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Garlic Lemon Baby Cauliflower Recipe – pan fried baby cauliflower loaded with tons of lemon and garlic flavor for an easy vegan side dish that is keto compatible and low carb!
This delicious, easy side dish is keto diet compatible, naturally low carb and gluten free, can be made completely vegan (skip the butter and only use olive oil), and is great alongside all of your favorite main dishes like pork tenderloin, air fried steaks, baked ranch chicken thighs, and more!
If you love my delicious (and crazy easy!) 10 Minute Broccolini recipe, you’re going to love this lemon-packed cauliflower twist!
Be sure to check out our Meyer Lemon Broccolini, Lemon Parmesan Roasted Broccoli, Lemon Garlic Parmesan Baked Chicken Wings, The Best Easy Lemon Bars Recipe, Easy Lemon Jello Poke Cake Recipe, and our Lemon Drop Martini Recipe if you have a craving for lemons!
We hope you love this recipe as much as we do.
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – so you can make this dish, understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe – so even the most beginner home cook can become an expert and feel empowered in the kitchen. I want each reader to walk away with a solid knowledge of each recipe, with all of the tips I’ve gathered from extensive testing of each recipe. I also answer questions my friends and family have asked about my recipes, to help home cooks of any skill level better understand the processes we use and why!
Table of contents
What is Baby Cauliflower
Baby cauliflower (one brand being CAULILINI®), is a young, immature version of cauliflower, that is picked when it is still in a tightly packed bundle instead of a big round ball.
Baby cauliflower is less bitter, and can have a delicious, light flavor – but does need to be cooked a bit longer to soft.
How To Pan Fry Baby Cauliflower
These methods will help you get perfect cauliflower that isn’t bitter, every time.
- Cook to soft, but don’t overcook. Mushy baby cauliflower is pretty flavorless, so you’ll want to cook to soft, but not mushy.
- Brown baby cauliflower well. You should have lots of browned charred bits – they add SO much delicious buttery flavor – don’t stir or flip too often, and let cauliflower really crisp and brown in the pan.
What To Serve With Baby Cauliflower
Some of our favorite easy meals to serve with this baby cauliflower include favorites like swiss steaks, roasted turkey, air fried salmon, and lasagna.
To see our complete main dish recipe archives, click here.
Other Low Carb Sides You’ll Love
If you’re looking for additional low carb side dishes, we’re sharing our favorites:
To see our complete keto side dish recipe archives, click here.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to four days.
Garlic Lemon Baby Cauliflower Recipe
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Garlic Lemon Baby Cauliflower Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp clarified butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 package baby cauliflower
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- juice of 1 lemon
- celtic sea salt, ½ tsp
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat butter until it is melted on medium high.
- Add olive oil and garlic, toss until fragrant (about 30 seconds.)
- Add baby cauliflower, toss frequently until browned and bright green, about 5 minutes.
- Add salt, toss over broccolini.
- Add lemon juice and water, cook until liquid is cooked down and baby cauliflower is soft, another 5 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wondering when the 1/4 cup of water comes in to the recipe preparation???
The water and lemon juice go in the pan at the same time to steam the cauliflower to soften it. I updated the recipe card, thanks for letting me know!