Roasted Cauliflower with Chipotle and Lime

This Roasted Cauliflower with Chipotle and Lime is an easy and healthy recipe made with only 6 clean, real food ingredients. It's the perfect plant-based side-dish, appetizer, or snack that everyone will love!

Here's Why This Recipe Works

My top 3 favorite reasons:

1. Versatile Plant-Based Recipe - Use as a side dish, appetizer, snack, or even as a filling in cauliflower tacos!
2. No Special Equipment Needed - No food processor or Vitamix needed - just a couple of mixing bowls cookie sheet for baking!
3. Made With Only 6 Clean, Real Food Ingredients - Nutrient-dense and healthy ingredients such as cauliflower, avocado oil, lime juice, chipotle, garlic, and Himalayan pink salt.

You can feel good about making this recipe because it's plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, alkaline, lectin-free, paleo-friendly, and Medical Medium compliant.

How To Make This Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions

Before beginning, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then set aside.

The preparation for this recipe is really easy and the hardest/longest part is just waiting for it to roast in the oven.

Step 1: Prepare the Cauliflower 

Firstly, prepare the cauliflower:

• Whole Cauliflower - remove the leaves and stem, then cut the cauliflower into small bite-size pieces.
• Fresh Cauliflower Pieces - this is the quickest option if you're in a hurry, just skip over to Step 2.
• Frozen Cauliflower Pieces - I've used both frozen cauliflower pieces and although frozen works, the fresh seems to come out better. 

Whichever type of cauliflower you use, place it in a medium-size mixing bowl.

Next, toss the cauliflower pieces with the avocado oil until they are all covered, then set aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Seasoning

Secondly, mix the seasonings together in a small bowl until well combined.

Spices: The great thing is you can customize them to your preference. For example:

• Medium Heat: Use ½ teaspoon ground chipotle + ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder 
• High Heat: Use 1 teaspoon (or more!) of ground chipotle + ½ teaspoon of garlic powder

Himalayan Pink Salt: I recommend using between ¼ - ½ teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt, according to your preference.

Step 3: Assembly

Thirdly, sprinkle the seasoning over the cauliflower pieces and gently toss to make sure it's evenly distributed and all pieces are covered.

Step 4: Roast the Cauliflower

Lastly, place the seasoned cauliflower pieces onto the prepared cookie sheet and roast at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 60-90 minutes, tossing them about halfway through.

Although it seems like a long time to roast the cauliflower in the oven, it's worth the extra time and it is "inactive" time.

The "slow + low" heat method will give the best results.

You ideally want the cauliflower to be soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside.

It only takes a few minutes to prep the recipe and get it in the oven so it's a good recipe to make on a day when you have other things to do and can just leave them in the oven to slowly roast...there's not really any hands-on time needed once they're in the oven. 

Karielyn's Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions

Here are some of my expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:

Cooking Time: The secret to making the cauliflower soft on the inside and crispy on the outside is to use the "slow + low" heat method. Roasting the cauliflower for a longer period of time (60-90 minutes) on low heat (325 degrees Fahrenheit) will give the best results.

Cauliflower: You can use a whole cauliflower, cut into floret-size pieces, or use pre-cut cauliflower pieces. In addition, I've also used frozen cauliflower pieces when I didn't have fresh on hand, although fresh comes out better.

• Whole Cauliflower - remove the leaves and stem, then cut the cauliflower into small bite-size pieces.
• Fresh Cauliflower Pieces - this is the quickest option if you're in a hurry, just skip over to Step 2.
• Frozen Cauliflower Pieces - I've used both frozen cauliflower pieces and although frozen works, the fresh seems to come out better. 

Avocado Oil: When roasting veggies in the oven, I prefer to use avocado oil since it will be roasting at high heat for a long period of time, but it can be substituted with organic extra-virgin olive oil.

Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice will give the best flavor and nutrients since it hasn't been pasteurized, but you could also use organic store-bought lime juice.

Chipotle + Garlic: Adjust these to your taste preferences. You can start with the lower amounts shown in the recipe for a milder spice combination or use the higher amounts for a more spicy flavor.

• Medium Heat: Use ½ teaspoon ground chipotle + ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• High Heat: Use 1 teaspoon (or more!) ground chipotle + ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Himalayan Pink Salt: This is my salt of preference, however, you can always substitute with sea salt. I recommend using between ¼ - ½ teaspoon according to your preference.

Serving Size: This recipe will make approximately (2) cups of cauliflower bites, depending on the size of the cauliflower you use. Nutritional information is for ½ cup which is (1) serving.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What Else Can I Make With Cauliflower?

There are so many plant-based recipes you can make, for example:

1. Mushroom Cauliflower Rice Risotto 
2. Cilantro + Lime Cauliflower Rice  
3. Basil Pesto + Cauliflower Rice Dip
4. Vegan Cauliflower Potato Salad

There are even recipes for mashed cauliflower, cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower buffalo "wings" and even cauliflower smoothie bowls!

