Broccoli Recipe – Reliable Every Time!, roasted

Roasted broccoli is a standby broccoli ever! Once you learn how to roast broccoli, you may never go back to any other method. It’s straightforward to mix and a standby broccoli you’ll ever taste.

At a glance

What stands out: Even kids love it prepared this way!

How long it takes: 5 minutes to prep, 20 minutes in the oven
Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, sheet pan, oven
Servings: 4

“More broccoli please!”

Is this something you want to hear your kid say? Our daughter did not want to stop eating this broccoli. Can you believe that? We're telling you, this is the only way we’ll ever eat broccoli from here on out.

This is Ben’s absolute favorite way to eat broccoli. We think he actually gets a little annoyed (secretly though, he’d never complain!) when we steam it instead of roasting it.

It is simply rich. Unbelievably straightforward to prepare, with only minimal seasoning to let the broccoli shine.

Yes, broccoli can shine. Shine! It can happen. Trust us.

About Roasting Broccoli

If you don’t know how to roast broccoli, it’s so straightforward to do! Simply toss cut broccoli in extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle it with a bit of salt and pepper, and roast it in a hot oven.

And then watch it disappear.

You can jazz it up with some lemon juice or Parmesan cheese, but we love it with just salt and pepper!

What You’ll Need

• Broccoli: Look for a firm dark green head of broccoli. Keep reading (FAQs) about how to choose a good head of broccoli.
• Olive Oil: Most people love the flavor of olive oil but if you don’t happen to be in that camp, other types of oil are fine: avocado, grapeseed, or even plain ol’ vegetable oil. Don’t substitute melted butter because it will burn at the high heat. Melted ghee will work, though!
• Salt and Pepper: Simple seasonings are all you need. Use coarsely ground pepper and kosher salt. The larger pieces provide nice little bursts of flavor.
• Sheet Pan: The proper pan is essential. A half sheet pan (18 x 13 inches) usually made of aluminum is a tool you don’t want to be without. We use ours nearly every day. If you haven’t tried making a sheet pan meal, a complete meal all in one pan, you need to do that soon!

Sheet Pans

Sheet pans are a kitchen essential! You can use them for so many different things. We have had this two pack for years.

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tips for making a standby Roasted Broccoli

• DRY DRY DRY your broccoli! Obviously you have to wash the broccoli first, but the problem is that broccoli tends to hold water in all of those little florets. However, the drier the broccoli, the crispier it will get when you roast it; wet broccoli steams. Since crispy is what you’re going for here, you need to dry the broccoli. Use a towel (make sure it’s one that doesn’t let off lint), wrap up the broccoli and give a good shake. Or toss it into a salad spinner to spin that water right off.
• Cut the broccoli into small pieces. The more even they are in size, the better. Smaller broccoli = crispier broccoli in a shorter amount of time. We love those nearly burnt pieces best so sometimes we cut ours small!
• Preheat the oven! Make sure your oven is good and hot when you put the broccoli in (425°F).
• Flip the broccoli part way through the cooking. It’s a bit of a tedious task if you’re exact about it but it helps ensure the broccoli is crisp on all sides. If you’re in a rush, just toss it with a spatula. It will be fine!
• Let it get brown. If you’ve never cooked broccoli this way, you may think it looks burnt upon first glance out of the oven but once you taste it, you’ll know those “burnt” parts are a standby tasting parts!

What About Frozen Broccoli?

Does roasted frozen broccoli taste the same? The answer is YES but it’s not going to turn out exactly the same. We use it when we're in a pinch. Frozen broccoli gets a little crispy but since the water content is higher, it tends to steam a little bit in the oven, making it less crisp. The secret? Don’t thaw it first!

Before you start

Make It Your Own

While plain roasted broccoli is rich, there are ways to jazz it up.

• Add cheese: Roast broccoli with Parmesan sprinkled on at the end.
• Brighten up the flavor with lemon! Squeeze on lemon juice or add lemon zest right before serving.
• Combine veggies: Roast broccoli and cauliflower together; that combination is great with a sprinkle of chili powder. Broccoli and carrots are a good combination, too, as well as broccoli and potatoes. Since carrots and baby potatoes take a bit longer to get tender, put them on the pan first and roast them for about 5-10 minutes before you add the broccoli.
• Roast broccolini! Broccolini has smaller florets and longer stalks but you can roast it pretty much the same way as broccoli.
• Rather have broccoli a different way?Try this broccoli with our straightforward cheese sauce! Or Instant Pot broccoli cheese soup! We love Instant Pot mac and cheese with broccoli, too. Did you know you can cook broccoli in your air fryer? Try air fryer broccoli.

Make-Ahead Tips

Since there’s little prep involved with this recipe, there’s only one thing you can do to get a head start: prep the broccoli and that’s probably the most time-consuming part. You can do that a couple days ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Did you make more broccoli than you needed for dinner? No problem, just wrap it and refrigerate it. It will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.

Reheat: It’s best to pop it back into the oven (or toaster oven) for a few minutes to crisp it back up. The air fryer also works great to reheat roasted vegetables.

• Yield: 4 servings
• Prep: 5 minutes
• Cook: 20 minutes
• Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli (about 1/2 pound)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper (more to taste)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Wash broccoli and dry very thoroughly. Don’t skip drying — it’s important. You can use a salad spinner if you have one, or just shake, shake, shake all the water out and then pat dry with a towel.
2. Cut into medium-sized florets and coat well with olive oil, salt, and pepper (either in a bowl or on the sheet pan).
3. Spread onto rimmed baking sheet.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, flip each piece over, and bake for 10 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

To ensure crispness, make sure oven is preheated, broccoli is thoroughly dry, and there’s plenty of space on the baking pan.

If you prefer, other types of oil may be substituted for olive oil. Avocado, grapeseed, or vegetable oil are good choices.

Garnish with a squeeze of lemon juice, lemon zest, or grated parmesan cheese, if desired.