Move over meat—Cauliflower Steak with Herby Avocado Sauce is demanding space on the grate. Deeply caramelized, seasoned with a garlicky, peppery blend of spices, and finished with a creamy, herby avocado topping, these sassy vegetarian “steaks” can hold their own at any BBQ.
I tried grilled cauliflower steaks for the first time last summer, and they’ve become one of my favorite sides.
- They’re super quick and easy to prep.
- The grilling process is almost entirely hands-free.
- PLUS leftovers reheat nicely the next day.
Like its cousin roasted cauliflower (as in this Roasted Cauliflower and Curry Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Chickpeas and Sweet Potatoes), grilled cauliflower steak is dramatically different from cauliflower in its raw form.
Forget pan fried cauliflower steaks! The grill is where these steaks were meant to be cooked.
Grilling cauliflower:
- Takes it from ho-hum, I have to eat this to HELLO MY VEGETABLE LOVE GIVE ME MORE.
- Transforms the cauliflower from its bland, raw state. Cauliflower steak tastes like a tender veggie that’s lightly smoky, sweet, and addictive.
- Richly-flavors this veggie, especially when paired with the right seasoning. While salt, pepper, and olive oil alone will do, I think we deserve more.
5 Star Review
“This recipe was amazing! So easy and so tasty! And the avocado topping was a wonderful accompaniment! Thanks for sharing! I’ll definitely make this again!”
— Sue —
How to Make Cauliflower Steak
This cauliflower steak with sauce is my idea of the perfect, hearty side dish. With a hearty topping or an additional savory side, you can also make a filling, satisfying cauliflower steak meal.
Ingredients
- Cauliflower. The star of this cauliflower steak recipe. If you’ve never tried grilled cauliflower steaks before this is the perfect gateway recipe.
TIP!
- For a cauliflower steak tutorial, here is a great post on how to cut cauliflower steaks.
- I also go into helpful detail in my post for lemon and walnut-topped Grilled Cauliflower Steaks, which is a bit more of a “how to cook cauliflower steak” type of post.
- Montreal Seasoning. Gives the cauliflower steaks a powerful flavor. I love how this bold-but-familiar blend combines steakhouse classics like black pepper, garlic, and paprika into a single, dynamite blend.
- Honey. Carmelizes on the cauliflower steaks as they cook to create a crispy crust. DELISH!
- Avocado. The base for my insanely tasty sauce. It’s a twist on chimichurri—a fresh, herby, olive oil-based sauce that’s popular in South American cooking and balances the peppery Montreal seasoning perfectly.
TIP!
If you have avocado-lovers in your house, double the avocado chimichurri. The first time I made this sauce, Ben ate a third of it with some combination of chips, a spoon, and (even though I can’t confirm this because I wasn’t in the kitchen at the time), I think he licked the bowl. The sauce VANISHED.
- Cilantro and Parsley. The core ingredients for traditional chimichurri. If you don’t love cilantro, you could stick to just parsley.
- Garlic and Oregano. For a little extra bite and an added layer of herby delight.
- Jalapeño. Adds an extra kick. Omit if you prefer a milder sauce.
Directions
- Cut, slice, and prepare the cauliflower heads. Then brush with a mixture of olive oil and honey. Sprinkle with Montreal seasoning.
- Combine the ingredients for the avocado topping in a bowl.
- Grill the cauliflower steaks until the bottom begins to char. Flip and cook until tender. Remove from the grill.
- Serve warm with the avocado topping. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Store leftover cauliflower steaks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The avocado sauce can be refrigerated separately with a piece of plastic pressed over the top for 1 day.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 400 degree F or in the microwave.
Meal Prep Tip
Up to 1 day in advance, cut the cauliflower steaks as directed. Refrigerate them in an airtight storage container until you’re ready to finish the recipe.
Leftover Ideas
Take inspiration from Roasted Vegetable Salad and turn your leftovers into a tasty salad. You can also toss them into a breakfast casserole like this Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole.
What to Serve with Cauliflower Steaks
Whether you choose to serve these steaks as a side dish or main dish, there’s an option here for you.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Non-Slip Cutting Board. Won’t slide out from under you as you chop.
- Sharp Chef’s Knife. Ideal for cutting the cauliflower steaks.
- Grill Tongs. A grill master’s best friend!
Sturdy Cutting Board
Using a non-slip cutting board is important for safely cutting ingredients like cauliflower.
Have you tried these cauliflower steaks on grill yet? If not, I hope you’ll give this recipe a try (or switch it up with these Cabbage Steaks). It’s straightforward to prepare, and it’s helped me see new possibilities on the grill.
I hope this recipe does the same for you. I’d love to hear what you think in the comments section below!
