Roasted Broccoli

Article by Emily Saladino

A weeknight powerhouse, this easy roasted broccoli recipe is on the table in minutes. Plus, cooking broccoli in the oven makes it tender and lightly browned with irresistibly crispy florets. It might just become your family’s favorite veggie side dish.

How to Roast Broccoli Like a Pro

Food Network Kitchen tests and cross-tests every recipe we publish, so you know this oven-roasted broccoli will turn out perfectly. Here are our tips.

Rotate the head as you cut. Remove the stem and put the broccoli head crown-side down on a cutting board. Slice downward through the florets, rotating as you cut, to create evenly sized pieces.

Save the stalks. After you separate the florets from the rest of the head, save the peeled and trimmed broccoli stalks for other meals. Blend them into soups, shred them into crunchy slaw or bake into casseroles or gratins.

Don’t stir or flip. Once you slide the baking pan in the oven, don’t touch it for at least 20 minutes. Leaving the broccoli florets in contact with the hot pan helps them crisp.

Roasted frozen broccoli works, too. Keep the baking sheet in the oven while it preheats and toss the frozen broccoli and seasonings in a bowl. When the oven reaches 450 degrees F, carefully remove the hot pan and spread the seasoned broccoli across it, then follow the rest of the recipe. The broccoli florets won’t be quite as crisp-tender, but your dish will still be delicious.

Experiment with different seasonings. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or teaspoon of lemon zest before you slide the pan into the oven. After it comes out, grate Parmesan cheese over the top or add a squeeze of fresh lemon.

How to Serve Oven-Roasted Broccoli

This recipe for roasted broccoli makes an excellent side dish for everything from pork tenderloin to roast chicken and beyond. It can also be tweaked to suit different meals and moods. Make a warm broccoli salad by tossing it with balsamic vinegar and golden raisins or add red wine vinegar, dried oregano and feta. Fold it into a rice bowl with chopped toasted almonds and tahini dressing for a satisfying vegetarian lunch or serve atop salted Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of fresh basil and mint.

More Broccoli Recipes

If you love this recipe, try some of our other broccoli dishes, like broccoli gratin, broccoli-walnut pesto, herbed broccoli mashed potatoes or this show-stopping broccoli-cheddar crescent ring.