Oven-roasted broccoli is so tasty. All it needs are olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a hot oven!
It's the perfect weeknight side dish because it's truly easy to make and it's ready in just 20 minutes.
I really like broccoli. I enjoy it raw, dipped in homemade ranch dressing. And I also like simple microwave broccoli, dressed in melted butter and lemon juice.
But oven-roasted broccoli is the best. Roasting vegetables caramelizes them and makes them extra flavorful. It's the best way of cooking them, in my opinion. It's also easy - oven baking is a hands-off cooking method, unlike pan-frying.
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Ingredients
You'll only need three ingredients to make this tasty side dish. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Fresh broccoli: I often make my life super easy and use pre-cut and pre-washed bagged broccoli.
Olive oil: I love cooking with this very flavorful oil. It does have a relatively low smoke point, so you can use melted butter or avocado oil instead if you wish.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you might want to reduce the amount you use, or the dish could come out too salty.
Instructions
Roasting broccoli in the oven is easy! The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
You start by cutting the broccoli into florets and arranging the florets on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Next, drizzle the florets with olive oil. Use your hands to coat them with the oil.
Sprinkle the broccoli with salt and pepper, then bake it for about 15 minutes at 450°F.
Expert tip
There's no need to discard the stalks. Baked broccoli stalks are delicious. Simply peel them, cut them into pieces, and bake them on a separate baking sheet.
The stalks need to cook for slightly longer, so place them in the oven five minutes before you put the florets in the oven.
Frequently asked questions
Roast it! When cooked in a hot oven, broccoli doesn't need much in the way of seasonings, although you can certainly experiment with spices if you wish.
Plenty of good olive oil, coarse kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper - that's all it takes to turn it into a crispy, flavorful delicacy.
One of my kids is notorious for being a very picky eater. As you can imagine, broccoli is NOT on her list of favorite foods. As you can also imagine, I very much want her to eat this vegetable! Luckily, when I bake it in the oven, she's much more open to eating it.
Not long! It only needs about 15 minutes in a hot 450°F oven. You don't want to overcook it, or it will become mushy.
I don't. I let it cook undisturbed because I want those tasty caramelized bits, and the best way to achieve those is to allow the same area of the florets to continuously touch the hot pan.
Surprisingly, yes. Roasting broccoli from frozen results in browned and crispy florets - almost as good as those cooked from fresh.
Variations
After the first 10 minutes in the oven, you can sprinkle the broccoli florets with garlic powder and parmesan cheese, lightly spray them with olive oil, and continue baking for 5 more minutes.
Serving suggestions
This is obviously a very versatile side dish that goes with lots of main courses. But since I cook it in a 450F oven, I like to serve it with a main course that I can cook in the same oven. So I often serve it with any of the following:
Storing leftovers
Leftovers keep reasonably well for up to 3 days in the fridge, in an airtight container. But this is definitely one of those dishes that are best eaten fresh out of the oven. The florets lose their crispiness and become mushy when stored.
Sometimes I use the leftovers in an omelet the next day. That's actually very good and I highly recommend it. They are also good when added cold to a salad.
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Recipe card
Oven-Roasted Broccoli
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb. fresh broccoli
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper.*
- Cut the broccoli into large florets, with some of the stalk attached. Arrange the florets in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the broccoli. Use your hands to make sure all the broccoli florets are well coated.
- Sprinkle the broccoli with kosher salt and with freshly ground black pepper.
- Roast until the broccoli is tender-crisp and beginning to char in places, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
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NOTES
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NUTRITION PER SERVING
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 