Sweet and Spicy Instant Pot Cauliflower

Easy roasted sweet and spicy Instant Pot cauliflower. It makes the perfect side dish to accompany any meal, it’s naturally gluten-free, vegan and great for meal prep.

If you’re a fan of cauliflower then you will LOVE this dish. It’s so easy to make, and the flavors are just incredible!

Instant Pot cauliflower side dish

I always roasted my cauliflower on a sheet pan, and still do. I find cauliflower really easy to cook and it’s so delicious that I wouldn’t mind eating it every day.

I usually just throw cauliflower florets along with other vegetables on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and perhaps some kind of sauce or seasonings and just roast it.

But recently I tried cooking a whole cauliflower head in the Instant Pot, and everyone loved it! It’s much easier than roasting in the oven, as no watching is required and the cauliflower turns out so tender that it starts falling apart!

How to make sweet and spicy cauliflower?

Starting by removing any green leaves from the cauliflower head, and wash it.

To make the marinade, in a small bowl whisk together the honey or maple syrup with olive oil, hot sauce, ketchup, soy sauce or tamari sauce (for gluten-free), a grind of black pepper and a sprinkle of salt.

Add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the cauliflower head on a trivet in the pot.

Using a brush, brush over the marinade and coat with it as much of the cauliflower head as possible.

Cover with the lid, set valve to sealing position.

Cook on manual or pressure cooking – high pressure for 1-8 minutes (depending on the size and freshness of your cauliflower, see notes in the recipe card below).

Allow the steam to build up then cook for just one minute.

Once the cooking is finished and the IP beeps, quickly release the steam and carefully open the lid.

Take the cauliflower head out, glaze again and place under a broiler for 7-10 minutes to get a lovely crust.

Garnish with chopped parsley leaves and squeeze some lemon juice.

Other variations

This recipe is very versatile. You can simply steam the cauliflower plain in the Instant Pot, or add a different marinade or rub.

Parmesan, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper is a great idea. Or turmeric, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.

What to serve this cauliflower with?

I usually serve this with brown rice or quinoa, but any type of rice will do. You could also serve it as a side dish next to any main.

Join our private Instant Pot and Air Fryer Facebook group where we share exclusive recipes, and answer all of your IP and AF questions! We hope to see you there!

Instant Pot and Air Fryer Recipes and Hacks Private group Join Group

MORE GREAT INSTANT POT RECIPES

• Instant Pot burgers
• Instant Pot corn on the cob
• Instant Pot potato salad
• Instant Pot steak fajitas
• Instant Pot chicken fajitas
• Instant Pot buttered potatoes

Subscribe to my Newsletter, and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more tasty recipes!

I don’t feel like I say this often enough, or that I could ever thank you enough. But THANK YOU for all of your support, for visiting my blog, commenting, and sharing my recipes with your friends and family. I am SO thankful for you!

If you make this recipe or any of my recipes, then don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. I would LOVE to hear about your experience and your comments just make my day!

I hope that you love every recipe that you make! – Diana x

Sweet and Spicy Instant Pot Cauliflower

Easy roasted sweet and spicy Instant Pot cauliflower. It makes the perfect side dish to accompany any meal, it’s naturally gluten-free, vegan and great for meal prep.

5 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 minute

Servings: 8

Calories: 64kcal

Author: Diana

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower head

For the marinade:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 ½ tablespoons hot sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• parsley (chopped) for serving
• ½ lemon juiced (optional)

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix the marinade ingredients until combined.
• Wash the cauliflower head, and using a brush just brush over the marinade until well coated.
• Add ½ cup of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot.
• Place the cauliflower head on a trivet inside the IP. Cover with the lid, set the valve to sealing position. Cook on manual – high pressure for 1-8 minutes. If using a small cauliflower head, 1 minute might be enough. If using a large and dense cauliflower head, set at 8 minutes. For a medium cauliflower head, set at 4 minutes.
• Once the cooking is finished, quickly release the steam, open the lid and carefully take the cauliflower out. Glaze again, and broil for 7-10 minutes. Garnish and serve.

Notes

• If using a small cauliflower head, 1 minute on high pressure might be enough (we tested this recipe many times starting with a small not-so-dense cauliflower, and 1 minute worked fine). If using a large and dense cauliflower head, set at 8 minutes. For a medium cauliflower head, set at 4 minutes.
• Place on a sheet pan and brown it under the broiler for 7-10 minutes for a lovely crust. Make sure that your oven is preheated, and keep an eye on it as it’s being broiled and decide how long do you need to broil it for.
• I highly recommend glazing the cauliflower head twice for maximum flavor (after pressure cooking). Glaze then broil for a few minutes, then take it out glaze again, and broil for a few more minutes.
• The original recipe was slightly tweaked, we added ketchup to the marinade for flavor and color.

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 226mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 35.9mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Did you make a recipe?Tag @littlesunnykitchen or hashtag it #littlesunnykitchen!