Learn how to make oven roasted frozen cauliflower, baked to perfection and seasoned with curry powder, thyme, and salt. It’s a simple vegan recipe that transforms a bag of frozen vegetables into a healthy side dish that everyone will love. You’ll learn how long to roast frozen cauliflower, tips for making it crispy, and seasoning variations!
One of my favorite cooking hacks is roasting frozen vegetables. So if you’re wondering, “wait, can I roast frozen cauliflower?” the answer is yes!
Using frozen vegetables for roasting is a great way to cut back on prep time and forego pulling out the cutting board and knife. You just snip open the bag, dump those babies into a bowl, toss with olive oil and seasonings, spread on a baking sheet, and pop in the oven. You could even skip the whole mixing bowl thing if you don’t want another dirty dish. Just toss the veggies on the baking sheet. That’s totally fair game!
My rendition of roasted frozen cauliflower is super flavorful, thanks to a generous sprinkle of curry powder and dried thyme. It turns out that oil sticks pretty darn well to frozen veggies, which means the seasonings stick really well too. Another bonus of frozen veg.
For more information on cooking frozen vegetables, be sure to read my posts on How to Steam Frozen Vegetables, Roasted Frozen Broccoli, and Roasted Frozen Brussels Sprouts. You may also enjoy my post Are Frozen Vegetables Healthy?
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Ingredients
- Frozen cauliflower: I use a 1 pound bag to yield 2 servings, but double the recipe if you need more servings. Roasted frozen cauliflower loses a lot of water while cooking, so the florets will shrink in the oven and you’ll end up with less than you may have thought you had.
- Extra virgin olive oil: You can also use avocado oil. My favorite brand of EVOO is Partanna.
- Mild curry powder: This adds a ton of great flavor and a pretty color! Feel free to sub cumin, turmeric, or even chili powder. They won’t offer the same tastes as curry powder but they’re fun variations.
- Dried thyme: You can use fresh thyme if that’s what you have (remember that 1 teaspoon of dried equals 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs). I think dried oregano, parsley, or basil would work well here too.
- Kosher salt: Omit if you want the dish to be lower in sodium.
Equipment
When making roasted frozen cauliflower, use a large baking sheet such as a half sheet pan. The cauliflower needs to be spread out in a single layer and ideally not too close together. This is to prevent the cauliflower florets from “steaming” each other as they release their water during the cooking process. Spreading them out helps make them as crispy as possible.
Instructions
For the full recipe card, scroll to the bottom of the post.
Storage and Reheating
Roasted frozen cauliflower is best enjoyed right away. If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in the oven for best results, at 300 degrees F for about 10 to 15 minutes. You can also reheat the cauliflower in the microwave until warmed through.
FAQ
No, it’s best to roast frozen cauliflower straight from frozen. You don’t have to defrost it, and doing so may lead to mushy cauliflower.
Frozen vegetables can be a little more prone to getting mushy when roasted compared to fresh ones. However, you can easily prevent this from happening by not overcrowding the pan. Make sure the cauliflower is spread out in a single layer and that there is space in between the florets. Use 2 baking sheets if needed.
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Balsamic Roasted Cauliflower
- Chicken Nuggets with Veggies
- Cauliflower and Chickpeas Sheet Pan Meal
- Easy Cheesy Cauliflower and Potato Bake
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Frozen Cauliflower with Curry and Thyme
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. For crispier and browner cauliflower, do not line the baking sheet.
- Add the frozen cauliflower to a large mixing bowl. Toss with the olive oil followed by the curry, thyme, and salt until well-coated. If you don't want to use a bowl, you can also toss the cauliflower right on the baking sheet, but using a bowl helps ensure that the florets get well-coated.
- Spread the cauliflower out in a single layer, making sure the florets aren't too close together, on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the cauliflower is browned to your liking and is slightly crispy. Cooking times may vary depending on your oven and the size of the cauliflower, so keep an eye and increase or decrease the time as needed. Enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- A 1-pound bag of frozen cauliflower ends up yielding only about 2 to 3 servings after it’s roasted, since the florets shrink down as they lose water. Double the recipe if you need more servings.
- Be sure to use a large baking sheet for this recipe (and use 2 if you need to when doubling the recipe). The cauliflower need to be spread out and not too close together to prevent them from “steaming” each other with the water they release when baking. This is key to helping them get crispy in the oven.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 300 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Enjoy this cooking hack! – Lizzie
Diane
This is a great recipe. It’s simple with very little prep time. And, it is So tasty!!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
So glad you enjoyed it, Diane!
Carol
Worked great! Made a large batch for a church dinner and it was a hit. I put it in a preheated crockpot so that it would stay warm when served.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Carol, I’m so glad to hear the recipe worked well for you. Thanks for the tip about keeping it warm!
John Skates
excellent side dish…
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Mary Jane
This sounds great. Actually appreciate it for a different reason. I found some beautiful cauliflower on sale and want to freeze some, but was concerned that I wouldn’t like it roasted once frozen (I figured it would all go to soup…). This is good news!
I just pulled your strawberry rhubarb baked oatmeal muffins out of oven. Anxiously waiting for them to cool! Nice site for recipes. Appreciate the way you can search by diet. We do paleo.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Mary Jane, I’m so glad that you found this post helpful! It’s a great recipe for exactly what you described. I hope you enjoy it in the future! And I hope you enjoyed the muffins. Thanks so much for your comment!