Roasted Broccoli

Roasted Broccoli is a great way to eat this common vegetable in an entirely new way! Easy to prepare with just a few pantry staples and the addition of garlic, cheese, and lemon if you like! Cooks in just 20 minutes and will be devoured in a flash! 

Try this recipe with Sirloin Steak, Air Fryer Potatoes, or Chicken with Garlic Herb Butter for a tasty meal!

Why This Recipe Works

So easy – In less than 30 minutes, you can have fresh, tender, roasted broccoli for a side dish. Sometimes I make it my main dish too – I love this broccoli that much! You can also make this broccoli even easier by buying pre-cut broccoli in the produce section of your favorite grocery store.

Versatile – Top with just salt and pepper for an easy preparation or add whatever you like to the broccoli before baking. I’m a huge fan of adding parmesan or a balsamic glaze drizzle when it’s done roasting.

Simple ingredients – Once you have broccoli, there’s nothing else you’ll need to run to the store for here. Have olive oil, salt, and pepper? Then you’re good to go!

Amazing leftovers – Broccoli is one of those veggies that reheats well and maintains its texture too. I like to make extra just so I can have the leftovers the next day.

Recipe Ingredients

• Broccoli florets – Just your run-of-the-mill broccoli is used here. Nothing fancy. Purchase pre-cut florets if you prefer.
• Olive oil – Anygood quality extra virgin olive oil is what I use on my veggies before roasting them.  
• Salt and pepper – Any salt and pepper is fine here. I do like a good, fresh, cracked pepper on top because I like the taste and texture of it better than ground black pepper. Plus, it’s easy to overdo it on the ground black pepper (and harder to spread it around) but whatever pepper you like is fine!
• Garlic powder – An optional ingredient, but so good, nonetheless.Just a little goes a long way!
• Grated parmesan cheese – Another optional ingredient, but I like to add some grated parm right before baking to add a nice, cheesy, crispy layer of flavor to the roasted broccoli.
• Fresh squeezed lemon – A little fresh-squeezed lemon juice over the top of the broccoli right when it comes out of the oven gives the roasted broccoli a little bit of lemony tang I think you’ll find delicious!

Step by Step Directions

1. First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Next, arrange the cut broccoli on a sheet pan and drizzle it thoroughly with olive oil, then toss the broccoli all together to coat it in the olive oil.
3. Make sure the broccoli is in a single layer after coating in olive oil. Now season it with salt and pepper.
4. This is the time to add any optional ingredients before baking. (Fresh herbs, parmesan, garlic, etc.)
5. Put the sheet pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the broccoli can be easily pierced with a fork and the edges are crisp.
6. Pull it out of the oven and serve right away!

How to Roast Broccoli

If you can boil or steam broccoli, you can roast broccoli.

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, then cut the broccoli into florets. You can use or discard the stalks, that always seems to be a personal preference (more on that later). 

Add the broccoli to the sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, then toss the broccoli in the olive oil right in the pan to coat it, leaving the broccoli in a single layer on the pan. Next, season it with salt and pepper. Here’s also where you can add on the extra ingredients if you choose (though the simple salt and pepper preparation is super delicious all on its own). Once, its seasoned to your liking, pop the pan in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until it’s fork-tender with crisp edges. Serve right away while it’s still warm for optimum flavor.

How to Cut Broccoli

First, I give the broccoli a good rinse and pat dry. Then I cut. Frankly, there’s really no right or wrong way to cut your broccoli, except that I recommend that you cut it into similar-sized pieces for even roasting. 

But, here’s how I go about cutting broccoli. After rinsing and drying, I pick off any leaves that may still be attached. Then, I cut off the tops of all the broccoli florets from the stems. Then, I cut in between all the little stems to free up all the florets. From there, I cut each floret down to the size I prefer, and make them all as similar as possible. 

If you don’t mind the stemmy parts (which I don’t), I recommend cutting those down too. I’ll take each stem, and cut about the bottom two inches off and discard. Those parts of the stems are going to be too tough to eat. As for the rest of the stem, I cut those into about 1- or 2-inch rings and then slice the outer skin off each ring. The inside of the stem is nice and tender and perfectly edible in this or any easy roasted broccoli recipe. 

Do I Need to Wash Broccoli Before Roasting?

I do like to at least give broccoli a rinse in the sink. But if you want to take it a step further, you can wash it in vinegar and water and rinse it clean before cutting it and making this easy broccoli recipe. Just make sure you do this in advance so that the broccoli has time to dry. You can pop it in the oven while it’s still damp, but it will roast best and get the nicest crispy exterior if it it dry before you proceed with the recipe. 

Is Roasted Broccoli Healthy?

Yes, roasted broccoli is healthy (and luckily tasty too!). It’s low in calories, has zero fat, and is high in fiber. It also contains B vitamins, vitamins E and C, potassium, zinc, riboflavin, folate, and iron. Broccoli is also healthy in that it has very low sugar and carbs. It even contains calcium (almost as much as a serving of dairy)! 

For more deliciously easy vegetable recipes, try my Roasted Asparagus, my Crispy Parmesan Green Beans, or my Best Easy Italian Green Salad.