Chipotle Roasted Cauliflower is a smokey and slightly spicy side dish that’s made in under 30 minutes. Fresh cauliflower is roasted to perfection, then tossed with chipotle sauce, fresh lime, cilantro, and spices. It’s one healthy side the whole family will love!
A bold, spicy roasted cauliflower
Cauliflower is a vegetable that is a little on the bland side and definitely needs a little kick to get it going. Roasting the veg with bold spices is a fantastic way to compliment the cauliflower’s mellow flavor. While making this recipe, I wondered why there weren’t more spicy cauliflower recipes around incorporating chipotle peppers. It seems like these two are made for each other. 
What is a Chipotle Pepper?
Chipotles are ripen red jalapeños that are smoked and dried, then used for seasoning. They are typically sold in a can in Adobo, a thick sauce flavored with vibrant spices.
Throughout the week, I roast vegetables as a side pretty much every night for dinner. Usually I just use salt and pepper as the seasoning because I’m lazy. However, this time I decided to spice it up by tossing the fresh cauliflower florets in a couple teaspoons of leftover Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce.
The perfectly spicy vegetable side dish
A tangy spiced chipotle favor takes the usual drab, unexciting, tasteless cauliflower to a delicious new level. Piquant chipotle peppers turn this into one perfect side dish for all the spicy lovers out there. It goes well with all entrees and can also be served as a main dish too!
I’ve used it as a vegan filling for tacos too. Just add:
- a few roasted pumpkin seeds
- a little extra lime
- some pico de gallo and helllloooooo Taco Tuesday!!!
We also loved the leftovers in an omelet the next morning. It sounds weird to have cauliflower for breakfast, but the flavors and textures worked so well with the eggs!
Try this Chipotle Roasted Cauliflower next time you want a slightly spicy, flavorful way to eat a healthy vegetable. Hope you enjoy the recipe and please let me know in the comments below how you liked it!
Chipotle Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 large head of cauliflower, separated into bite-sized florets
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, canned
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 fresh lime, juiced
- optional: fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, chipotle sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, pepper and cumin.
- Add the cauliflower to the bowl and toss in the mixture until each piece is coated.
- Place coated cauliflower on a large baking sheet and spread out so the pieces aren't touching each other. Roast for 15 minutes, turn cauliflower over, return to oven and roast an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Sprinkle the lime juice over roasted cauliflower and add the chopped cilantro, if desired. Toss well and enjoy!
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- Cauliflower be served hot or at room temperature
- More Chipotle recipes to try: Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup and Stuffed Meatballs in Chipotle Tomato Sauce
Ruth says
Thanks for the recipe! I made a variation of this. I have chipotle chilli’s in the fridge that I had to use up so this recipe was great. I was also looking to make it a little bit cheesy so I added half a handful of breadcrumbs and some light mozzarella and chedder cheese. I didn’t have any onion powder so I omitted that, I used minced garlic instead of garlic powder, added half a tsp dijon mustard and only used a drizzle of oil. It turned out super delicious and I have leftovers!
[email protected] says
Thank you Ruth! I’m so happy you tried it. You practically made a whole new recipe, like a chipotle cheesy cauliflower, and it sounds delicious! I’m definitely going to try it your way next time. Glad you used minced garlic instead of powder because it seems to fit in better with the cheese. Yummy
Cheyanne says
Oh how I simply adore you… cauliflower is one of my all time favorite veggies. Along with asparagus and brussels. And zucchini. And squash. Lol. I love how you spiced up one of my favs- looks delish! Cheers, chickie!
[email protected] says
Thank you Chey. I bet you could use this chipotle seasoning on all of your favorite veggies