Roasted Broccoli

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Perfect Roasted Broccoli with crisp and caramelized edges. You’ll be amazed by how just a few ingredients and simple steps can create such a delicious dish. Roasting caramelizes the broccoli, and releases the natural sugar in the vegetable, giving it a rich, sweet taste.

This post includes my tried-and-true method for roasting broccoli along with plenty of flavor variations and all my tips and tricks. For more roasted veggie recipes, be sure to try these roasted Brussels sprouts or this incredible medley of roasted vegetables.

End shot of roasted broccoli with a child grabbing broccoli out of the dish

Picky-eater approved!

While the picture above may seem like a cute staged photo (and trust me, there are a lot of those!) this is a photo depicting what actually happened. I’ve been testing Roasted Broccoli the past couple of weeks (usually as a side for dinner) and the first time I put it on the table, my youngest boy wouldn’t touch it. After a bit of coaxing, he tried a piece and ended up eating almost the whole bowl.

When I finally made Roasted Broccoli to take some pictures of it (in the morning light), I had to hurry my fastest — he would not leave this broccoli alone! About five seconds after I finished, he polished the bowl off….for breakfast– ha!

If you have some kids that are hesitant about broccoli, be sure to give this recipe a try! 

QUICK TIP

One cup of raw, chopped broccoli contains only 31 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrates, and very little sugar (1.5 grams). More than a third of the carbohydrates found in broccoli come from fiber (2.4 grams), making it a filling, heart-healthy food choice.

Process shot-- Image of the broccoli pieces being cut into even sizes and tossed with oil and seasonings.

This roasted broccoli with parmesan is extremely simple; in my opinion roasted veggies should never be overly complicated. Just a few ingredients and a couple easy steps are all it takes to make delicious broccoli. While there are a lot of ways to jazz up roasted broccoli, I’m sharing a simple base recipe today (olive oil, salt, pepper).

Below are some of the variations we sometimes use, depending on the mood we’re in or what main dish we’re pairing the broccoli with.

Seasoning Roasted Broccoli

  • Roasted Broccoli with lemon: This is my favorite flavor! This goes well with most main dishes; add 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to finished Roasted Broccoli.
  • Asianinspired: This version is a natural with chicken ramen, these Asian inspired steak bites, or beef lettuce wraps. Add 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and a sprinkle (about 1/2 teaspoon) of toasted sesame seeds.
  • Italianinspired: Pair this with stuffed shells, spaghetti bolognese, or these easy meatball subs. Add 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, a few extra tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest.

More variation ideas

  • Balsamic: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of a thick balsamic vinegar right on top of the broccoli. 
  • Roasted Broccoli with garlic: When minced garlic is tossed with raw broccoli and then roasted, it can burn and taste bitter. Instead, I like to add garlic in one of two ways:
    • Either sauté minced garlic (1-2 cloves) in 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil separately and toss it with the broccoli after it’s done roasting
    • Or add 1/2 to 1 full teaspoon roasted garlic powder to the raw broccoli before roasting.
  • Adding extra veggies to the tray:
    • Roasted broccoli and carrots: check out this recipe
    • Roasted broccoli and cauliflower: check out this recipe

Process shot-- Image of the broccoli on a tray, showing them laid cut side down to get them cooked perfectly.

How to make roasted broccoli crispy

  • Use a LARGE sheet pan: The more space the broccoli has, the better it roasts in the oven. When vegetables are overlapping on a sheet pan, they end up steaming instead of roasting. This will make them soggy, not deliciously caramelized. I recommend using this 15×21 inch sheet pan for this recipe. I also recommend using a dark sheet pan, which absorbs and distributes the heat.
  • Cut the broccoli into even sizes: The more evenly they’re cut, the more evenly they’ll roast.
  • Take an extra minute to flip the cut sides down to touch the tray. This will give the broccoli a great caramelization. 
  • Grate the Parmesan cheese with a microplane. It gives it the perfect texture and melts beautifully into the broccoli.
  • Use fresh broccoli: While frozen broccoli does work, it never gets quite as crisp and flavorful as fresh broccoli. I always recommend using fresh broccoli when roasting. (If you do opt to roast frozen broccoli, check out the tips in this post.)
  • High oven temperature is vital to getting broccoli caramelized and crispy!

Up-close image of the broccoli, fresh out of the oven with Parmesan cheese on top.

How to store Roasted Broccoli

Store broccoli in a shallow dish, covered tightly with plastic wrap or foil, in the fridge. When properly stored, cooked broccoli will last for 3 to 5 days in the fridge.

How to reheat Roasted Broccoli

To reheat the broccoli, make sure to use the oven and bake until it’s firm and crisp. (A microwave will turn the broccoli to mush.) To reheat in the oven, spread the vegetables out on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and bake at 450 degrees for 4 or 5 minutes or until firm.

What to serve with Roasted Broccoli

This veggie is quite versatile and pairs well with most entrees– especially meals with a lot of meat! We love this easy side dish best with the following meals:

More delicious side dishes

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Roasted Broccoli

5 from 5 votes
Roasted Broccoli with crisp and caramelized edges. You'll be amazed by how just a few ingredients and simple steps can create such a delicious dish. Roasting caramelizes the broccoli and releases the natural sugar in the vegetable, giving it a rich and sweet taste.
Print Recipe

Roasted Broccoli

5 from 5 votes
Roasted Broccoli with crisp and caramelized edges. You'll be amazed by how just a few ingredients and simple steps can create such a delicious dish. Roasting caramelizes the broccoli and releases the natural sugar in the vegetable, giving it a rich and sweet taste.
Course Side Dish, Vegetarian
Cuisine American
Keyword roasted broccoli
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 -6 servings, as a side
Calories 166kcal
Author Chelsea Lords
Cost $2.57

Ingredients

  • 7-1/2 packed cups broccoli florets (Note 1)
  • 3 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Note 2)
  • Optional: 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest + 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

  • PREP: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grab out an extra-large (15×21 inch sheet pan) or 2 smaller (11x17-inch) sheet pans (See Note 3) and set aside.
  • PREP: Cut the broccoli into even-sized florets (See Note 4) and place on a large dark-colored sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil right on top. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss with your hands well, evenly coating all the broccoli with the seasonings and oil. Spread into an even layer giving florets plenty of space. As you spread them out, quickly flip cut sides down to touch the tray.
  • BAKE: Bake for 15-19 minutes or until crisp-tender and lightly charred. Remove from the oven and toss. Use a microplane to finely grate fresh Parmesan cheese on top. Let slightly melt into broccoli, then, if desired, toss with lemon juice and lemon zest. Serve immediately!

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Broccoli: 7-1/2 is about 1-1/2 pounds after the large stems have been removed. This is about 2 extra large florets. This sounds like a lot of broccoli but it cooks down a lot!
Note 2: Parmesan: Packaged grated Parmesan (in the can) is very salty and won't melt as nicely into the broccoli. We highly recommend grating a block of Parmesan cheese on the small holes of the grater (or even better -- a microplane!) for ultra-fine cheese shreds.
Note 3: Veggies need SPACE! The more space the broccoli has (and the less-crowded they are) the better they roast. When they're overlapping on a sheet pan, they end up steaming instead of roasting which results in softer, somewhat soggy-tasting broccoli. Additionally, if the broccoli doesn't have enough space, roast time is quite a bit longer than recipe indicates.
Note 4: Uniform sizes. Cut broccoli to relatively similar-sized pieces so they'll roast evenly.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 407mg | Potassium: 538mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1089IU | Vitamin C: 152mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 1mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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