Quick Oven Roasted Broccoli

Roasted broccoli is delicious. It’s also easy to make and quick to bake. Just two minutes of prep and 10 minutes in the oven, and you’ll enjoy perfectly crisp and tender broccoli.

Roasting vegetables in the oven at a high temperature brings out their natural flavor without turning them into mushy, indistinguishable lumps. Plus roasting broccoli with a bit of olive oil helps it kept its antioxidant and cancer-fighting powers intact! (CNN)

While broccoli may not be on your usual list of roasted veggies, I hope you give it a try. It’s my favorite way to serve broccoli and makes the perfect side dish or baked potato topper. We love oven-roasted broccoli with Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters and rice for a quick dinner.

How to make Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh broccoli
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to top 1/3 of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F ( 204 °C ).
2. Rinse broccoli heads under cold water and lay on a clean towel to dry slightly.
3. Line a 13 by 9-inch metal sheet pan with foil or parchment paper (if desired). 
4. Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces. Cut the stalk and stems into 1/8-inch thick, round slices discarding dried-out ends. 
5. Place the broccoli onto the sheet pan and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Toss the broccoli to distribute the oil then spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.
6. Sprinkle the broccoli with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Place pan in the hot oven on the top rack and roast until the broccoli is just tender and beginning to color, 8 to 10 more minutes. 
8. Remove broccoli from the oven and serve immediately.

Roasted Broccoli Tips

Make sure your roasted broccoli turns out perfectly with these easy tips:  

1) Cut the broccoli into uniform pieces.

Making sure the broccoli florets are close to the same size means they cook evenly so you won’t have some mushy pieces and some undercooked pieces. You don’t have to be obsessive, just aim for close to the same size.

2) Don’t overstuff the baking pan.

Roasting vegetables need some space to breathe as they bake or you’ll never get the crisp, caramelized edges that make the dish so special. Use two pans or roast two batches instead of cramming a large batch of broccoli onto one overstuffed sheet pan.

3) Bake the broccoli at a high temperature.

Roasting vegetables at a high oven temperature produced crispy, caramelized edges. I recommend 400 to 425 degrees F ( 204 to 218 °C ) to get golden broccoli without burning the olive oil.

4) Dry the broccoli.

After rinsing the broccoli, make sure it is dry before drizzling it with olive oil. A little moisture is ok, but if it’s dripping wet the olive won’t stick and it won’t roast evenly. 

5) Don’t under season.

Salt and pepper the broccoli generously to avoid bland broccoli. If you’re afraid of over-seasoning you can add more salt and pepper when it comes out of the oven.

6) Don’t toss the stems and stalks.

The broccoli stem may not be as pretty as the florets, but it tastes great! Slice and roast the stems. 

FAQs about Roasted Broccoli

Can I substitute frozen broccoli

Yes, you can substitute frozen broccoli for fresh broccoli in this recipe. Place the frozen broccoli florets on the prepared baking pan and continue the recipe as written. You may need to add a few more minutes of baking time to allow extra moisture from the frozen broccoli to evaporate.

How to store roasted broccoli

Store roasted broccoli in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

How to reheat roasted broccoli

In the microwave: Place the leftover broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 20-second increments until warm. The broccoli will be less crisp than directly out of the oven-roasted broccoli. 

In the oven: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F ( 204 °C ). Place the leftover broccoli on a baking sheet and heat it until it is warm and crispy (approximately 4-5 minutes). 

Is oven-roasted brocolli healthy

Roasted broccoli is a healthy side dish that is high in fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium. It is also low in calories and contains protein. One advantage of roasting broccoli is that the nutrients stay in the food rather than being boiled away. 

How do you make oven-roasted broccoli

Preheat oven to 400°F (204 °C ). Toss bite-sized broccoli florets with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread broccoli on a baking sheet, roast for 8-10 minutes. Broccoli should be tender-crisp and golden brown on the edges. Serve immediately.

Roasted Broccoli Variations

Customize this easy broccoli recipe with your favorite flavors for a delicious side dish that can complement almost any cuisine! 

Garlic Roasted Broccoli

Substitute garlic salt for the salt in the recipe or add a clove of crushed garlic to the olive oil before drizzling over the raw broccoli florets before roasting. 

Lemon Roasted Broccoli

Remove broccoli from the oven when it is done roasting and toss with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Sprinkle on a pinch of fresh lemon zest for extra lemony flavor.

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Remove broccoli from the oven when it is done roasting and toss with 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 

Spicy Roasted Broccoli

Sprinkle the raw broccoli florets with salt, black pepper, and 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes before roasting. 

More roasted vegetable recipes:

Try these roasted vegetables next!

• Oven Roasted Root Vegetables
• Ginger and Honey Roasted Carrots
• Oven Baked Carrot Fries with Easy Sriracha Dipping Sauce

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