How To Make Sauteed Cauliflower PERECT Every Single Time

This quick and easy sauteed cauliflower recipe is an incredibly versatile side dish you can eat with anything and everything. It's so simple yet so flavorful, and the best part is it's a breeze to whip up. In fact, it's so easy that you can have this sauteed cauliflower ready to eat in less than 15 minutes!

The Best Sauteed Cauliflower

Out of all the cauliflower recipes you can make, this sauteed cauliflower has to be one of the best.

I mean, there's just so much to love about this recipe. The cauliflower turns out perfectly fork-tender every single time, it's filled with a ton of delicious garlic flavor, and it has the perfect char to it too.

In short, it's so, so good.

Plus, as I said just a second ago, this sauteed cauliflower recipe is super easy to make too. Seriously, all you have to do is toss the cauliflower in a skillet with some oil and seasonings, and you can have it cooked to perfection in no time.

How great does that sound?

Oh, and since this sauteed cauliflower recipe is pretty much all passive cooking, you can effortlessly whip up a main dish to go with it. I love eating this sautéed cauliflower with these air fryer pork chops, these grilled chicken thighs, this ground turkey recipe, and these chicken tenderloins.

Ingredients

This is a simple cauliflower recipe with simple ingredients. In fact, all you need is a head of cauliflower and 5 pantry staples to make it. And, honestly, if you have the cauliflower, you probably have everything else you need!

Anyway, here's what you'll need for it:

• 1 head cauliflower, trimmed, cut into florets
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoon garlic paste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

Pretty simple stuff, right?

By the way, if you end up with extra cauliflower after making this recipe, don't worry. I have more easy cauliflower recipes you can make with it - like this fluffy broccoli cauliflower salad, cauliflower rice, and this buttery cauliflower mash - and they happen to use many of the same ingredients as this recipe!

Ingredient Substitutions and Suggestions

Now, I think this sautéed cauliflower is perfect with made the ingredients above, but there are plenty of ways you can change them up.

First off, you can totally use frozen cauliflower instead of fresh cauliflower if you want; just make sure to thaw it beforehand. 

Now, as far as add-ins go, if you want to take things up a notch, you can add in a squeeze of lemon juice, some parmesan cheese, or even some chopped cooked bacon pieces. Oh, and for some heat, sometimes I like to add in some red pepper flakes or hot sauce.

How to Cook Sautéed Cauliflower

As I've mentioned several times already, this sautéed cauliflower recipe is super easy to put together.

I mean, all you have to do is steam the cauliflower florets in the microwave and saute them with the seasonings. That's really all there is to it. It's a simple, fast, foolproof recipe with consistently tasty results!

Anyway, with all that said, let's jump right into the recipe.

Step 1: Microwave The Cauliflower Florets

First things first, you'll want to trim the cauliflower and cut it into florets if you haven't done so already.

Then, you can place the cauliflower florets in a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon of water, cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate or cover, and microwave the cauliflower for 4-5 minutes or until it's tender.

Now, after you microwave the cauliflower, you'll want to check it by poking it with a fork. It should be fork tender at this point. If the cauliflower isn't soft enough to pierce it with a fork, you'll want to continue microwaving the florets in 30-second increments until they are.

Step 2: Sauté The Cauliflower

Once the cauliflower is good to go, you can set it aside and start prepping the pan that you're going to saute it in.

So, to do that, you'll want to add the olive oil to the skillet and heat it over medium high heat. Then, when the oil is hot, you can add the garlic paste to the pan and cook it until it's fragrant. Now you can add the cauliflower florets to the skillet and season them with dried thyme, salt, and pepper to taste.

Finally, you'll want to saute the cauliflower with the herbs and garlic, gently stirring everything for around 2-3 minutes.

Step 3: Serve The Cauliflower

Once your sauteed cauliflower is cooked to perfection, you can transfer it to a plate and serve it immediately with anything that you want. And, again, for even more flavor, you can add some lemon juice and parmesan cheese on top of the cooked cauliflower.

Enjoy!

What to Eat With Cauliflower

One of the best things about cauliflower is that it goes great with just about anything and everything. 

With that said, here are some of my favorite things to eat with cauliflower:

• Blackened salmon
• Mahi mahi with garlic lemon butter sauce
• Pan seared thin pork chops
• Air fryer chicken breast
• Eye of round steak
• Bottom round roast

How to Store Cooked Cauliflower

This recipe for sauteed cauliflower makes enough for about 4 servings as a side dish. And if you don't finish it all in one sitting, don't worry - the cauliflower is excellent leftover, and it heats up super well too.

So, to store your leftover sauteed cauliflower, you'll want to transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. Stored like this, the cauliflower should last for up to 5 days

And if you want to keep the pan seared cauliflower for longer, you can store it in the freezer for up to 10 months. To freeze, I recommend freezing your florets on a parchment paper-lined baking tray first before transferring them to a freezer bag. Then, squeeze all the extra air out of the freezer bag before storing.

How To Reheat Cooked Cauliflower

Once you're ready to enjoy your cooked cauliflower again, it's definitely best reheated.

To reheat it as quickly as possible, the microwave is your best bet. Just cover your leftover sauteed cauliflower with a wet paper towel and cook it in the microwave in 30-second increments until it's warmed through.

Alternatively, you can put the cauliflower back in a skillet and heat it over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring it every once in a while.

Both ways work great - the microwave works surprisingly well.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to saute cauliflower in just a few minutes! 

This easy sautéed cauliflower recipe is the perfect healthy side whenever you're running low on time or just don't know what else to make for dinner.

Honestly, I make this at least once a week for my family since it's so quick and easy - even my two-year-old loves it! Plus, it goes great with just about everything.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this healthy cauliflower recipe as much as I/we do. As always, if you make it, leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

More Sauteed Vegetable Recipes

If you're looking for some more easy sauteed vegetable recipes to make, I have a ton that you can try next!

Here are some reader favorites:

• Sauteed broccoli
• Sauteed eggplant
• Sauteed brussel sprouts
• Sauteed asparagus
• Sauteed sweet potatoes

Also, be sure to check out my Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok pages for more healthy recipes just like this one.