July 10, 2023

Grilled Cauliflower Steak with Green Goddess Sauce

Name: Grilled Cauliflower Steak with Green Goddess Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 4 Cauliflower steaks (cut from 2 heads of cauliflower, per visual above); olive oil for grilling; 1 recipe Green Goddess Sauce; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 lemon (juiced); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon chipolte pepper powder; 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika; salt and pepper

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This Grilled Cauliflower Steak recipe with Green Goddess Sauce is a tasty vegetarian meal made on the grill. The steaks are tender inside and slightly smoky and charred on the outside, for an irresistible healthy meal or side dish.

Serve it with Griled Sweet Potato Wedges, Cheesy Grilled Potatoes, or Grilled Zucchini in Foil for a delicious vegetarian grilling dinner.

Grilled Cauliflower Steak recipe

This Grilled Cauliflower Steak recipe is vegetarian grilling perfection. The cauliflower is cut into thick "steak" and soaked in a rich marinade of olive oil, honey, lemon, and smoky spices like chipotle pepper and smoked paprika. You then grill the steak to crisp perfection where it is tender inside and slightly crisp on the outside. It's all topped with a fresh herb-filled Green Goddess Sauce to really make the flavors pop. The sauce is super flavorful and made with fresh garlic, basil, chives, and parsley!

This unique vegetarian grilling dish is perfect for a vegetarian main course or a fun side dish. The "steaks" are surprisingly good and even meat-eaters can get on board with this tasty and healthy dinner.

This recipe is also gluten-free, low-carb, vegan-friendly, and clean eating!

I also included instructions to oven-roast the steak in the winter, making this a versatile dish to keep in your dinner rotation.

Why is a cauliflower steak called a steak?

It's a fun vegan or vegetarian alternative to a steak. You cut the cauliflower into inch-thick "steaks" to mimic the thickness and size of a piece of meat. The steak is seasoned richly and grilled making a great veggie alternative to meat. So of course it's not a real steak, but it's a fun healthy alternative.

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Why You'll Love this Grilled Cauliflower Steak Recipe...

This Grilled Cauliflower Steak recipe is simple to make and really tasty!
If you want a great vegetarian grilling dinner, this is it!
The green goddess sauce is a perfect creamy garlic blend of fresh herbs like parsley, chives, and basil. So much flavor!
This dish is super healthy! Cauliflower is an underrated superfood, rich in vitamin C, choline, fiber, and vitamin C. It's also a low-calorie vegetable.
This recipe has a quick smoky marinade that brings even more flavor to the cauliflower steak.
You can double these Grilled Cauliflower Steaks as a vegetarian main course and a side dish for the meat eaters at your cookout.
They are super unique and unexpected!

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make this Grilled Cauliflower Steak recipe, but keep scrolling for the full recipe amounts.

For the Grilled Cauliflower Steaks:

Cauliflower: Look for a large, dense cauliflower that's free of blemishes. Unless you have a very large cauliflower, you will probably need two large heads of cauliflower to get 4 nice steaks. See the photos below on how to cut them.
Olive Oil for Grilling

Marinade:

Olive Oil: Olive oil is a great base for this marinade. It will also help keep the steak from sticking to the grill.
Honey: A touch of honey adds some sweetness and balances the acid in the dish. To easily make this vegan, swap out this for maple syrup.
Lemon: Use one fresh lemon juice for great flavor.
Spices: A nice blend of spices like garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle pepper powder, and smoked paprika give the cauliflower steak lots of savory and smoky flavor.
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper

For the Green Goddess Sauce:

The full recipe for the Green Goddess Sauce is here, but here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need to grab from the store.

Greek Yogurt: The base of this simple dressing or sauce is plain Greek yogurt. If you are vegan, use non-dairy plain yogurt.
Fresh Herbs: The green color of this sauce comes from a mixture of fresh herbs. I use parsley, chives, and basil for a huge pop of color.
Garlic: Savory garlic really makes the flavors pop.
Lemon: Lemon brings brightness and freshness to the sauce.
Olive Oil: Oil Oil brings richness.
Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

This is an overview of the instructions to make this Grilled Cauliflower Steak recipe, but the full detailed printable recipe is below in the recipe card.

