Cauliflower – Recipe Coast

Epic Cauliflower Steaks Recipe

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:55:43 +0000

This cauliflower steak recipe is hands down our favorite way to eat cauliflower! The roasted steaks are golden brown, tender, and topped with our favorite homemade chimichurri sauce.

I love cauliflower, especially when roasted until golden brown and crisp. That’s why I absolutely love these roasted cauliflower steaks! My roasting method guarantees deeply golden brown cauliflower. Adam loves this recipe!

Then, you’ll serve the steaks with my homemade chimichurri sauce made with fresh garlic and parsley. This sauce is super popular with grilled and roasted meats like our chimichurri chicken, but trust me, it’s just as incredible with these roasted cauliflower steaks!

Key Ingredients

Cauliflower: I buy whole heads of cauliflower and usually get 2 to 3 thick steaks from each. You’ll probably have some leftover cauliflower, which you can use for recipes like cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower. When shopping for cauliflower, look for creamy white, compact clusters of florets, and give cauliflower that is spotted or dull-colored a pass. For more tips, see how to buy and cut cauliflower.
Olive Oil: I roast the cauliflower steaks in olive oil, which helps them become beautifully golden and crispy. Avocado oil is a good substitute if you prefer.
Chimichurri Sauce: My recipe is inspired by traditional Argentinian and Uruguayan versions. You’ll combine finely chopped parsley with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and spices. It’s incredibly easy to make, I promise! Watch the video or see my chimichurri recipe for all my tips.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

Tips for How to Make the Best Cauliflower Steaks

Tip 1: Keep some stalk attached. To cut cauliflower into steaks, I slice the head in half right through the stalk and then trim away the rounded edge of each half, leaving about 1 ½ inch thick slices that still have the stem attached. You can see me do this in our video! The trick to cauliflower steaks that don’t fall apart is to make sure that each steak has some of the stalk attached. Typically, I get two thick steaks from a medium-sized cauliflower.

Tip 2: Start by searing on stove. I cook my cauliflower steaks in an oven-safe skillet. This way, I can start them on the stove to get a really good golden brown sear and then finish them in the oven for that roasted tender texture.

Tip 3: Top with homemade chimichurri sauce: Our homemade sauce is the real magic behind this recipe. The warm cauliflower soaks up all of the flavor, making you want to keep taking another bite. While the cauliflower is in the oven, I make my chimichurri sauce. Then, when the steaks are done, I top them with a generous spoonful of chimichurri and serve.

They’re hearty and flavorful enough to enjoy as a main course, but I also love pairing them with a side salad, cooked quinoa, or rice dishes like Mexican rice or coconut rice. You can also serve these as a side dish, splitting each steak in half to make four portions.

Epic Cauliflower Steaks

PREP
15 mins
COOK
20 mins
TOTAL
35 mins

Enjoy these cauliflower steaks with chimichurri sauce as a plant-based main dish or served as a tasty side. We cut our steaks thick, which means that one cauliflower will make two steaks. You will have unused cauliflower after cutting the steaks, but don’t worry, these can be used to make cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower or roasted alongside the steaks and saved for another meal.

The recipe for chimichurri sauce makes about 1 cup. You will have plenty left over to be used in other dishes. Take a look at the original sauce recipe for suggestions on other ways to use it.

Makes 2 servings or 4 side portions

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

Cauliflower Steaks

1 medium head of cauliflower

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, to taste

4 tablespoons chimichurri sauce or more to taste, recipe below

Chimichurri Sauce

2 cups (50g) packed parsley leaves and tender stems

3 to 4 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon minced

1 medium shallot, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, optional

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1 jalapeño or Fresno chili pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup to 1/3 cup (60ml to 80ml) red wine vinegar, adjusted to taste

Directions

Prepare Cauliflower

1Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).

2Remove the large outer leaves of the cauliflower and trim a small amount of the stem to create a flat base. Cut the cauliflower in half, from rounded top to stem.

3To make each cauliflower steak, trim the rounded edge of each half, leaving about 1 ½ inch thick slices that still have the stem attached (see our video for a tutorial). Save the trimmed cauliflower for another recipe.

