Roasted Broccoli with Lemon

Roasted broccoli gets perfectly crispy, lightly charred and deliciously tender with a few easy tricks. Delicious on its own, it’s even better with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and tangy feta cheese. 

Task of the day: Make roasted broccoli the tastiest, sexiest side dish ever. One that could rival even the sexiest of vegetables! (I’m talking about roast cabbage, of course.) Mission accomplished! It turns out, turning the humble broccoli bunch into a nutritious side dish the whole family will love is not so hard after all. 

This oven roasted broccoli recipe is the secret to the crispiest, most flavorful broccoli with little fuss or time necessary. It takes just about 15 minutes in an extra-hot oven. And, according to the USDA, one bunch of broccoli has about 17 grams of protein, 16 grams of fiber, and is packed with way too many vitamins and minerals to list. 

This roasted broccoli recipe will help you get all that green goodness into your diet without feeling like a chore–particularly with a tasty, creamy sauce like Whipped Toum (4-Ingredient Garlic Sauce) or Tahini Sauce for dipping. 

Table of Contents

1. Roasted Broccoli Ingredients 
2. How to Make Roasted Broccoli
3. How to Roast Frozen Broccoli 
4. Should I Steam Broccoli Before Roasting It?
5. How Long to Roast Broccoli 
6. What to Serve with Roasted Broccoli
7. You’ll Also Like: Healthy Side Recipes
8. Roasted Broccoli with Lemon Recipe

Roasted Broccoli Ingredients 

To make crispy roasted broccoli, you really only need to add salt and olive oil. From there, I like to add a few flavor-makers to turn the humble vegetable into an exciting side dish. Here’s what you need:

• Broccoli: We will use both the florets and the stocks. Be sure to buy whole heads of broccoli with tight, dark green florets and firm stalks. You can substitute with broccolini, but keep a close eye as it tends to roast faster. 
• Olive oil: A coating of oil imparts a nice taste and is essential in crisping the vegetable. Use a high quality extra virgin variety for the best flavor. Any of our hand-selected Mediterranean olive oils at our shop will work well. 
• Kosher salt: Enhances the flavor. 
• Chili pepper: Gives the brocoli some extra oomph. I love the mellow kick of Aleppo pepper, but feel free to substitute with red pepper flakes or ground black pepper if you’d like. If you don’t like spicy, you can leave this off. 
• Lemon: Lemon juice and zest lightens the broccoli, which is naturally quite rich. The freshness of the juice is lovely, but I wouldn’t substitute with vinegar as it will likely be too overpowering. You can leave off the lemon if you don’t have any on hand. 
• Feta cheese (optional): Tangy, creamy feta cheese also adds a nice balance to the rich broccoli, but is completely optional. 

How to Make Roasted Broccoli

The secret for how to roast broccoli is high heat. This gives roasted broccoli the best flavor, with a nice and tender center and deliciously caramelized exterior. Open your windows, turn on your fan, and grab your oven mitts! 

• Get ready. Preheat your oven to 500°F. Put a sheet tray in your oven to preheat.
• Prep the broccoli. Working with about 1 1/2 pounds of broccoli, trim the very thick bottom part of the stems. Use a peeler or sharp knife to remove the tough outer layer, picking off any leaves as you go. Slice lengthwise into equal size pieces, making a long flat surface with the stem that will brown and crisp up nicely.
• Season the broccoli. Add the sliced broccoli to a large mixing bowl. Toss with enough oil to coat (about 1/2 cup) and a good pinch of salt.
• Add the broccoli to the hot sheet pan. You’ll want to work fast here to keep the heat of the pan–Grab a pair of tongs and set your broccoli next to the oven. Carefully take the sheet pan out of the oven and use the tongs to lay the broccoli in one single layer on the pan with the cut side down (leave any excess oil in the bowl). Return the pan to the heated oven.
• Brown on both sides. Roast for 10 minutes on the cut side until nicely charred. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes or so until charred.
• Dress and serve. Arrange the broccoli on a platter. Sprinkle with more salt and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper. Zest on a lemon, then slice it in half and squeeze on the juice. Finish with a crumbling of feta cheese. Enjoy!

How to Roast Frozen Broccoli 

Frozen broccoli is convenient as it is washed, cut and already blanched so it cooks quickly. You can roast frozen broccoli, but keep in mind it will not be as crispy as fresh broccoli. Here’s how: 

• Get ready. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Toss the frozen broccoli with enough olive oil to coat and season with salt to taste. 
• Spread the frozen broccoli on a sheet tray. Make sure you space the florets out quite a bit as they will have a lot of ice on the inside. 
• Roast the frozen broccoli. Roast in your preheated oven until the broccoli is nicely browned and tender, tossing halfway through (about 30 minutes in total). Season with a sprinkle of feta, chili pepper flakes, lemon juice and zest, or as you’d like. 

Should I Steam Broccoli Before Roasting It?

You do not need to steam broccoli before roasting it. In fact, if you’re looking for tender-crisp roasted broccoli with delicious charred bits, you should skip steaming and just go ahead and roast it in a very hot oven. 

If you prefer your roasted broccoli extra soft and tender, you can steam or microwave the broccoli with a little bit of water briefly before roasting. Keep in mind this step is not necessary and your broccoli won’t get as crispy. 

How Long to Roast Broccoli 

To make the crispiest roasted broccoli, roast the broccoli for 15 minutes total in a 500°F (260°C) oven. The best way to roast broccoli is quickly and very hot. The high heat concentrates the flavor, crisping the outside and tenderizing the center without turning the broccoli into mush. If you’ve ever been put off by mushy, bland broccoli, it’s likely that it was overcooked. I recommend giving this crispy roasted broccoli recipe a try! 

What to Serve with Roasted Broccoli

I love this roasted broccoli with a dipping sauce on the side. Something creamy and garlicky works especially well, like our tzatziki, tahini, or toum garlic sauce. It’s also great with a sprinkle of nutty dukkah! 

For the main dish, you really can’t go wrong with this versatile roast broccoli recipe. Serve as a healthy side dish to baked chicken, shrimp linguini, fish and more. If you end up with leftovers, throw them in something like olive oil pasta or a big pot of minestrone soup! So many possibilities.

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*This post has recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.