Frequently Asked Questions
Despite this recipe containing no meat, the grilled cauliflower and seasonings combine to create a smoky, almost meat-like flavor. They’re also cut very thick and are typically eaten like a steak for that reason.
While I haven’t tried frying cauliflower steaks before, I do LOVE my crispy Air Fryer Cauliflower. I think you could experiment with putting your cauliflower steaks in the air fryer if you’d like extra crispy cauliflower steaks.
If you’d like to serve the ultimate spread of grilled veggies, my Grilled Broccoli, Grilled Eggplant, Grilled Corn, and Grilled Zucchini would be tasty with these cauliflower steaks. For even more options, check out all of my grilling recipes.
Cauliflower Steak with Herby Avocado Sauce
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower Steaks:
- 2 large heads cauliflower about 2 1/2 pounds each
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon honey use agave to make vegan
- 2 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning divided
- Canola or vegetable oil for grilling
For the Avocado Topping:
- 1 cup mixed fresh parsley and cilantro or a mix, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 jalapeño cored, seeded, and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice about 1 medium lime
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium ripe avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
Instructions
- Remove the outer leaves from each cauliflower head. Cut off the bottom stem end so that you create a flat base and can stand the cauliflower up on a cutting board. Resting the cauliflower on the stem, use a large, sharp knife to trim away the sides, then cut the remaining head into 2 or 3 1-inch “steaks,” depending upon the size of your cauliflower. Reserve the sides for another use (see notes). In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil and honey. Brush half of the olive oil mixture over the top of the cauliflower steaks, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon Montreal seasoning over the top.
- Prepare the avocado topping: in a medium bowl, whisk together the parsley and cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, salt, pepper, oregano, and olive oil. Add the avocado and gently stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
- Heat a grill to medium (about 350 degrees F). Place the seasoned side of the cauliflower steaks facing down on the hot grill, then brush the tops of the steaks with the remaining olive oil mixture and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Montreal seasoning.
- Cover the grill and let cook for 6-8 minutes, until the bottom begins to char. Flip the cauliflower, then re-cover the grill and cook 5-7 additional minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. If your cauliflower is very thick, you may need to cook a few additional minutes per side. Remove from the grill. Serve hot with the avocado salsa and an extra sprinkle of salt as desired.
Notes
- TO STORE: Store leftover cauliflower steaks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 400 degree F or in the microwave.
- Nutrition was calculated using 2.5 total pounds of cauliflower, as some of the florets are cut away.
Nutrition
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Best diet recipe, thanks for sharing.
You are so welcome!! I hope you love it!
This was AMAZINGly flavorful. Definitely making again. This Avocado topping may become my go-to guacamole. Absolutely delicious.
Katherine, I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for trying it and taking time to leave this wonderful review!
I will probably try grilling for this recipe. But would these turn out well if I just cooked them in the oven?
Crystal, I haven’t tried that, but I think it would work well. You won’t have the same smokey grill flavor (so grilling would still be my top choice and recommendation for this recipe), but roasted cauliflower is still yummy.
Wow! This is something new for me to try. Those cauliflower steak looks really delicious. I think the cauli avo combination is perfect. Can’t wait to try this.
I hope you love it, Toby!
I haven’t tried the cauliflower steaks yet, but I made the avocado topping for my sautéed and grill Bella mushrooms and it was fabulous! Even my husband loved it! I will definitely be making this again!
Hooray! Thanks for sharing this review, Sheree. I’m glad you enjoyed this!
My sister and I made this for dinner last night using the oven. Baked it at 350 for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. It was absolutely delicious. Served it over a bed of lentils for some protein and with parmesan crusted zucchini spears as a side. It was a hit! I will definitely make this again.
I’m so happy that the recipe was a hit, Lauren! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Well Crikey! That was great!! My brother is vegan, I’ll be sending him this recipe.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Cathy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Excellent! I made these for Thanksgiving for my vegetarian family members. They were a huge hit. I have been asked for the recipe by people who weren’t even with us this year!
Instead of grilling, I baked the cauliflower – worked great.
I’m so happy that they were a hit, Karen! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This recipe was amazing! So easy and so tasty! And the avocado topping was a wonderful accompaniment! Thanks for sharing! I’ll definitely make this again!
So glad you enjoyed it Sue! Thank you for this kind review!
My husband and I loved this dish! Will be making often.
Hi Wendy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank for this kind review!
Sooooo good
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Dan! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This was really very good and tasty. I made the grilled cauliflower steaks with avocado sauce and the combination of all three was outstanding. Will make all again, real winners! Thanks very much for sharing it with us.
Hi Carol! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Can’t say i followed the recipient exactly but i was inspired by this dish and made something very close – just a few little tweaks of my own. This was really a very delicious meal! Thanks for the great idea i will make again
Hi Klynn! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!