Grilled Whole Roasted Cauliflower
On February 15, 2021 (Updated October 24, 2023)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Grilled Whole Roasted Cauliflower is easier than you can possibly imagine, as minimum prep work is required and it is served family style for a tasty side you’ll make over and over again.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
This whole roasted is an awesome side dish that is both hearty and low calorie. When I say hearty and low-cal in the same sentence, many of you would scoff, but as tons of you already know cauliflower is just that.
It is filling and almost meaty in its texture while being full of vitamins, minerals, and even protein! If you’re following whole30, paleo, or vegetarian/vegan diets, cauliflower is a saving grace of flavor and fulfillment. I’ve seen people roasting whole heads of cauliflower and eating them as one (i.e. me) might roast and eat a big hunk of beef. For us, it’s the perfect side dish but you go on and eat it however you see fit and enjoy!
I season mine liberally with my Homemade Sweet Rub, but any seasoning you love can be used. You can also purchase this Signature Sweet Rub pre-made and delivered straight to your door. If you’re not into collecting different rubs and spices, salt and cracked black pepper are delicious as well!
Grilled Cauliflower Head
Simple sides are a busy mom’s saving grace. That’s why I am seriously obsessed with my grill. It takes any old veggie and turns it into something drool worthy (like broccoli, corn, or zucchini) with minimum effort. If it is grillable, I will find a way to make it happen. That’s just one less pan I have to clean up when dinner is over and a healthy veggie I won’t have to fight my kids to eat.
Speaking of serving meals family-style, one of my favorite tips is to serve grilled meals in a large bowl or on a platter. Straight from the grill to the platter to the plate. No need for tons of serving dishes or bowls that you’ll just have to wash later and everything can be simply and beautifully arranged to make it feel like you’re getting this amazingly huge feast for dinner.
There’s something about big heaped on piles of food just screams hearty, even if it’s all low-cal veggies and lean meats.
How to Roast a Whole Cauliflower on the Grill
Roasting a whole cauliflower on the grill is as easy at it gets. All you need is super simple seasoning, a hot grill (charcoal or gas will work great for this recipe), and you’ve got a whole roasted cauliflower ready in under 30 minutes.
- Trim. Remove large leaves from the cauliflower head and cut the stem off the bottom of the cauliflower so it sits nice and flat.
- Season. All you need to season this cauliflower is olive oil and sweet rub. If you don’t have any sweet rub on hand, you can also season this with your favorite seasoning or equal parts salt and pepper. Feel free to go as simple or complex as you want with the seasoning on this cauliflower.
- Grill. With your grill preheated to 400 degrees F, place your whole cauliflower in a grill basket or on a grill-safe baking sheet (you can also grill the cauliflower directly on the grill grates, if desired. Place the whole cauliflower on the grill, close the lid, and grill for 25-30 minutes. You’ll know your cauliflower is done when you can pierce the flesh with a fork and it is nice and tender. The top will also be a gorgeous golden brown.
- Serve. You can enjoy this immediately. Slice into large pieces or sections to serve.
Can it get easier than this? I think not! Make sure to leave a comment below with your favorite way to enjoy this roasted cauliflower.
More Roasted Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Vegetables on the grill pack in all the flavor and all the nutrients. Check out a few popular grilled and roasted vegetable recipes from Hey Grill Hey below.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
Grilled Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoon Signature Sweet Rub or equal parts salt and pepper
Instructions
- Trim the cauliflower. Break off any large and excess leaves on the bottom of the cauliflower. Use a large knife to cut the stem flat so the cauliflower sits without tipping over.
- Preheat the grill. Start your grill and set the heat to medium. Allow the grill to preheat to approximately 400 degrees F while you season the cauliflower.
- Season the whole cauliflower head. Drizzle the cauliflower with the olive oil and season with the sweet rub (or salt and pepper). Place in a grill basket for stability (if you have one) or onto a baking sheet.
- Roast the cauliflower head on the grill. Put in cauliflower on the grill and roast for 25-30 minutes or until the flesh of the cauliflower is fork tender and the top begins to brown.
- Enjoy! Serve immediately by slicing off large pieces for each portion.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**This post was originally published in August 2015. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
I loved it, took a while longer to cook then I thought it would but the head as really tight
Roasted 40 min since it wasn’t done and started burning / had to finish in the microwave ugh
Do you then bbq for the same time as the original recipe? I did the original recipe and it took longer. I didn’t think of steaming it first. It was good anyway, since we all like it al dente. I will look forward to trying it again.
I love Grilled Cauliflower, as does the family. I trim it, steam it lightly, then I turn it upside down in a bowl, and drizzle a mixture of melted butter, garlic powder, dried mustard, Salt & Pepper into it while it’s upside down, so that the butter seeps down through the cauliflower and season from the inside!