Oven Roasted Broccoli

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.