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I Can’t Stop Making Antoni Porowski’s Swicy Cauliflower Steaks—Here Are My Step-by-Step Instructions

antoni porowski and his cauliflower steak recipe
Dia Dipasupil /Getty Images/Candace Davison

My fingers are stained yellow, and I was full at least seven bites ago, but I can’t stop breaking off bits of turmeric-roasted cauliflower and dunking it in a sweet-yet-tangy Gochujang lime dressing. And I blame Antoni Porowski.

Not for my utter lack of self-control (that’s on me), but for sharing a sheet pan recipe that makes me actually believe in sheet pan recipes. You see, in 2019, when the Queer Eye star released his cookbook, Antoni in the Kitchen, he shared his recipe for Cauliflower Steaks with Turmeric and Crunchy Almonds with us. It was fitting, considering PureWow’s first viral recipe was a spicy whole roasted cauliflower, and—talk about knowing your audience—Porowski’s take on the cruciferous veggie soon became one of our most-sought-after dishes.

Nearly five years later, caught in a cooking rut, I decided to try it. It had a five-star rating from 186 people, and it claimed to be ready in 35 minutes flat. Still, I was hesitant: I’ve tried many a sheet pan recipe, only to find that things cook unevenly, and even if you try to chop everything into similarly sized pieces, all too often you wind up with some scorched-beyond-belief foods and some half-soggy ones.

But in the name of trying new things, I gave this a shot—and I’m so glad I did. The recipe itself is remarkably easy to follow, and the steaks turn out tender, flavorful and just the right amount of charred. (And everything cooks pretty evenly, considering all you’re really roasting is the cauliflower.)

cauliflower steaks sliced up
candace davison

Step 1: Ready Thy Ingredients

With this recipe, you’re essentially creating a turmeric-infused olive oil to brush onto slabs of cauliflower, which are then roasted and topped with a homemade dressing and garnished with sliced dates, chopped cilantro and almonds.

Even if you’ve never used gochujang before—it’s a spicy, savory, somewhat salty paste made from red chilis—you can find it at most supermarkets today. (I found it at Target.) But Porowski says you could also substitute sriracha. Whatever you do, it’s worth adding some element of heat—it helps balance the tanginess of the lime and the sweetness of the honey. Otherwise, those two flavors dominate the meal.

brushing turmeric oil on cauliflower steaks
candace davison

Step 2: Prep the Cauliflower

As the oven preheats to 425 degrees F, you’ll want to remove the cauliflower stem and leaves and slice the steak into ¾-inch-thick “steaks.” Porowski suggests reserving the leaves and roasting them with the steaks, but I found they just curl into charred, feathery bits—you don’t lose anything by omitting them. You don’t really gain anything by including them.

With the steaks arranged on a baking sheet, you’ll brush them with olive oil that’s been whisked with turmeric. It’s an oddly satisfying task, though use the oil sparingly to start; it’s easy to try to get every nook and cranny and use it all on half the head of cauliflower.

roasted cauliflower steaks on baking sheet
candace davison

Step 3: Dress the Roasted Cauliflower

Homemade dressing seems fussy, until you realize you’re just dumping ingredients in a jar with a lid and shaking until emulsified. Porowski calls for a blend of finely chopped cilantro stems, gochujang, lime juice, extra-virgin olive oil, honey and salt. It creates a mostly sweet-citrusy sauce with a medium-level heat.

adding dressing to cauliflower steaks
candace davison

Step 4: Plate and Garnish

Once the cauliflower is out of the oven, all that’s left is assembly. Plate the cauliflower steaks, garnish them with sliced dates, cilantro leaves, almonds and a drizzle of dressing, and you’re good to go. Porowski recommends rounding out the meal with rice or a grain, which I fully recommend—it balances out the intense sweet-meets-tangy flavor of the cauliflower (especially when topped with dates). And if you’re sensitive to spice, it can cool things down.

cauliflower steaks with turmeric that I made, using Antoni Porowski's recipe
candace davison

What Would I Change?

Though “crunchy almonds” is a key part of the recipe title…you could omit them and you wouldn’t really notice a difference. They add a little nuttiness and crunch, sure, but there’s so much else going on here that you don’t miss bites without ‘em.

The Verdict:

This is a remarkably fast, easy weeknight dinner that’s perfect for vegetarians (or going Meatless Monday). You may want to keep a double batch of the dressing to use as a vinaigrette on salads during the week—it’s that good.



candace davison bio

VP of editorial content

  • Oversees home, food and commerce articles
  • Author of two cookbooks and has contributed recipes to three others
  • Named one of 2023's Outstanding Young Alumni at the University of South Florida, where she studied mass communications and business