Oven Roasted Broccoli
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Oven-Roasted Broccoli with minced Garlic and freshly shredded Parmesan is actually one of the quickest side dish recipes you can make. Roasted in just about 10 minutes, crispy garlic florets complement chicken, steak, or pork or can be made and used in other broccoli recipes.
In our house, everyone has their favorite vegetables, but broccoli is the one we all agree on. Oven-roasted florets paired with this creamy broccoli cheese sauce are simply perfect—even for picky eaters.
But for this mom, I personally love straight up golden brown, crispy topped roasted broccoli with garlic! Understanding how to roast broccoli, or really any vegetable, means that no matter what you are serving, you can always count on something guilt free on the side.
Roasted Broccoli Ingredients
- raw or frozen broccoli – Break down raw heads of broccoli into bite sized florets (prep instructions below) or grab bag of frozen broccoli to roast (do not defrost).
- olive oil
- minced garlic – I buy mine in a jar and keep it in the fridge. I use it for all my recipes!
- Salt and Pepper – I prefer peppercorn pepper and sea salt.
- Shredded Parmesan cheese – One of the few things I like to buy a little more premium is Parmesan. Opt for good shredded or shaved Parmesan over canned.
Prepare raw broccoli for roasting
If you purchase a full broccoli head, you need to prepare it in bite sized pieces before oven roasting.
- To cut florets, lay the broccoli on its side. Find the top of the stem and make a clean chop across. Then work your way around the broccoli cutting the florets off as you go.
- Try to cut florets similar in size so you do not have some undercooked and some overcooked.
- Season generously! Vegetables are really a bit plain with out salt, pepper, minced garlic, or even a bit of lemon. At the end of the day, raid the pantry and use your favorite blended seasonings.
How to Roast Broccoli in the Oven
Preheat oven to 425 and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set baking sheet aside. In a large bowl, drizzle fresh chopped raw broccoli with olive oil.
Add minced garlic and mix well to evenly coat broccoli. Take your time with this, mixing well and making sure garlic and oil gets on broccoli pieces.
Spread broccoli florets onto prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Season broccoli with salt and pepper. Oven-roast broccoli for 10-12 minutes. Prior to serving and while still on baking sheet and hot, sprinkle broccoli with shredded Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with a side of sliced lemon.
- Want broccoli extra crispy? Once its done roasting, place sheet pan under broiler for a minute. Do not forget to monitor as some ovens can burn quickly.
Curious about the nutritional impact? Learn more about does roasting broccoli remove nutrients.
Roasted Broccoli with New Flavors
Overall, I’m generally a veggie purist. A bit of oil, salt and I’m good to go for my broccoli side dishes. With a bit of experimentation, however, I’ve found that my kids are much more likely to eat a particular vegetable dish when I jazz up the flavorings (equal to hiding the green parts) a bit more than that.
- Garlic and Parmesan, like featured here, go well with just about any main dish you want to pair it with, but the options don’t stop there.
- Balsamic vinegar is one of my favorite roasting flavorings bc it caramelizes in the oven to create this thick, almost smoky sauce that coats the veggies.
- If you want something with a bit more tang, lemon juice or Italian dressing are other options that pair well with a whole lot of main dishes. Just be sure not to add too much liquid so your broccoli can still crisp up in the oven.
- To keep things simple, I also like thyme or herbs de province on all kinds of veggies, but especially broccoli.
Oven roasted Frozen broccoli
If you want to use frozen broccoli over raw broccoli in the oven, its nearly the same. You do not have to thaw broccoli. Just use the same oil and seasoning methods as above.
Turn oven on 450 degrees (instead of 425) and then roast in the oven for 15-16 minutes, give or take a minute or two depending on the size of the florets and your particular oven.
As a side dish, there are just so many options with a broccoli head on hand. Like holiday favorite broccoli casserole to the crowd friendly broccoli grape salad, there really is something for everyone.
Roasted Broccoli (Frozen or Raw)
Ingredients
- 16 oz broccoli if raw, that is about a head and a half and if frozen its usually one bag.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Salt and Pepper
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prep Raw Broccoli Head if Needed
- If you purchase a full broccoli head, you need to prepare it in bite sized pieces before oven roasting. To cut florets, lay the broccoli on its side. Find the top of the stem and make a clean chop across. Then work your way around the broccoli cutting the florets off as you go. Try to cut florets similar in size so you do not have some undercooked and some overcooked.16 oz broccoli
Roasting Raw Broccoli
- Preheat oven to 425 and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set baking sheet aside.
- In a large bowl, drizzle fresh chopped raw broccoli with olive oil. Add minced garlic and mix well to evenly coat broccoli. Take your time with this, mixing well and making sure garlic and oil gets on broccoli pieces.3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Spread broccoli florets onto prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Season broccoli generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes.Salt and Pepper
- Prior to serving and while still on baking sheet, sprinkle broccoli with shredded Parmesan cheese. Season again if you would like and serve with quartered lemons.1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Roast Frozen Broccoli
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees and follow the same oil and seasoning instructions above until baking time. No need to defrost frozen broccoli.
- Bake for 15-16 minutes in the oven, checking for desired crispiness and using tongs to flip to the other side if preferred. Frozen broccoli takes a tiny bit longer to cook than raw and it may need a few extra minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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I have been craving broccoli as well as cauliflower lately. This roasted broccoli with garlic and parmesan will surely hit the spot! Thanks for this idea, I pinned it 🙂
It’s my favorite..I could eat bowls of veggies all day!
This looks delicious! I love broccoli and I absolutely LOVE garlic…I will have to make this over the weekend when my husband is back in town!!
This looks and sounds so good! I’ve been on a huge broccoli kick in recent months. Looking forward to more side-dish recipes!
I always steam my broccoli. I’m going to have to give this a try!
I am excited to try this with my son. He loves broccoli and this new way of preparing it might shake things up a little.
Made it for dinner tonight. AWESOME! Everyone loved it!
Thats awesome!!
Looks fantastic! Just one question – the smoke point chart states that olive oil smokes at 375. How did yours turn out well baked at 425? Is there a secret? 😊
Hi Rebecca, you are right that the chart we linked to says that! Simply put, the chart they put out isn’t very clear and I didnt catch that the first time when I was trying to share how to read up on smoke points.
Here is an updated article that does a great job addressing this question- https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/smoke-point-matters-in-cooking-with-oil/article26569060/ that I think is more in line w/ smoke points.
I use light olive oil, so as you can see, the smoke point is much higher.
It says “Refined oils typically have a neutral taste and odour and a clear appearance. Light olive oil (light in colour, not in calories), for example, has been refined and has a higher smoke point (486 degrees Fahrenheit) than extra virgin olive oil (410 degrees F), which has not been refined. Even so, the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil makes it suitable for many types of cooking. Cooking on average home stoves, such as roasting in the oven and sautéeing, pan-frying and stir-frying over medium-high heat, is typically done between 250 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Ill update my recipe with this new link. Thanks for pointing out the issue in the chart!!!
Can frozen broccoli florets be used ?
Sue, truthfully I havent made them that way yet but they would thaw pretty quickly. I encourage you to try but monitor because its not a raw veggie. It wont take nearly as long to bake.
Can you tell me a little more about how you would use balsamic vinegar in this recipe? Do you just drizzle it on top before roasting or use it in place of olive oil?
I take balsamic down to a glaze and drizzle before eating.
It says serving size is 4 people, so to calculate calories should I divide the 217 by 4?
The nutritional value is auto calculated, so the best way to do it is to add your ingredients to carbmanager and let it calculate based on what you eat. Typically 1 cup of broccoli has about 30 calories, its pretty low