Roasted frozen broccoli is surprisingly good! It's browned, crispy, and not mushy in the least. This easy recipe will take you about 40 minutes to make - 10 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes in the oven.
Frozen vegetables are a lifesaver. A great way to prevent food waste is to buy fewer fresh veggies but stock up on frozen ones. The convenience is unparalleled - they're cut and cleaned, and in many cases, you can cook them from frozen. Most importantly? You can crisp them up in a hot oven. My concern was that they would turn out mushy, but they consistently turn out browned and crispy.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Frozen broccoli florets: They typically come in 1-pound bags, so get two of them if you want to make the recipe as written.
- Olive oil spray: You can drizzle the florets with olive oil and mix it in with your hands if you prefer, but spraying is the most convenient.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
Variations
- Instead of olive oil spray, you can drizzle the broccoli with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and use your hands to coat it evenly. Melted butter is another tasty option.
- If you like spicy food, sprinkle the broccoli with ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes before baking.
- Sprinkle the finished dish with bacon bits, grated parmesan, or both!
Instructions
The detailed instructions for making this recipe are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of the steps:
You start by preheating your oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Next, open two bags of frozen broccoli florets and spread them evenly on the pan. Spray the broccoli liberally with olive oil and sprinkle it with seasonings.
Place the pan in the oven and bake the broccoli until browned in spots. This should take around 30 minutes, but oven temperatures vary, so start checking after 25 minutes. If needed, keep roasting until the florets are as browned as you'd like. In my old oven, it took 40 minutes.
Expert Tip
Some bags of frozen broccoli contain lots of tiny crumbs in addition to the florets. These will burn in the oven, so it's best to throw them out and just roast the florets - larger and smaller ones can be baked together.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I was skeptical too until I tried it. The broccoli comes out surprisingly browned and crispy. I assumed that it would steam rather than roast, but it really does roast given a hot enough oven and enough time spent in that oven.
It depends on the recipe. When I don't want it to release water into a dish, such as with this broccoli quiche, I prefer to thaw it first and drain it well. But when roasting in a hot oven, you can cook it from frozen.
I like to bake it in a 425°F oven for about 30 minutes. Since oven temperatures vary, yours might take more or less time than that. Start checking after 25 minutes, and be prepared to keep it in the oven for as long as 40 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This is a truly versatile side dish that goes with anything. But since I bake it in a 425°F oven, I like to serve it with a main dish that I can cook in the same oven, such as:
Storing Leftovers
This is actually one of those rare recipes where I don't recommend keeping leftovers. Even though the freshly baked broccoli emerges from the oven nice and crispy, it turns mushy and soggy after spending a night in the fridge. So try to only make as much as you can eat right away.
If you must store leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days and reheat them uncovered in a 350°F oven. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.
More Broccoli Recipes
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Recipe Card
Roasted Frozen Broccoli
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen broccoli florets
- Olive oil spray
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with high-heat-resistant parchment paper.
- Arrange the frozen broccoli florets in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Liberally spray the florets with olive oil, then sprinkle them with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
- Bake the florets until they are browned and crispy, for about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Some bags of frozen broccoli contain, in addition to proper florets, lots of really tiny crumbs. These will burn in the oven, so it's best to throw them out and just roast the florets - larger and smaller ones can be baked together.
- This is actually one of those rare recipes where I don't recommend keeping leftovers. Even though the freshly baked broccoli emerges from the oven nice and crispy, it turns mushy and soggy after spending a night in the fridge. So try to only make as much as you can eat right away.
- If you must store leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days and reheat them uncovered in a 350°F oven. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.
Nutrition per Serving
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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
