This oven roasted broccoli recipe is easy and versatile. The crisp, golden brown florets are delicious as a side dish or in all sorts of broccoli recipes!
Do you have any favorite broccoli recipes? I love it in just about anything – broccoli salad, frittatas, pasta, etc. – but my favorite way to eat broccoli might be the simplest: roasted!
Roasted broccoli is so easy to make, and the florets come out of the oven deliciously golden brown, crisp, and tender. I have a hard time not eating them all straight off the sheet pan, but they’re also a fantastic addition to all sorts of recipes and a yummy side dish on their own.
If you love roasted broccoli as much as I do, read on to find my foolproof method for how to roast it, along with a slew of serving suggestions to make it flavorful, filling, and absolutely irresistible. Happy roasting!
How to Roast Broccoli
Making perfect roasted broccoli couldn’t be easier! Here’s what you need to do:
- First, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- While the oven warms up, break a head of broccoli into evenly sized florets. Spread them on the baking sheet in a single layer.
- Toss the broccoli florets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer them to the hot oven and bake for 15 to 22 minutes, until the florets are browned and crisp around the edges.
That’s it! You can also roast lemon halves along with the broccoli. Right when they come out of the oven, squeeze the roasted lemon juice over the florets. Then, finish them with a big sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Serve warm, and enjoy!
Easy Roasted Broccoli Recipe Tips
- Wash AND dry your veggies. After you wash your head of broccoli, make sure to dry it off before you toss it with the oil. A little moisture is ok, but if it’s too wet when it goes in the oven, it won’t get brown and crisp.
- Don’t be afraid of the salt. No one loves bland broccoli, so salt yours generously. I sprinkle mine with sea salt before roasting and then add more, to taste, after it comes out of the oven.
- Cut your florets to a similar size. Similar-sized pieces will cook at a similar rate, so make sure your florets are all about the same size. You don’t want little ones to burn before larger ones become tender!
- Don’t let things get too crowded! If the florets are too close together on the sheet pan, they will steam in the oven, and they won’t get brown and crisp. Make sure to spread your florets in an even layer with a little space between each one.
- Don’t toss the stalk! Chop it and roast it right along with the florets, save it to make soup, or pulse it into broccoli rice. Waste not, want not!
Oven Roasted Broccoli Serving Suggestions
As I said above, my favorite way to serve oven roasted broccoli is with a big squeeze of lemon juice and red pepper flakes. But your options don’t end there! Here are a few more great ways to dress up this simple side dish:
- Toss it with chopped fresh herbs like parsley or thyme.
- Sprinkle it with lemon zest and toss it with a simple lemon vinaigrette.
- Drizzle it with sesame oil and tamari or soy sauce and sprinkle it with toasted sesame seeds.
- In the final few minutes of baking, sprinkle florets with grated Parmesan cheese and minced garlic. Bake for 2 more minutes or so, until the broccoli is crisp and the cheese is melted.
- Top it with Everything Bagel Seasoning for crunch and onion-y, garlicky flavor.
- Drizzle it with a yummy sauce like cilantro lime dressing, tahini sauce, chipotle sauce, peanut sauce, cashew cream, vegan cheese, or pesto, or serve it with muhamarra for dipping.
Alternatively, make it a meal on its own! Add it to an easy roasted vegetable pasta, or pile it onto a DIY grain bowl with one of the sauces from above, a grain, and a protein. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Grains: Farro, couscous, quinoa, or cilantro lime rice (Or substitute another veggie, like spaghetti squash or cauliflower rice, for the grain.)
- Proteins: Roasted chickpeas, lentils, or baked tofu
What are you favorite roasted broccoli recipes? Let me know in the comments!
More Roasted Vegetables
Try roasting one of these veggies next!
- Butternut Squash
- Acorn Squash
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Cauliflower
- Brussels Sprouts
- Potatoes
- Beets
- Red Bell Peppers
Roasted Broccoli
Equipment
- Baking Sheets (I use these nonstick ones from USA Pan Bakeware)
Ingredients
- 12 ounces broccoli florets
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the broccoli florets on the baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread evenly on the baking sheet.
- Roast 15 to 22 minutes or until browned around the edges. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired.
Notes
Wow we loved it so much that I’m making it again tonight with brussel sprouts! Thank you
Thank you so much for this amazing broccoli recipe! It’s my favorite!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is my family’s weekly staple. I LOVE IT! Converted non broccoli lovers too bc recipe is so darn delicious.
