Air Fryer Cauliflower Steak With Panko and Cheese

Air Fryer Cauliflower Steak coated in panko and cheese. This recipe is special by using besides the cauliflower steaks, garlic, melted butter, and cheddar cheese. Enjoy this easy plant-based recipe as your main meal or serve it as a side dish near a flavorful sauce.

This recipe is perfect for those that are looking for a meatless meal option if you are a vegetarian, you’re in a meatless-Mondays challenge, on a plant-based diet or if you just want to add more veggies into your life this recipe is a good fit for you.

In my family, we often have cauliflower in the fridge because it is a very versatile vegetable. Today’s recipe is a good example of what you can make if you got tired of cooking fried cauliflower steaks the same way over and over again.

If you don’t have an air fryer, you can easily repeat the same recipe and cook the cauliflower steaks on a grill or in the oven.

Also, if you want to make a lighter variant for the cauliflower steaks in the air fryer, you can season them only with lemon, some fresh aromatic herbs, and optionally garlic.

Because we coated the cauliflower slices into panko and topped them with the cheddar cheese, you will get a nice crunchy texture and will look so good on the table that you can serve them even on holidays.

As a bonus, you will get a rich golden color. Just take a look at this beauty:

Keep reading for all my tips and tricks on how to make your best cauliflower steaks in the air fryer.

🏆 Top 3 Tips for the Cauliflower Steaks in Air Fryer

1. Choose wisely the cauliflower plant. Pick one that has a large head. The cauliflower should be heavy and fresh. Avoid cauliflowers that are fluffy and lightweight.
2. Slice your cauliflower evenly into slices of similar thickness. If you want to make them crispy, then slice them into 1” thick. If you prefer them softer, then you can slice them into slices of 1 1/2”.
3. Roast the air fryer cauliflower steaks until they will get a nice and rich golden color.

Quick Note: To simplify the process, use a large chef’s knife.

Pro Tip: When you will cut the cauliflower into slices, some parts of it may fall apart and turn into florets. Don’t throw away the cauliflower bites because you can easily use them to make a homemade vegetable broth, risotto, or a plate of pasta.

⏲️ How to Make This Recipe in the Oven?

You can make the same recipe in the oven by following the same steps but you will need to adjust the time. Set the same temperature of 375°F / 190°C, and cook them for about 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven.

🥬 How to Make a Vegan Version?

If you prefer the vegan version of the cauliflower steak then replace butter with vegetable oil.

To replace the eggs in a vegan recipe, you could use a mix of 2 tablespoons of flour, 4 tablespoons of water, and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. You can skip the cheese altogether or opt for a vegan cheese alternative.

🥘 Ingredients Needed for This Recipe?

Quick Note: All the ingredients below are indicated for 1 serving. If you need a larger serving, just multiply the ingredients to your needs.

• Cauliflower Steak. As we need to obtain some steak from the cauliflower, pick a plant that is large enough. Keep in mind that it should fit in your air fryer basket.
• Panko or you can use regular breadcrumbs.
• Melted Butter. Take it over from the fridge 1-2 hours ahead to bring the butter to room temperature.
• Fresh Garlic. You can also use powdered garlic.
• Cheddar cheese. You could replace it with another cheese you prefer such as parmesan or if you want an even more accentuated taste, you could even use blue cheese.
• Medium egg.
• Salt and black pepper.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

While you can enjoy the roasted cauliflower steaks as a main dish, you can combine them with a nice salad, orange chicken, some delicious home burgers, homemade chicken patties, near some pork, fish, or for sure you can make a nice pie from them.

Sauces to Serve Near the Cauliflower Steak

This cauliflower steak would go well with a chimichurri sauce, romesco sauce, buffalo sauce, marinara sauce, sweet-chili pepper sauce, pesto, dill sauce, or tzatziki.

👩‍🍳 Step-by-step Directions

Bring the butter to room temperature then mix it with your favorite spices. Today, I decided to season only with salt and pepper.

Take a sharp knife and cut the cauliflower into steaks.

Quick Note: Don’t throw away the cauliflower leftovers because you can make delicious pasta, ragout, or just season and cook them as is in the air fryer.

After you have ready the cauliflower steaks, with the mixture obtained, grease them well until the cauliflower steaks will be fully covered on all sides.

Then take another bowl and beat one egg. Spin the cauliflower steak through the beaten egg until it will be covered with egg on all sides.

Take another plate (promise, the last one) And pour in it the panko or breadcrumbs. Rotate the cauliflower steaks in breadcrumbs until it will be covered on all sides.

Preheat the air fryer and place the steak in the preheated air fryer basket.

Roast the cauliflower steak at 375°F / 190°C for about 13-15 minutes.

Quick Note: The cooking time is approximate only because it may differ by the size of your cauliflower steak and the air fryer model. Personally, I used for this recipe the Cosori Air Fryer 5.8QT and it took me 15 minutes.

For extra flavor and texture, grate over the steak cheddar or parmesan cheese and bake the steaks for another 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Our cauliflower steak in the air fryer is ready to be enjoyed.

Just take a look at this wonderful golden color that these roasted cauliflower steaks got:

♻️ Make Ahead and Storage:

📋 Recipe Card: