Instant Pot Cauliflower comes out perfect every time – just cook on high pressure for 1 minute! You’ll love the garlic-parmesan seasoning.
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Ingredients in this recipe
Here’s what you need to make this easy Instant Pot cauliflower:
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into large florets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 pinch pepper
How to steam cauliflower in the Instant Pot
- Add the 3/4 cup of water to the bottom of Instant Pot and then place trivet inside the inner pot.
- Add cauliflower, then drizzle with olive oil & lemon juice, sprinkling garlic, salt and pepper overtop.
- Pressure cook on low for 1 minute, then do a quick release of the pressure.
- Serve on a large platter, gently tossing cauliflower with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!
Different seasoning options
Cauliflower is packed with vitamins A and C and makes a great grain substitute when you need a quick side dish. Add different seasonings to compliment your main dish and take your weeknight meal from blah to brilliant.
- Curry – Drizzle oil on cauliflower and add 1 tablespoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and salt and pepper at step 2 in the recipe below and continue as directed.
- Mexican street corn – Omit the seasonings in step 2. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Continue as in the recipe. Make this street corn seasoning and spoon it on while the cauliflower is still hot.
- Buffalo – Omit the seasonings in step 2. Drizzle with oil and season with ¼ teaspoon each garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the cauliflower after it is cooked, drain the pot, and add the cauliflower back to the pot. Add 2/3 cup hot sauce and serve.
Ingredient substitutions
- Cauliflower – Make this even faster by using a bag of pre-cut cauliflower.
- Olive oil – Just use any light-flavored oil to coat the veggies before seasoning them.
- Garlic – Jarred minced garlic or 1 tsp. garlic or onion powder can replace the garlic cloves.
- Parmesan cheese – If you want to make this vegan, leave out the cheese or use a vegan cheese substitute like nutritional yeast.
Turning it into mac & cheese
It is so easy to turn cauliflower into a decadent, gluten-free comfort food.
- Remove cauliflower from the pot once it is cooked and put it aside. Drain the water from the pot.
- Turn to sauté mode and make this cheese sauce.
- Add the cauliflower back to the pot and mix it into the sauce.
What to serve with cauliflower
Because cauliflower’s flavor is so mild to begin with, you can serve it with almost anything you are making as your main dish. Here are some ideas:
- Hasselback pizza-stuffed chicken
- Beef tips
- Turkey breast
- Pot roast
- Baked turkey meatballs
- Crack chicken
Storing and reheating
Cooked cauliflower will last for 3-5 days when you store it in an airtight container.
To reheat it, you can add it to a sauce while it cooks or microwave it until it is heated through, about 1-2 minutes. To reheat it in the oven, cover with foil and let cook for about 10 minutes at about 350°F.
Can you freeze cooked cauliflower?
You can freeze this cauliflower after it is cooked. It will last for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or container with a lid.
Let the florets cool completely then put them on a baking sheet in the freezer. Try not to let any of the pieces touch. After an hour, you can put them in a freezer safe container. This will keep the pieces from sticking together in the freezer.
To reheat the cauliflower from frozen, put the florets on a prepared baking sheet and cook at 350°F. To keep them from drying out, cover the sheet with foil for a few minutes.
Or, you can let them thaw in the fridge during the day, then reheat in the microwave just before serving.
More Instant Pot recipes with cauliflower
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing the leftovers
5-Day Instant Pot Challenge!
Learn how to use your Instant Pot to meal prep by subscribing to our newsletter!
Instant Pot Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into large florets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 pinch pepper
Instructions
- Add the 3/4 cup of water to the bottom of Instant Pot and then place trivet inside the inner pot.
- Add cauliflower, then drizzle with olive oil & lemon juice, sprinkling garlic, salt and pepper overtop. Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal.
- Press the pressure cook button and set to low, then cook for 1 minute. The Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure, then notify you it's done by beeping.
- Press the Cancel button then do a quick release of the pressure on the Instant Pot by flicking the switch at the top with a spoon. Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily.
- Carefully remove cauliflower florets from Instant Pot and serve on a large platter, gently tossing with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!
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