Quick Oven-Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower in 30 Minutes

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Inside: A quick and delicious turmeric cauliflower side dish roasted in the oven on broil.

A few years ago, BJ’s Brewery restaurants offered an Enlightened Moroccan Chicken entree with roasted turmeric cauliflower and red pepper puree.

As I started my fasting and low-carb, high-fat journey, this dish was my go-to dinner for eating out because it was delicious, clean, and low-carb.

When BJ’s Brewery stopped serving this dish, I craved it hardcore. I had to figure out how to make it at home. A few weird experiments and 5 years later, I perfected this dish into a highly requested family fave!

Why I Love This Cauliflower Side Dish

I grew up eating boiled frozen cauliflower, which was mushy and wet. I didn’t know I liked cauliflower until I got older and realized it was wonderful when roasted.

Roasting cauliflower gives it crispy, almost sweet caramelized edges. With the added turmeric and butter, this turmeric cauliflower is absolutely delicious—a little smoky, a little sweet, and full of flavor! 

Over the five years I've been making this favorite side dish, I adjusted the recipe. I added in diced roasted red peppers to bring in the flavor of the red pepper purée from the BJ's dish without giving up the fiber. According to the Glucose Goddess, it is better to eat vegetables whole, and not blended like a puree.

An Alternative to Cauliflower Rice

When I eat low-carb, I have had more than my fair share of cauliflower because so many low-carb recipes use it as a rice or potato substitute. The heartiness of cauliflower is similar to eating potatoes, which I avoid due to their inflammatory properties, higher carb content, and glycemic index ranking.

Here are some of my favorite cauliflower recipes:

• Mexican Cauliflower Rice
• Roasted Cauliflower Lollipops

But man, did I get tired of eating cauliflower rice all the time!

This recipe packs an incredible flavor profile. And it checks the boxes for some of the most popular diets:

• Paleo
• Keto
• Low-Carb High Fat
• Vegetarian

Even if you're not dieting, this recipe can quickly make you a fan of cauliflower.

What are the Ingredients in this Turmeric Cauliflower Dish?

While this recipe packs exotic flavors, you can easily find all the ingredients at any grocery store. Even in rural Arizona, as rural as it gets, I can find all the ingredients to create this simple dish.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Cauliflower—You can use a whole cauliflower and cut it into pieces or purchase pre-cut cauliflower. Avoid frozen cauliflower for this recipe as it tends to have too much moisture content and won’t crisp in the oven. I prefer organic cauliflower. You can also use white, purple, or yellow cauliflower varieties in this recipe.
• Ground Turmeric — ground turmeric can be found in the spice aisle at the grocery store.
• Cayenne Pepper or Red Pepper Flakes (optional) — A little sprinkle gives the cauliflower a kick. If you don’t like spicy foods, leave this ingredient out or substitute smoked paprika.
• Butter—I like Kerry Gold butter best, as it has a rich flavor and is more natural than the average store-brand butter.
• Olive Oil —  organic is best if you can find it.
• Salt and Pepper—you should already have this at home. Add salt and pepper to taste in the recipe.
• Slivered Almonds — these might be in the baking aisle at the grocery store. One small bag can typically make 3-4 batches of this recipe.
• Roasted Red Peppers — these come in a jar and can be used for many other recipes besides this one. They’re also great on salads.
• Italian Parsley (optional) — You’ll need just a couple of sprigs of this, and you can use the rest for other recipes, like my Keto Albondigas Soup. The parsley is a garnish and completely optional. You can use dried parsley if you don't have fresh.

What Makes the Cauliflower Yellow?

The yellow color of the roasted cauliflower is from the ground turmeric in the recipe.

To get the cauliflower's yellow color, stir the raw florets in a turmeric mixture before baking.

Stir until the cauliflower is completely yellow and no white is peeking out.

If the turmeric mixture is too thick or isn't coating the cauliflower, add more olive oil or melted butter to thin the mixture and ease coating the cauliflower.

You can cut the turmeric in the recipe in half to ½ tsp for a milder flavor. I just eyeball the amounts rather than measuring. Do what works best for you.

Cleaning Tips for Success

Turmeric can stain permeable and light-colored surfaces. Avoid plastic, unsealed ceramics, and stoneware when using turmeric in recipes. I prefer using glass and metal cookware for this recipe to avoid stains.

Lining the cookie sheet with foil makes cleanup super easy. After roasting the cauliflower, peel away the foil and discard, leaving the cookie sheet clean.

What if I Want to Avoid Using Nuts or Almonds in this Turmeric Cauliflower?

If someone in your family dislikes nuts, bake two batches, one with nuts and one without. Alternatively, during broiling, remove their serving of cauliflower from the baking sheet before adding the almonds.

Why Broil the Cauliflower in the Oven?

Broiling is faster than baking or sauteing.

Yes, you could bake cauliflower to get caramelized edges and cook it thoroughly. I'm impatient so I broil the cauliflower on high.

Using this method, I discovered that the turmeric cauliflower gets a bit charred on the edges. I enjoy the smoky char.

Because of the high heat, you'll need to add the slivered almonds during the last 2-4 minutes of broiling to avoid burning the almonds.

I add the red peppers at the end of broiling simply to warm them because they're already roasted. I don't mix them with the cauliflower before broiling to avoid turning the cauliflower a weird shade of orange-pink from the pepper juice.

Alternatively, bake the cauliflower at 350°F for 30-45 minutes until tender. But why waste all that time when you can just broil? Impatient cooks unite!

What Kitchen Tools Are Needed for Turmeric Cauliflower?

You'll need:

• Foil
• Cookie or baking sheet
• Metal spoon
• Oven with a broil setting
• Large glass mixing bowl
• Microwave
• Microwave-safe dish for melting butter
• Knife and cutting board
• Oven mitts to remove the hot pan from the oven
• Kitchen scissors to chop the parsley 

What Main Dishes Pair Well with Turmeric Cauliflower?

While I think this cauliflower dish goes with everything and is an excellent meal on its own, here are a few favorite recipes to pair it with:

• Most Tasty Chicken Ever
• Grilled Salmon
• Mexican Chicken Satays

Can This Cauliflower Recipe Be Adapted to Vegan?

Yes, double the olive oil and omit the butter in the recipe to make it vegan-friendly.

How to Make Turmeric Oven-Roasted Cauliflower

Watch this video to see the entire process of preparing this Oven-Roasted Cauliflower, step by step.

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What Questions Do You Have?

Drop your questions in the comments below or video on our YouTube channel or Facebook Page.

What Happened to the Moroccan Chicken at BJ's?

BJ's swapped out the Moroccan chicken dish for a Mediterranean Chicken Bowl entree on menus across all stores in 2019.

I'm not the only one who loved it either!

I found a YouTube video where someone recreated the Moroccan Chicken dish from BJ's. Our cauliflower methods differ.

I like my version of this Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower best.