4Heat the olive oil in a wide oven-safe saucepan over medium heat.

5Place the cauliflower steaks in the hot oil and cook until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. It helps to occasionally move the steaks so that the oil gets underneath.

6Carefully flip the steaks and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the second side is well browned. As the second side browns, season the steaks with salt.

7Transfer the oven-safe pan to the oven and roast the steaks until the stems are tender and easily pierced with a fork, 8 to 10 minutes.

8Serve cauliflower steaks with a generous spoonful of chimichurri sauce on top. For side portions, slice each steak in half and then serve.

Make Sauce

1Make the sauce by hand: Mince the garlic and shallot and add them to a medium bowl. Finely chop the parsley and add them to the bowl along with the salt, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Stir, then taste and season with more salt or red pepper flakes if needed.

2Make the sauce in a food processor (or blender): Add garlic and shallots to the bowl of a food processor (or blender) and pulse until minced. Add the parsley, salt, and red pepper flakes. Pulse until the parsley is chopped small. Scrape the sides, and then pour in the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Pulse a few more times until the sauce comes together. Taste and season with more salt or red pepper flakes, if needed.

Adam and Joanne’s Tips

No oven-safe skillet: If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, you can brown the steaks in a regular skillet and then carefully transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Storing chimichurri: The sauce is excellent the day you make it, but it will last a few days in your refrigerator (you might notice the parsley’s green dulls slightly). It’s absolutely perfect with grilled meat, like grilled steak, but is also excellent with shrimp, fish, veggies, chicken, and grilled bread.
The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

Nutrition Per Serving
Calories
325
/
Total Fat
28.8g
/
Saturated Fat
4.4g
/
Cholesterol
0mg
/
Sodium
678.9mg
/
Carbohydrate
16.6g
/
Dietary Fiber
6.9g
/
Total Sugars
5.6g
/
Protein
6.6g

AUTHOR:

Joanne Gallagher

We are Adam and Joanne Gallagher, the creators of Inspired Taste. Established in 2009, Inspired Taste grew from a childhood dream into one of the internet’s most trusted recipe sites with hundreds of reliable recipes, step-by-step videos, and expert tips.More About Us

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Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken and Cauliflower Rice

admin — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:01:53 +0000

Layered Mexican Casserole has Green Chile Enchilada Sauce, sour cream, green chiles, chicken, cauliflower rice, and cheese. And everyone who loves those Mexican flavors will love them in this cheesy creamy casserole!

PIN the Layered Mexican Casserole to make it later!

Layered Mexican Casserole with Chicken and Cauliflower Rice is a recipe that would be a winner for a Cinco de Mayo dinner! We loved this low-carb and gluten-free casserole when we tested the recipe. And the recipe was inspired by a comment on an old favorite casserole complaining that the recipe wasn’t low in carbs!

That comment got me wondering about what I could come up with for a low-carb version of a layered Mexican casserole with chicken. And this recipe is the happy result of a few experiments with Kara to create this recipe that we thought was amazing! I hope you try it soon.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredients.)

How did we make the Layered Mexican Casserole low in carbs?

This Mexican chicken casserole recipe has a layer with Green Chile Enchilada sauce reduced on the stove and combined with green chiles, sour cream, diced chicken, and sliced green onions. The other layer has a cauliflower rice mixture that also has onions, cumin, and green bell pepper. And of course, all the layers have cheese. I promise this recipe will be a hit with all the Mexican food fans who are watching their carbs!

Why I use Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce for the Layered Mexican Casserole:

I’m a long-time fan of Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (affiliate link), a delicious canned green enchilada sauce that’s gluten-free. Even though the ingredient list has tiny amounts of sugar and cornstarch, the sauce adds only 3.5 carbs per serving to this recipe. And this sauce is so flavorful and convenient that for me it’s a product worth using. If you find other canned Green Chile Enchilada Sauce that’s also low in sugar, by all means use the sauce you prefer!

How low in carbs is this Layered Mexican Casserole?

This tasty casserole has only 10.6 net carbs in a serving, with 18 grams of protein!

Want more low-carb Mexican Food?

Check out Keto Mexican Food Dinners for more tasty Mexican dishes that are low in carbs!

