’t know about you guys, but if you’re anything like me, you go crazy for just about any roasted vegetable. And roasted cauliflower has always been on the top of my list.

There’s something about the way it gets crispy, tender, sweet, and salty all at the same time that makes it straight up IRRESISTIBLE.

When roasting cauliflower I usually go for the classic combo of avocado oil with salt and pepper, just because it’s easy and also totally freaking delicious. I have definitely been known to roast and devour a whole head of cauliflower solo!

But sometimes dinner deserves to be made a little more special by stepping the flavor up a notch (or two)!

This mexican roasted cauliflower does exactly that. By adding just a few extra spices and garnishes you can take a side dish that’s already pretty-much-the-best-thing-ever to next level DELICIOUS.

AKA –> craaaaazy delicious.

And seriously, it couldn’t be any easier to make.

And to top it off this recipe is gluten free, paleo, vegan, AND whole30 friendly. A win/win for anyone you’re feeding – yourself, your family, some friends, or a beautiful combination of all three.

Why you’ll love this roasted cauliflower recipe

It is:

Perfectly spiced
Flavorful
Cozy
Crispy and caramelized
Easy to make
Nutrient dense
Healthy
GF + DF + Whole30 compatible
So delicious!

Straight on shot of a plate of mexican roasted cauliflower, topped with chopped red onion, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Ingredients for Mexican Roasted Cauliflower in various ceramics, on a light blue background.

Spices for Mexican Roasted Cauliflower on a small speckled plate.

Ingredients and substitutions

You can find the full list of ingredients along with measurements in the recipe card below. These are my ingredient notes and recommendations for easy swaps.

All you need to make this roasted cauliflower recipe is cauliflower florets, a simple spice blend, and your cooking oil of choice. Avocado oil and olive oil are my two usual choices.

What spices do you need?

Chili powder
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Ground cumin
Kosher salt & pepper

And the garnishes…

Lime wedges
Fresh cilantro
Red onion
Avocado

These simple flavor additions are the magic making ingredients to take your roasted cauliflower from good to CRAZY DELICIOUS.

Many of the spices for this recipe can be found on Thrive Market – a membership based natural products website that is like a Whole Foods or Costco but entirely based online and with the BEST wholesale prices.

I have been a Thrive Market member for 4 years and over that period of time I have saved an estimated $3,892.75! That is some serious savings.

How to make Mexican Roasted Cauliflower: Raw cauliflower florets tossed with oil and spices on a white speckled baking sheet.

How to make Mexican Roasted Cauliflower: Up close shot of raw cauliflower florets tossed with oil and spices on a baking sheet.

How to make Mexican spiced roasted cauliflower

Essentially, Mexican roasted cauliflower is made the same way that you would make a more simple pan of this yummy veggie.

All I did here was add a few Mexican inspired spices that you most likely already have in your spice rack, and then prepped some fresh herbs, red onion, and lime wedges to finish off the dish once it comes out of the oven.

Because garnishes are a sure way to make any simple side dish extra delicious!

If you’re ready to start cooking you can find the whole recipe in the recipe card below.

How to make sure your cauliflower comes out of the oven crispy

There’s two essential tricks to getting super crispy roasted cauliflower:

Make sure your oven is hot enough
Don’t over crowd the pan

If your oven isn’t hot enough the cauliflower will get overly soft and mushy before it has a chance to crisp up and caramelize.

And then even if your oven is hot enough, if the sheet pan is over crowded the cauliflower will steam before it has a chance to crisp up.

Follow the recipe below and you will be enjoying CRISPY, tender, flavorful Mexican inspired roasted cauliflower in no time.

What temperature is best for roasting cauliflower?

I have roasted A LOT of cauliflower in our kitchen, and the temperature I consistently use is 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

It’s the perfect hot temp to perfectly caramelize each cauliflower floret, but not over cook so that it gets too soft and falls apart.

How long should you roast cauliflower?

How long your cauliflower takes to roast will depend on the temperature of your oven and the size of your florets. For medium sized cauliflower florets in a 425 degree oven it should take between 20-30 minutes for your cauliflower to reach peak crispiness.

A silver serving spoon filled with Mexican spiced roasted cauliflower.

Serving suggestions

This Mexican spiced cauliflower is the perfect easy side dish for any meal.

Also super delicious served on top of a salad, pasta, in tacos, or a grain bowl!

Storage and reheating

Storing: To store leftover cauliflower in the refrigerator, allow it to cool and then transfer to an air tight container. Will keep for to 3-4 days.

Reheating: You can easily reheat roasted cauliflower in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, warm in the oven at 350° F, or gently reheat in a skillet, tossing occasionally, until heated through.

Can you freeze roasted cauliflower?

I do not recommend freezing roasted cauliflower. The integrity of the florets will be lost in the process and the flavor will likely change as well.

Pinterest pin for Mexican roasted cauliflower.

Love this healthy side dish? Try these other easy recipes!

Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower
Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
Cauliflower Mash
Dairy Free Cauliflower Mac and “Cheese”
Sautéed Spinach with Garlic
Cilantro Lime Rice
Simple Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Healthy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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