The Best Roasted Broccoli Recipe
Roasted broccoli tossed with sliced toasted almonds, red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon juice, and aged pecorino cheese.
You guys. This roasted broccoli recipe. It is absurdly addictive! Quite possibly the best roasted broccoli you’ll ever make. Brace yourselves. I can easily consume a pound or two of broccoli in one sitting when it is prepared this way. Alarming, but true.
You all know how much I love my vegetables. I can’t go without them, but this is quite possibly the most tasty vegetable side dish on this blog.
These charred green beans and these fingerling potatoes come in at a close second. Oh, and these roasted sprouts and squash. Gah, don’t make me choose!
If it helps, Connor is equally as obsessed with this broccoli (it is one of his favorite things that I make) and it has gotten rave reviews from lots of family members and friends.
Roasted Broccoli: Why You’ll Love It
If you’ve never roasted broccoli, you are missing out on the tastiest way to prepare it!
If you’ve hated broccoli up to this point (confession: I never experienced this phase of life), give this recipe and method a try. I have an inkling that you’ll become a broccoli convert quite quickly.
It goes without saying that many vegetables taste better once caramelized and roasted in the oven. This isn’t ground breaking news, but broccoli is one of my all-time favorites.
Even more so than asparagus, carrots, and the other usual favorites. The broccoli florets get crispy and caramelized, and the normally flavorless stalks transform into addictive bites of heaven. I mean, really, you could stop right there.
Once the roasted broccoli is mixed with toasted sliced almonds, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, and aged pecorino cheese – ugh, so good.
So, here’s the deal. I actually posted a version of this roasted broccoli recipe a long time ago, but I’ve adjusted and improved the recipe and felt it deserved new life!
New and improved recipe, new pictures, all good things. Most often, I like to move forward and share new recipes, but sometimes the old ones need some love and attention, you know?
My new favorite way to prepare this dish is to slice the broccoli into ‘steaks’.
It gives the dish a better presentation, and the flat sides of the broccoli steaks allow the pieces to more evenly caramelize on the sheet pan.
To make things easier, the raw sliced almonds are added to the sheet pan halfway through cooking. This makes things really easy, and eliminates the need to toast them separately in a skillet.
Tips for Making The Best Roasted Broccoli:
If you’re having difficulty slicing the broccoli into ‘steaks’- medium florets will also work.
Just make sure your broccoli pieces are consistent in size (if the pieces vary in size, they will cook unevenly) and they are spread into an even, thin layer.
Ideally when roasting, you want the vegetables not to touch each other on the sheet pan. Crowding will result in uneven cooking, less caramelization, and longer cook times.
Many home ovens have not been calibrated recently and can be off by as much as 50 degrees in temperature! I highly recommend investing in a cheap oven thermometer (affiliate link).
Why is my broccoli roasting too quickly?
If your oven runs hot, I recommend reducing the oven temperature by at least 25 degrees and vice versa. The high roasting temperature, included below, produces extra crispy florets and extra caremelization (aka. flavor!).
It goes without being said that this recipe serves 3 to 4 people (in ‘normal’ world), but don’t be surprised if you find yourself consuming all of it in one sitting! It is that good. Just read the reader reviews below if you don’t believe me!
The Best Roasted Broccoli Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs broccoli crowns roughly 2 heads
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves finely grated with a microplane or pressed
- large pinch dried red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons raw sliced almonds, with or without skin
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly grated aged pecorino cheese
- zest of half a lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C) with a rack in the center postion. Oven Temperature Note: I use a separate oven thermometer to ensure that my oven is calibrated properly. The high temperature ensures even and deep caramelization (and extra crispy, flavorful florets!). If your oven runs hot (you can check this by using an oven thermometer) or you prefer less crispy florets, reduce the oven temperature to 425°F-450°F (220°C-232°C) and adjust the cooking time as necessary.
- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Trim any dry, tough ends of the broccoli crowns, leaving roughly 2-inches of stalk attached. Slice the broccoli into ½-inch-thick steaks, starting in the center of each broccoli crown and working out to the edges, reserving any small or medium florets that fall off for roasting. Slice any large remaining florets in half lengthwise. Note: If you’re having difficulty slicing the broccoli into ‘steaks’- medium florets will also work, but you will most likely need to reduce the temperature and roasting time to ensure that they do not burn. Try to make your broccoli pieces consistent in size, as this will help them roast evenly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, grated or pressed garlic cloves, and red pepper flakes. Add the broccoli steaks and toss gently until evenly coated. Arrange the broccoli, cut-side down, on the lined sheet pan, setting them apart slightly. Sprinkle with salt.
- Roast the broccoli for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, flip the broccoli, and sprinkle the almond slices evenly across the sheet pan. Roast for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until the broccoli is evenly caramelized and fork tender, and the almond slices are toasted and golden.
- Transfer the broccoli to a platter, toss gently with the lemon juice and top with the grated pecorino cheese. Garnish with fresh lemon zest. Serve hot or at room temperature (it also tastes great cold). Leftover broccoli can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Video
Tips for Success:
- If you’re having difficulty slicing the broccoli into ‘steaks’- medium florets will also work, but you may need to reduce the oven temperature and roasting time to ensure that they do not burn. Make sure your broccoli pieces are consistent in size (if the pieces vary in size, they will cook unevenly) and they are spread into an even, thin layer. Ideally when roasting, you want the vegetables notto touch each other on the sheet pan. Crowding will result in uneven cooking, less caramelization, and longer cook times.
- Many home ovens have not been calibrated recently and can be off by as much as 50 degrees in temperature! I highly recommend investing in a cheap oven thermometer. If your oven runs hot, I recommend reducing the oven temperature by at least 25 degrees and vice versa, and watching it carefully. The high roasting temperature, included below, produces extra crispy florets and extra caremelization (aka. flavor!).
Note to Readers: This broccoli recipe was originally published as ‘crack broccoli’ in 2015. It was updated and re-named in 2018. The use of slang was in poor taste and is not a reflection of my values or this site. I sincerely apologize to any readers or visitors that were hurt or offended, and am appreciative of your critical feedback. Thank you for listening!
197 Comments on “The Best Roasted Broccoli Recipe”
OMG this was INCREDIBLE!!! I absolutely LOVED it
So thrilled to hear that! Thank you Christen!
Thank you for such a lovely post and a yummy recipe. I have re-posted it on my website so that I can keep it handy, but I did make sure to give you credit and link back to your site. Thanks again!
1/4 cup olive oil doesn’t do it.
Sorry, I don’t! You could try an online nutrition calculator, but I’ve heard that they can be wildly inaccurate (which is why I don’t provided nutritional information on my recipes).
An aged parmesan would also work really well! I like the funkiness of pecorino personally, but both would be equally good in different ways.
This is DELICIOUS! ***** (5 Stars) I made this for dinner tonight and cannot wait to make it again! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a recipe review, I know others really appreciate it (and I LOVE it too!).
Oh my….. this broccoli is SOOOO good. I could make a meal of just this broccoli! Thanks!
Yay! So happy to hear that.
If allergic to almond, what would you substitute? Or would you just omit?
I might just omit, but you could substitute the almonds with toasted pine nuts (adjust the time accordingly) or some toasted crunchy breadcrumbs for texture! Hope you like the recipe!
This looks so scrumptious, I almost want to get out of bed (it’s late) and make it right now! We have food allergies in the family. What could you substitute for the almonds to still give it texture and flavor? We can’t do peanuts, tree nuts or sesame seeds.
Thanks!
I was thinking about this yesterday! Great question. I think you can totally leave out the almonds (it’s still great without it), but some toasted breadcrumbs would be great for crunch on top! Or you could even do pumpkin seeds? I wouldn’t necessarily add them to the sheet pan in the timing that the recipe suggest – I would toast them separately in a skillet on the stove. Hope this helps! Let me know if you try the recipe.
