Making The Best Roasted Broccoli is easy! This recipe uses simple seasonings and a high-heat bake to give you a crispy, tender side dish that goes with just about anything.
Let’s talk about broccoli, the vegetable people love to hate. This poor cruciferous vegetable was sacrificed to the “ew, vegetables!” crowd at some point, and I don’t think it ever recovered—at least not in the minds of your average vegetable hater. Broccoli isn’t the fanciest raw vegetable, I’ll admit, and it’s not so great boiled or in the microwave, either. Steaming it can work well, but it seems very easy (for me, at least) to turn it into mush by accident.
What’s the best way to cook broccoli? Roasting! Veggies generally get a lot tastier after you learn how to roast them, and there is perhaps no better example of that than broccoli.
This nutritious and versatile veggie gets a complete makeover when tossed with oil and the most basic of seasonings, then roasted in the oven. The tops get a nice brown crisp, the oil browns and softens the crunchy stalks, and salt and pepper make magic out of broccoli’s fresh flavor. If you’ve never had roasted broccoli, this recipe is an excellent place to start your new love affair with the misunderstood vegetable.
Is Roasted Broccoli Healthy?
Broccoli is incredibly healthy. It’s low in calories and fat and high in fiber, vitamin C and K, and potassium. The other main ingredient in this recipe is olive oil, which is rich in healthy unsaturated fats. Roasted broccoli is highly snackable, and it’s okay if you eat too much of it because it’s so healthy! This recipe overall is vegan, gluten-free, and keto-friendly, so it’s easy to incorporate into many different diets.
Stack Up The Flavors
Broccoli doesn’t have a ton of natural flavoring, which makes it the perfect blank canvas to season as you see fit. I actually use roasted broccoli to experiment with new store-bought seasoning blends and my own flavor combinations. Here are a few ways to add even more flavor to your broccoli.
- Add cheese: I like sprinkling grated hard cheeses, like Romano or Parmesan, onto roasted broccoli about five minutes before it comes out of the oven.
- Add truffle oil or powder: If you have any truffle powder or oil, holy moly, is this a good place for it!
- Add some heat: Crushed red pepper is suggested in the recipe, but I encourage you to try out other types of pepper if you like things hot! Freshly ground Szechuan pepper, Thai red chili flakes, and even chili pepper pastes like sambal oelek are wonderful. The ground pepper and pepper flakes go on at the end of the bake, but if I’m using chili pepper paste, I toss it in with the other seasonings beforehand.
- Add garlic: Garlic powder or fresh minced garlic will both work here, but I prefer the powder, as it doesn’t burn quite as easily as the fresh stuff.
- Add any new seasoning blend you’ve been meaning to try: As I said, broccoli is great for the task of taste-testing new seasoning blends. If you have some interesting blends, try it on the broccoli.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
To store leftover roasted broccoli, allow it to cool to room temperature and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. To freeze, spread the broccoli in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet (the one you roasted it on is fine!) and place it in the freezer until all the broccoli is frozen. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock bag, squeeze as much air out as possible, and store in the freezer. Let it thaw out in the fridge overnight, and reheat in the oven or air fryer to resurrect the crispy texture.
Serving Suggestions
Roasted broccoli is the perfect side and can be served with almost anything. This crunchy cruciferous veggie pairs well with Oven-Fried Chicken Breasts or this Keto Steak With Garlic Butter Mushrooms. I also like to add it to this Bacon Mac And Cheese for some extra nutrition, and it’s honestly great on top of a simple bowl of Brown Rice Pilaf with feta cheese sprinkled all over!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the broccoli florets on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly and arrange in a single layer.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 15 to 22 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender and the edges are crisped to your liking. For a spicy kick, sprinkle with red pepper flakes after roasting.
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