Roasted Broccoli

This easy Roasted Broccoli recipe turns boring broccoli into something crispy, caramelized, and delicious in 40 minutes or less. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and some Parmesan cheese for even more flavor. You’ll love it!

True confession: I actually grew up eating frozen broccoli with melted Velveeta cheese on top. That’s how my mom always made it, and I loved it. Cheese + broccoli = best friends forever.

Consider this recipe a slightly more sophisticated twist on the classic. Turn the oven up: The high heat from the oven is perfect for cooking broccoli. It caramelizes the natural sugars in everything, making cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli sweet, nutty, and downright delicious.

Roasted broccoli is a simple side dish, but it’s especially good with Roasted Chicken, New York Strip Steaks, on salads, in grain bowls, and in your meal prep containers. And when properly prepared, it can be downright addictive in the best possible way.

Recipe ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Broccoli: Trim off the dry woody part of the stem, but the rest is fair game. Cut the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces of a similar size so they cook evenly. For more information, see my full tutorial on How to Cut Broccoli.
• Lemon: Feel free to add lemon zest (about 1 teaspoon) with the lemon juice. Just zest the lemon before you cut it to squeeze it.
• Parmesan cheese: Any hard, aged cheese will work well instead. Think Parmesan, grated Asiago, pecorino, or Romano cheese.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy cleanup. In a large bowl, add broccoli, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper (I like at least ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; sometimes I do a little more). Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat.

2. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Roast until florets are fork-tender and browning around the edges, about 35 to 40 minutes.

3. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and toss to coat. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. 

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes about 8 cups of roasted broccoli, enough for eight (1-cup) servings.
• Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add extra roasted broccoli to omelets, scrambled eggs, and your meal prep containers.
• Make ahead: Chop the broccoli up to 3 days in advance. Store covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roast.
• High-temperature formula: I like to roast every vegetable at 400 degrees and just adjust the baking time, keeping an eye out for signs of doneness. But remember the Fahrenheit 451 rule: books burn at 451 degrees, and so does parchment paper. That’s why I chose 400 degrees as my baseline, even though some vegetables could be done quicker at a higher temp.
• Keep things dry: After you rinse your vegetables, pat them dry or allow them to air dry before they go into the oven. More moisture = more steam = less toasty crisp bits.
• Crowd control: Crowded vegetables create steam which prevents them from getting toasty. The baking sheet surface in contact with the broccoli is what gives your roasted vegetables those brown, crunchy bits. Also, flip your veggies halfway through cooking so the other side has a chance to get just as delicious.
• Fresh herbs: Add sturdy herbs such as thyme or rosemary to your broccoli before roasting. Tender herbs, such as parsley, basil, or chives should be added after roasting.
• Teriyaki meatballs: Pair turkey meatballs with teriyaki sauce, cooked brown rice, and roasted broccoli for an epic Asian bowl. Drizzle the broccoli with sesame oil before roasting, and finish the bowl with toasted sesame seeds and red pepper flakes.
• Roasting frozen broccoli: Roast frozen broccoli right out of the bag, but raise the oven temp to 450. Don’t let the broccoli thaw out first, otherwise, it’ll turn soft and won’t ever get crispy.
• More mix-ins: Toss your roasted broccoli with toasted almonds, cooked bacon, or a pinch of red chili flakes.

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Side Dish Recipes

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Broccoli

By Meggan Hill

This easy Roasted Broccoli recipe turns boring broccoli into something crispy, caramelized, and delicious in 40 minutes or less. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and some Parmesan cheese for even more flavor.

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings (1 cup each)

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 115

5 from 13 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 2 pounds broccoli florets from 3 stalks broccoli (see note 1)
• ▢ 1/4 cup olive oil
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice (see note 2)
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (see note 3)

Instructions 

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
• In a large bowl, add broccoli, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper (I like at least ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; sometimes I do a little more).
• Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Roast until florets are tender-crisp and browning around the edges, about 35 to 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and toss to coat. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. 

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Broccoli: Trim off the dry woody part of the stem, but the rest is fair game. Cut the broccoli florets into pieces that are all about the same size so they cook evenly. 
2. Lemon: The zest of one lemon (about 1 teaspoon) can be added with the lemon juice. Just zest the lemon before you cut it to squeeze it.
3. Parmesan cheese: Any hard, aged cheese will work well instead. Think Parmesan, grated Asiago, pecorino, or Romano cheese.
4. Yield: This recipe makes about 8 cups of roasted broccoli, enough for eight (1-cup) servings.
5. Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add extra roasted broccoli to omelets, scrambled eggs, and your meal prep containers.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 5gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 86mgPotassium: 364mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 734IUVitamin C: 103mgCalcium: 91mgIron: 1mg

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