How to make Layered Mexican Casserole:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

Preheat oven to 375 F/190C. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray.
Take frozen cauliflower rice out of the freezer.
Put Green Chile Enchilada Sauce in a small saucepan and simmer until it’s reduced to one cup.
Dice onion and green bell pepper and slice green onions, and cut chicken into small dice.
Heat olive oil in a big frying pan, add onion and green pepper and cook until they’re starting to brown. Add ground cumin and cook a few minutes more.
Add frozen cauliflower rice and cook over high heat until rice is hot and some steam has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
When Green Chile Enchilada Sauce is reduced to one cup, put it in a medium-sized bowl and stir in diced green chiles. Taste to see if you want some Green Tabasco Sauce.)
When the mixture is still warm but not hot, stir in the sour cream, diced chiles, and green onions.
Make a layer in the casserole dish with half the cauliflower rice mixture.
Add half the chicken/sour cream mixture by spoonfuls, and spread it over the cauliflower rice.
Add half the grated cheese over the chicken mixture.
Make another layer each of cauliflower rice mixture, chicken mixture, and grated cheese.
Bake uncovered about 30-35 minutes.
Let the Layered Mexican Casserole stand 5-10 minutes before cutting, and then serve!

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

I’d love this Mexican Casserole served with any of these side dishes for a low-carb meal:

Weekend Food Prep:

This Layered Mexican Casserole recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Ingredients

3 cups frozen cauliflower rice (see notes)
one 15 oz. can Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
1 medium onion
1 green bell pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T ground cumin (see notes)
one 4 oz. can diced green chiles (see notes)
1 T Green Tabasco Sauce (optional)
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/4 cup sliced green onion
2 cups grated Mexican Cheese Blend

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F/190C. Spray a 9″ x 12″ x 3″ casserole dish with non-stick spray. (You need a dish close to that size to hold this recipe.)
Take frozen cauliflower rice out of the freezer and let it start to thaw on the counter.
Put Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (or sauce of your choice) in a small saucepan and simmer until it’s reduced to one cup.
Dice onion and green bell pepper and slice green onions.
Cut chicken into small dice. (We used cooked rotisserie chicken from Costco, which made it easy.)
Heat olive oil in a frying pan big enough to hold the cauliflower rice, add onion and green pepper and cook until they’re barely starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add ground cumin and cook a few minutes more.
Then add frozen cauliflower rice and cook over high heat until rice is hot and liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes.
When Green Chile Enchilada Sauce has reduced to one cup, put it in a bowl that’s big enough to hold the chicken, and stir in diced green chiles. (Taste to see if you want the optional Green Tabasco Sauce.)
When the mixture is still warm but no longer hot, stir in the sour cream, diced chiles, and green onions.
Make a layer in the bottom of the casserole dish with half the cauliflower rice mixture.
Add half the chicken/sour cream mixture by spoonfuls, and spread over the cauliflower rice.
Add half the grated cheese over the chicken mixture.
Make another layer each of cauliflower rice mixture, chicken mixture, and grated cheese.
Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes, or until casserole is bubbling hot and the top is nicely browned.
Let the Layered Mexican Casserole stand 5-10 minutes before cutting, and serve!

Notes

We made this Layered Mexican Casserole with 3 cups cauliflower rice, but if you’d like a thicker cauliflower rice layer you can use a bit more.

If you’re not a huge cumin fan, you might want a bit less cumin.

The diced green chiles are mild Anaheim chiles, not Jalapenos!

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

Amount Per Serving

Calories 285Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 71mgSodium 257mgCarbohydrates 13gFiber 2.4gSugar 7gProtein 18g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This recipe for a layered Mexican casserole uses a Green Chile Enchilada Sauce that does have teeny-tiny amounts of cornstarch and sugar. But those amounts are so low that this recipe should be low enough in net carbs for most low-carb diets. I’m not tagging it as Keto, although it wouldn’t be bad for a one-dish meal. For the original South Beach Diet it would be recommended to use low-fat dairy products.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casserole Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
Layered Mexican Casserole was created in 2021 as a lower-carb version of a favorite Mexican Chicken Casserole from the past! It was last updated with more information in 2026.

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