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Oven roasted broccoli makes this green veggie taste so good, you can’t stop sneaking bites! It’s charred until tender, then spritzed with lemon juice. As cookbook authors, this is one of our top side dishes of all time.
Why we love this recipe
Ready for our favorite way to make broccoli taste incredible? Oven roasted broccoli. Yes, roasting up the florets makes them come out tender and charred, with a mild, almost sweet flavor. They’re almost as irresistible as French fries—or maybe more so!
Season with garlic and a few spritzes of fresh lemon juice, and the flavor pops in a way you’d never imagine possible with this humble vegetable. We’ve made broccoli all the ways: sauteed broccoli, fried broccoli, steamed broccoli, boiled broccoli, and even roasted frozen broccoli. But roasted broccoli is the method that makes us fall head over heels every time! As two cookbook authors, here are all our secrets.
How to make oven roasted broccoli (basic steps)
Once you make roasted broccoli once, you’ll never go back. These crisp tender florets taste as satisfying to me as biting into a crunchy French fry. That’s saying something! You can dip them in sauces (see below), or just serve these florets straight up as an easy veggie side dish. Here are the basic steps you need to do:
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The very hot temperature will get them perfectly crisp tender!
- Chop: Chop the florets into medium-sized florets (more on that below). Mix with olive oil and kosher salt.
- Roast 20 minutes: Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and browned in parts.
- Add flavor: Add another drizzle olive oil, grated garlic and fresh lemon juice. Serve warm!
Tips for chopping broccoli
Here’s one thing that can make or break your roasted broccoli: how you cut the florets! Now of course there’s no wrong way to cut a broccoli floret! But chopping them into very small florets makes them look stubby and a little uninspiring. Here’s how to cut broccoli:
- Keep the stems as long as possible! When you chop the floret, cut it at the base of where the floret attaches to the main stem. Doing this makes for an elegant and beautiful shape. See the photo below!
- Make the florets medium sized, as similar in size as possible. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but keeping the florets similar sized helps them to cook through at the same rate.
Variations on roasted broccoli
There are a few ways to mix up roasted broccoli by adding other seasonings and vegetables! Here are a few ideas:
- Add the Parmesan cheese for Parmesan Broccoli
- Add carrots for Roasted Broccoli and Carrots
- Add cauliflower for Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
Dipping sauces for roasted broccoli
You can easily serve this lemon broccoli straight up alongside any main dish; see below for some ideas! But if you want to step them up, you can add a fun dipping sauce! Here are some favorites:
- Comeback Sauce This combination of everyone’s favorite condiments takes this veggie up a notch.
- Lemon Dill Sauce Dip the florets into a cool, creamy herbaceous sauce.
- Spicy Mayo A little spicy mayo drizzle on this broccoli takes it over the top.
- Honey Mustard Sauce Dip them into sweet savory honey mustard sauce.
- Hot Honey Drizzle with a little hot honey, and the sweet savory flavor is insane.
Ways to serve oven roasted broccoli
This oven roasted lemon broccoli is easy to make and a delicious plant based side dish. It pairs with main dishes of all kinds. You could even serve this vegetable recipe as part of a grain bowl with quinoa or farro! Here are some ideas:
- Shrimp: This Sauteed Shrimp or Garlic Shrimp are begging for a little broccoli as a side!
- Salmon: Add it as a side dish for Pan Seared Salmon or Tuscan Salmon.
- Chicken: Mix it up as a side for Pan Seared Chicken Breast, Blackened Chicken, Lemon Garlic Chicken or Easy Chicken and Rice.
- Pasta. Try with our Eggplant Pasta, Linguine Pasta, Baked Rigatoni, Stuffed Shells, or Lasagna Roll Ups.
- Grain Bowl. Add roasted broccoli to a grain bowl with quinoa or farro, and top with our Tahini Sauce or Cilantro Sauce to make an easy lunch or dinner!
Dietary notes
This roasted broccoli recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use frozen broccoli, but the method is different. Go to Roasted Frozen Broccoli.
Absolutely! Roasted broccoli pairs well with many other vegetables. Try adding Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, or even sweet potatoes to the pan for a colorful and flavorful side dish.
The broccoli is done when the florets are tender when pierced with a fork and the edges are slightly browned and crispy.
Get creative! Try adding garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, or Italian seasoning. You can also drizzle the broccoli with balsamic vinegar or lemon juice after roasting for a tangy twist.
Oven Roasted Broccoli
Oven roasted broccoli makes this green veggie taste so good, you can’t stop sneaking bites! It’s charred until tender, then spritzed with lemon juice. As cookbook authors, this is one of our top side dishes of all time.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: Vegetables
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, stem on (about 3 large heads or 6 heaping cups florets)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 medium garlic clove
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Chop the broccoli into medium-sized florets, leaving a good amount of the stem for a nice shape (see the photo). Mix the broccoli florets with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the kosher salt. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and slightly browned (no need to stir!).
- When the broccoli is done, remove the pan from the oven. Grate the garlic onto the pan, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the lemon juice. Use a spoon to gently toss it all together (separating any grated garlic that clumps together). Serve immediately.
Notes
For frozen broccoli, go to Roasted Frozen Broccoli.
For a variation with Parmesan cheese, go to Parmesan Broccoli.
More broccoli recipes
We adore broccoli around here! If you do too, here are some of our favorite broccoli recipes:
- Quick Cheesy Broccoli is the best fast and easy side dish! A fan favorite.
- Creamy Broccoli Potato Soup Intensely creamy, satisfying, and 100% plant based! It’s an easy healthy soup that everyone loves.
- Broccoli Stir Fry This broccoli stir fry makes this green vegetable taste irresistible! Serve it as a tasty side dish, or add a protein and you’ve got dinner.
- Broccoli Cheese Wild Rice Casserole A modern spin on wild rice casserole! It’s easy to make and a healthy spin that’s heavy on whole foods.
- Blanched Broccoli A simple, crowd pleasing way to cook this veggie.
Want more roasted vegetables? Here are the Best Vegetables to Roast.
I am going to cook the roasted broccoli tonight. Thanks for the recipe.
I am going to cook the roasted broccoli tonight.
Easy AND Delicious !!
Just made this with your salmon, chimichurri, and potatoes. The broccoli was incredible! The perfect amount of crispy and the lemon was an awesome touch! Thanks so much for the awesome recipes :)