I don’t have a garlic press, as I gave mine away because hate cleaning the darn things. So I grated mine. It worked well. I didn’t measure anything I put in, but it turned out amazing!!!
I bought bagged broccoli because I’m a busy working mom and don’t always have time to prep veg on the weekends. I cut the larger pieces up, so they were about the same size as the smaller ones. I ended up having to cut the cooking time down to 6-7 minutes for each section of the cooking. It turned out great, though.
Oh, and I had to sub walnuts because I was out of almonds. It worked great!
So thrilled to hear that, and thank you for the feedback and for your loving recipe substitution/ideas! I love when people make a recipe their own.
This looks yummy and I will make it tonight! I’m a little hesitant about adding the sliced almonds halfway through…it seems that the slivers may burn at 475 for 8-10 minutes (or that I’d be forced to take the dish out before the broccoli gets properly caramelized.
If you’re nervous, you can certainly wait a few more minutes to add them, however I don’t seem to have any issue with burning despite the high temperature. If you prefer, you can also toast them in a separate skillet on the stove and just toss the broccoli with them before serving! Hope this helps. Would love your feedback on the recipe after you make it 🙂
Love this stuff! It has been WAYYYYY too long since we’ve had it 🙁
Maybe for your birthday?
I have had this pinned and finally made it tonight. This is simple and delicious. It’s amazing how such simple ingredients create perfection! Can’t wait to eat the leftovers.
Is it possible to use frozen broccoli in this recipe if it’s thawed and well drained? This looks delicious but I only have frozen on hand…I apologize if you have already answered this. I did read most of the comments before asking ?
Hi Nadia! You’re not the first person to ask me this. I have heard of some people having OK results, but I never really recommend roasting frozen vegetables because they have such higher water content and frozen broccoli brands differ SO dramatically (some are tiny and all stem, some are good large even florets, etc.). You can certainly try but I can’t really guarantee the exact same results unfortunately!
Does the garlic get bitter when baked that long? Have you ever used garlic powder in its place?
I personally haven’t, because I prefer the flavor of fresh garlic! It would work fine though, if you want to substitute it.
The garlic definitely caramelizes, but shouldn’t burn if you follow the rest of the recipe properly. If your oven runs out (I use a separate oven thermometer to monitor my temperature and adjust if necessary for recipe developing), you might want to reduce the temp by 10 to 15 degrees just to be sure. I hope you like it!
I made this tonight and omg.
I substituted manchego for the pecorino because I am not a big fan of pecorino and I skipped the lemon by accident and all I can say is wow.
I love this so much! Thank you for putting a smile on my face – and for the feedback Barb!
I always look at the Reviews/Comments of a recipe before I decide whether or not to give it a Whirl-I’m going “balls out” with this one as there’s more comments on WF’s (I’m not advertising for them) then on the “actual Roasted Broccoli” recipe. Making it tonight, I’ll let all you FOODIES know if it is YUMM-O or YUMM-o worthy! Thanks, LAURA ?
It was amazing! Excellent reviews from 5 dinner guests! And yes, this will be addictive! Thanks!
So, I’m sure this is a stupid question, but do you use raw broccoli or steamed it before? I’ve roasted it before but the little florets “burned”. I so want to try this recipe!!!
Not sure how I didn’t see this comment until now, BUT you are using raw broccoli!!! I do enjoy slightly charred broccoli, but if it burns, its mostly likely because your floret pieces might have been too small? I would try this recipe and see if you like it!
So I just made this and almost ate half the batch. IT WAS SO DAMN DELICIOUS! Thank you for the great recipe 🙂
I have been following just about every recipe on this site, and made the ones that attracted my taste buds. I can’t wait to make this one!
This makes me so happy! Thank you!