For the Marinade & Green Goddess Sauce:

In a ziplock bag, mix together the marinade.
Put the cauliflower steaks inside the mixture and cover them well. Allow marinating for 30 minutes or longer.
Prepare the Green Goddess Sauce by putting all the ingredients - olive oil, greek yogurt, chives, parsley, basil, garlic, and lemon - in a blender, chopper, or food processor. Mix well until you get a smooth sauce. You can prepare this ahead of time and let the flavors mix together.

For Grilling the Cauliflower Steaks:

Heat grill to medium.
Grill thick slices of cauliflower over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side until tender and you have excellent grill marks and color. You can brush both sides of the cauliflower steak with any of the remaining marinades on the steak. They will be fork tender when done.
Plate and serve with the Green Goddess Sauce. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and lemons.

How to Cut Cauliflower Steaks

To make the steaks you'll need a sharp knife and cutting board. Find a nice cauliflower head that is firm and dense. First, trim the bottom stem of the cauliflower and any of the leaves so you have a flat base. Next, cut the cauliflower in half. Then carefully slice two 1-inch steaks from each side.

Most heads of cauliflower will give you two good steaks, sometimes you can sneak out a third one. You'll have extra leftover cauliflower florets. Save them and make another recipe with them. Here are some ideas on what to do with the leftovers.

Variations

I love this Grilled Cauliflower Steak recipe as written, but here are some fun variations. There are so many delicious ways and flavors to use with a basic cauliflower steak.

Make it Italian: You can easily follow these same basic instructions for grilled cauliflower steak, but tweak the seasonings. You can use my Italian Seasoning Mix and Zesty Italian Dressing to make it Italian-flavored.
Make it Ranch: Make it ranch, by using my Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix and Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing.
Make it Mexican: Make it Mexican or taco flavored by using my Homemade Taco Seasoning and serve it with Avocado Lime Dressing. Or even top them with yummy fruit salsa like Mango Salsa or Pineapple Salsa.
Make it Pesto: These would taste so good with a pesto sauce! Use my Almond Pesto, Sun Dried Tomato, or Cilantro Pesto.
Make it Spicy: Add some red pepper flakes to the marinade.
Make it Roast Cauliflower Steaks: Easily make these in the oven by preheating the oven to 425. Put the cauliflower steak on a baking tray or baking sheet. Cook them for around 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
Make it Vegan Cauliflower Steak: To make this recipe vegan swap the honey in the marinade for maple syrup and the Greek yogurt in the dressing for vegan or dairy-free yogurt.

FAQ

Storage & Leftovers

Store any leftovers or leftover cauliflower steaks in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. You can reheat the leftover in the oven or microwave.

Freezing

You can freeze cooked cauliflower steaks in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.

How long does it take to grill cauliflower steaks?

Surprisingly it only takes about 10-15 minutes to grill cauliflower steaks. You'll cook them for about 5-7 minutes on each side.

What do I serve with cauliflower steaks?

You can serve them like a main course along with other hearty sides. Here are some ideas to round out your meal. You can also serve this as a side dish along with any summer grilling main dish like fish, shrimp, steaks, chicken, or even real steak.

This Grilled Cauliflower Steak recipe is So Tasty!

I simply adore this Grilled Cauliflower Steak recipe! The perfectly charred cauliflower steaks will make a great addition to your summer grilling menu, vegetarian or not. Plus, this basic recipe can be adapted with so many different flavors! And it can even be made in the oven.

If you haven't tried these cauliflower steaks yet, you must! They are so tasty. I hope you love them as much as my family does.

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More Grilled Vegetable Recipes to Try:

If you make this Grilled Cauliflower Steak recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!