Is Cauliflower A Starchy Vegetable?

No! And it's a perfect substitute for high carb foods such as potatoes and even rice.

Want More Healthy Plant-Based Cauliflower Recipes?

Check out these:

• Black Pepper + Turmeric Cauliflower Rice
• Roasted Cauliflower "Steaks" with Lemon Dill Tahini Sauce
• Chocolate Cauliflower "Nice" Cream
• Or my CLEAN EATING Cookbook with an entire chapter of 20 healthy, clean eating meal + entree recipes just like this one that you will love!

Did You Make This Recipe?

I'd love to hear about it! Please give it a rating and leave a comment below...it would make my day! 🙂

Gluten-Free Vegan Roasted Cauliflower with Chipotle and Lime

This Roasted Cauliflower with Chipotle and Lime is an easy and healthy recipe made with only 6 clean, real food ingredients. It's the perfect plant-based side-dish, appetizer, or snack that everyone will love!

{ Plant-Based | Vegan | Gluten-Free | Dairy-Free | Soy-Free | Nut-Free | Lectin-Free | Paleo-Friendly | Alkaline | Medical Medium }

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Review Save For Later Saved!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Yields: 4 servings

Calories : 123

Equipment

• Unbleached Parchment Paper
• Cookie Sheet

Ingredients

For the cauliflower:

• ▢ 1 large organic cauliflower
• ▢ 2 tablespoons 100% pure avocado oil

For the seasoning:

• ▢ ½-1 tablespoon organic ground chipotle powder
• ▢ ¼-1/2 teaspoon organic garlic powder
• ▢ ¼-1/2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt

For the garnish:

• ▢ 1 organic lime (freshly squeezed)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then set aside.

Prepare the seasoning:

• Add all the ingredients for the seasoning to a small bowl and stir until well combined, then set aside. Start off with a lower amount of each seasoning and adjust up to the higher amount, depending on your preference.

Prepare the cauliflower:

• Remove the stem and leaves from the cauliflower, cut it into small bite-sized pieces, then add them to a medium-size mixing bowl.
• Drizzle the avocado oil over the cauliflower pieces and gently toss until the oil is evenly distributed and all the cauliflower pieces are covered.

Assembly:

• Sprinkle the seasoning mixture onto the cauliflower pieces and gently toss, making sure the seasoning is evenly distributed and covering all the cauliflower pieces.
• Transfer the seasoned cauliflower pieces to the prepared cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 60-90 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside, tossing them halfway through.
• Remove from the oven and squeeze the lime juice over the top of the cauliflower pieces.
• Optional: garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
• Best when served hot from the oven.

Recipe Notes

Recipe lightly adapted from: https://remcooks.com/2012/02/02/roasted-cauliflower-with-red-chile-cilantro-lime/

Cooking Time: The secret to making the cauliflower soft on the inside and crispy on the outside is to use the "slow + low" heat method. Roasting the cauliflower for a longer period of time (60-90 minutes) on low heat (325 degrees Fahrenheit) will give the best results.

Cauliflower: You can use a whole cauliflower, cut into floret-size pieces, or use pre-cut cauliflower pieces. In addition, I've also used frozen cauliflower pieces when I didn't have fresh on hand, although fresh comes out better.

• Whole Cauliflower - remove the leaves and stem, then cut the cauliflower into small bite-size pieces.
• Fresh Cauliflower Pieces - this is the quickest option if you're in a hurry, just skip over to Step 2.
• Frozen Cauliflower Pieces - I've used both frozen cauliflower pieces and although frozen works, the fresh seems to come out better. 

Avocado Oil: When roasting veggies in the oven, I prefer to use avocado oil since it will be roasting at high heat for a long period of time, but it can be substituted with organic extra-virgin olive oil.

Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice will give the best flavor and nutrients since it hasn't been pasteurized, but you could also use organic store-bought lime juice.

Chipotle + Garlic: Adjust these to your taste preferences. You can start with the lower amounts shown in the recipe for a milder spice combination or use the higher amounts for a more spicy flavor.

• Medium Heat: Use ½ teaspoon ground chipotle + ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• High Heat: Use 1 teaspoon (or more!) ground chipotle + ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Himalayan Pink Salt: This is my salt of preference, however, you can always substitute with sea salt. I recommend using between ¼ - ½ teaspoon according to your preference.

Serving Size: This recipe will make approximately (2) cups of cauliflower bites, depending on the size of the cauliflower you use. Nutritional information is for ½ cup which is (1) serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 4svgs | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 225mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Calcium: 55mg

Course:Appetizer,Side Dish,Snack

Cuisine:American

Recipe Author: Karielyn Tillman

Copyright Notice

The instructions, notes, and photographs for this recipe by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are copyrighted material. This copyrighted work is protected and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) and cannot be legally used without my written permission.

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