Easy Roasted Broccoli

This recipe for easy roasted broccoli comes out perfect every single time, with little fuss and no dirtying extra dishes!

Hi, friends.  I know that Roasted Broccoli sounds like a winter food, but I eat it year-round.  And the other day, I made the most delicious roasted broccoli omelet (which I will share soon), but first, I realized I’ve never shared my go-to way to make broccoli before. 

Does the internet need another roasted broccoli recipe?  I mean, probably not, except I think that most other recipes I’ve tried overcomplicate, over oil, and under season this time-honored classic. So, I’m sharing my go-to easy roasted broccoli recipe that comes up perfectly roasted and delicious every time.   

 

Also, I like steamed broccoli, not as much as roasted broccoli, but I do like it.  I just can’t find an easy way to steam it.  A big heavy steamer pot is a no most nights, especially since you must wait for the water to boil.  I sometimes use the cover with plastic wrap and microwave method, but the chemicals in the plastic skeeve me out.  The best option I’ve found is the stasher bag, but it’s hard to tell when anything is done before it gets overcooked, kind of like the instant pot.   

I also like the skillet method, but I like how hands-off the oven is, you know? And easy to clean up.  I don’t want to dirty another pan if I don’t need to.  The foil or parchment paper pulls right up after roasting, and you barely need to wash the sheet pan.  Okay, so have I convinced you this recipe is evergreen, year-round content yet?  Good, then, let’s get after it!

 

How to Roast Broccoli In An Oven

I use a few time-saving cuts when making roasted broccoli, like bagged broccoli florets.  Nobody wants to eat the stalk, I don’t want to throw away the stem, and if I can save time in the kitchen and eat healthily, I will. So all I have to do is dump the bag of broccoli on the cutting board (that stays on my counter year-round) and slice the ones in half that are too big to be eaten in one bite.  The first two photos are the before and after of the florets that came from the bag.  I  maybe cut like 4 of the florets total. 

I also use an oil sprayer to coat my broccoli evenly. I’ve been doing this for YEARS.  If you don’t use an oil sprayer, you have to toss it with oil, which will take a lot of oil to coat the broccoli.  I also use my oil sprayer for cooking eggs etc.  Avocado oil is my preferred oil, and I’m not about to pay 15 bucks for two mini spray bottles of avocado oil.  This way, I can buy avocado oil and put it in my refillable spray bottle. I’ve had these for four years, and they’ve been dropped a dozen-plus times. They’ve only ever chipped on the bottom and were still usable.  

And the last hack I use to get my broccoli in the oven as fast as possible is to use a premade lemon pepper seasoning blend.  Broccoli is a weekly staple, and I don’t want to pull out slat, pepper, sugar, a lemon, and whatever else just to season my broccoli. So I always use a premade blend like Kinders Lemon Pepper (from Costco), or I’ll premake one to have on hand.  Easy peasy.  I measured my seasoning for this post, but in general, I just liberally sprinkle it on there, like in the video.  

Next, you bake it in a preheated oven!

You’ll need to flip the broccoli halfway through to get an even char.  How do you do that?  Just use the largest spatula you have and flip sections over.  It won’t be perfect. Not every piece will be flipped, but most of it will be, and you’ll be good to go!  

Swaps and Substitutions

What swaps and substitutions could roasted broccoli ever have? Well, a few!

Broccoli – you can use the same method of broccoli rabe, baby broccoli, or cauliflower!

Avocado oil – you can use other oils. Avocado oil is my preferred for taste and health reasons. But, feel free to use any neutral-tasting oil like canola oil or extra light virgin olive oil.  

Lemon Pepper – you can use any spice blend you want.  Or you can use a combination. A classic go-to is salt, pepper, and garlic.  I like the blend for one crucial reason. It contains sugar.  Sugar jumpstarts the caramelization process!  Have you ever made roasted broccoli that went from raw to burned without caramelizing?  Sugar may help that issue!

How to Store & Freeze Roasted Broccoli 

How to Store: Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.  Reheat in the microwave.  

How to Freeze: Freeze roasted broccoli in an air-tight container like a resealable freezer bag for up to two months. Then, defrost under refrigeration and reheat in the oven to maintain texture.  (I’ve never frozen roasted broccoli, we usually eat it all, but if I were going to reheat it, I would do so in the air fryer using the reheat function.) 

You may also like:

• How to Steam Broccoli In the Microwave
• Sheet pan Chicken sausage, broccoli, and cauliflower gnocchi 
• Cedar Plank Salmon and Veggies  in the oven (roasted broccoli on cedar planks!)

What to serve with Easy Roasted Broccoli:

• Healthy Homemade Mac and Cheese
• Healthy Parmesan Crusted Chicken 
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork

Tag me if you make these! I love to see what you guys make! You can tag me on Insta @hungryhobbyRD and Facebook @hungryhobby!