I’m so glad it was such a hit!
So good!!!! I will definitely make again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is crazy easy and crazy good. I’ve tried it with two different seasonings and think the only limit would be your imagination. I got a big bag of flowerets from Sams, I’ve made this the last two nights will probable have it again tomorrow.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Thanx for the idea to roast broccoli. I have always boiled it but roasting tastes better. I ate a whole head!
I didn’t use parchment paper. Why is it needed?
I had some smoke in the Kitchen. Is 420 not too hot for olive oil?
Hi Bert, parchment just makes the cleanup easier. If there’s smoke, I might check to see if there are any other food bits that may have fallen to the bottom of your oven. I use an every day olive oil (California Olive ranch or similar) and it’s fine to be heated to this temp.
This recipe is so good! It’s my favorite broccoli recipe ever!
Why don’t my pieces come out more crispy? Am I using too much oil? The recipe doesn’t.t say how much to use. I think I used 1-2 tablespoons of oil and tossed them in a small bowl then put them on the baking sheet.
How can I make them crunchy?
Hi Joannne, that’s plenty of oil – you could try roasting it longer to get it more crisp.
If you are over crowding your veggies, they will steam instead of crisping up. Spread them out more next time 🙂
I have been making my broccoli this way for years! I haven’t made it in a while and came across this recipe. I made it for my parents and they’re hooked too!
The food itself turned out great, but I got to admit that the recipe itself needs some work… as other comments indicate, you probably should be more explicit. While it can be easily assumed that the roasted lemons should then be squeezed over the broccoli, it wouldn’t hurt to say so.
Thanks, I just clarified that in the instructions.
OMG! I couldn’t wait til dinner to make this. So at 11 AM I was enjoying this delicious dish! Agree with Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel spice sprinkled on just before putting in oven. Lemon squeeze before serving tied the flavors together. Thank you!!
This looks delicious! Can you use a regular lemon instead of a Meyer one? Thanks!
The instructions have a mistake in them. After you have laid out the florets then you were supposed to toss them with oil. These two steps are out of order.
Hi Mark, I put them on the baking sheet, toss them with the oil, salt, and pepper right on the baking sheet. Hope that helps!
Another recipe says put them in a baggie with oil and shake, then add salt, pepper, and bread crumbs and shake again. Spread on cookie sheet.
Great recipe! We also like to use “21 Seasoning Salute” from Trader Joe’s to season the broccoli… very tasty and no sodium!
This is absolutely delicious. The lemons add such flavor! I served this for a visiting, college-aged boy last night, and he raved about it!
This was truly fabulous. Easy to make and the kids loved it. Added to our ever growing love of roasted veggies. Curious what the point of the lemon is (I didn’t have one) What does it bring to the dish?
Excellent! I used the lemon after cooking on the broccoli and it was a wonderful addition!
Best broccoli I’ve ever made. The family loved it and the roasted lemon took it to the next level! Thanks
Hi. Is it alright if I dump the brocolli in boiling water, dry it using a towel and then go ahead with the marinating and oven roasting. Will it still turn out to be crispy?
Thanks
Hi Raghav, the extra boiling step isn’t necessary – it’ll fully cook and become the crispiest if you just roast it directly.
Can you do the same with frozen broccoli?
Hi Elainne, fresh is best. Because of the water content in frozen broccoli, you won’t get the nice roasted flavor with lightly charred edges.
With rushing for work in the morning making something healthy and tasty can be tricky. I make lunch for my wife as well,
always aiming for quality nutrients . However, I woke up blank this morning on ideas for a colorful healthy lunch that we could enjoy. But thanks to your Roasted broccoli recipe, you made our day a little better and fancy with flavor. Sincerely, Richard and Maria.
Hi, I know it’s been a while but I hope you get this and it helps.
My son always used frozen Broccoli to make this dish, as a matter of fact he was surprised when I used fresh when he requested it for dinner.
He takes the frozen Broccoli, makes sure the florets are of similar size, oils the pan, spreads them out so there’s a bit of breathing room between the florets, sprays with olive oil, drizzles with sea salt, and cooks in a preheated 375⁰ oven until the florets brown. He says it takes around an hour, maybe a bit longer, depending on the moisture level.
The upshot is that it can be done and does taste great…it just takes a bit more time.
Blessed be.