This Roasted Broccoli requires just 3 ingredients and less than 20 minutes. And the result is slightly sweet and caramelized...so yummy!
When my oldest was first in daycare, they regularly had roasted broccoli. It was one of the kids favorite side dishes, which was surprising to me but also so cool to see.
Ever since then, we’ve made Roasted Broccoli at home because it’s easy, fast, and has a slightly sweet, caramelized flavor.
This healthy broccoli recipe is also easy for babies and younger toddlers to eat as a baby-led weaning food. It’s of course delicious to older kids and parents, too.
Why this Recipe Works
You can toss together broccoli florets and olive oil, bake it on a sheet pan until tender and crisp, and enjoy perfect roasted broccoli with kids of any age. Plus, this cooking method removes the potential for bitterness in the broccoli, which is a win!
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
To make this Roasted Broccoli recipe, you need the following ingredients so you know what to look for at the store.
- Broccoli: You can start with a head of broccoli, a bag of florets, or even a bag of frozen broccoli. With fresh broccoli, look for bright green without yellowing edges, which will indicate freshness.
- Olive oil: I use extra-virgin olive oil in my cooking and that is used to coat the broccoli to help it roast into tender pieces that don’t dry out.
- Optional flavorings: You can add extra flavor to the broccoli with a sprinkle of salt, cheese, lemon juice, and/or sesame seeds. You may enjoy black pepper, too. You can also dip the Roasted Broccoli into Marinara Sauce, Cheese Sauce, Peanut Sauce, Easy Teriyaki Sauce, hummus, guacamole, or sour cream.
Featured Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This was delicious and much yummier than the boiled broccoli I was served as a child!” —Laurel
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the basics of this roasted broccoli recipe. Scroll to the bottom of this post for the full recipe, including the amounts and the timing.
Step 1. Chop the broccoli head or trim the florets, as needed.
Step 2. Toss the broccoli florets with olive oil. Spread out on the baking sheet.
Step 3. Roast until tender and just starting to brown. (Poke the stem with a knife or fork. It should slide in easily.)
Step 4. Top with optional flavorings as desired, such as grated Parmesan cheese, salt, or fresh lemon juice.
TIP: You can double this recipe if needed. Just try to spread out the broccoli florets evenly so they roast, rather than steam.
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Flavor Additions to Roasted Broccoli
You can sprinkle with sesame seeds, grated Parmesan, shredded cheese, or Everything Bagel Seasoning. Or you can serve with a healthy sauce or dip if your kids like to dunk their food. Try ranch, ketchup, guacamole, salsa, or any favorite sauce or dip.
(For more broccoli recipes, try my Roasted Frozen Broccoli, Broccoli Fritters, Cheesy Broccoli Rice, Broccoli Rice, and Broccoli Pasta.)
How to Store
Chop the broccoli up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Just be sure the broccoli is totally dry.
Store leftovers of roasted broccoli in a container in the fridge. Reheat to serve, or chop up and add to scrambled eggs, Egg Muffins, Pesto Pizza Rolls, or Pizza Muffins.
Best Tips for Success
- Aim for most of the florets to be about the same size, or in bite-size pieces, so they cook evenly.
- Top with grated Parmesan cheese at the end of cooking and pop under the broiler for a minute to melt. Or add a squeeze of lemon juice or grated fresh lemon zest.
- Serve with a dip (if your kids like dips!) like ketchup, ranch, guacamole, or salsa.
- You can use a head of broccoli and cut it up into florets or use bagged florets. You can also use frozen broccoli. See the recipe below for the details.
- You may also enjoy my Roasted Carrot “Fries,” Roasted Zucchini, and Roasted Sweet Potato Baby Food.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please comment below to share!
Easy Roasted Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli florets (or about 4 cups florets chopped off of a head of broccoli)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt, fresh lemon juice, sesame seeds, grated Parmesan, and/or shredded cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the broccoli onto a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, coating and mixing well until all of the florets are a little shiny and coated with oil.
- Roast for 16-18 minutes or until tender when poked with a knife, lightly browned and slightly crispy around the edges. Add grated Parmesan cheese for the last 2 minutes, if desired.
- Serve with a sprinkle with salt, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, sesame seeds, and/or additional grated or shredded cheese, as desired to serve.
- To make with frozen broccoli, add 16 ounces of frozen broccoli florets to the baking sheet. Spread out. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss with the olive oil using a pair of tongs, and roast for an additional 10-12 minutes. Add grated Parmesan cheese for the last 2 minutes, if desired. (Roasted frozen broccoli is a little softer, but just as delicious.)
Equipment
Notes
- Chop the broccoli up to 3 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Just be sure the broccoli is totally dry.
- Store leftover Roasted Broccoli in a container in the fridge. Reheat to serve, or chop up and add to scrambled eggs, Egg Muffins, Pizza Rolls, or Pizza Muffins.
- Aim for most of the florets to be about the same size so they cook evenly.
- You can put aside some for a baby before you add any salt.
- You can sprinkle with sesame seeds, grated Parmesan, shredded cheese, or Everything Bagel Seasoning. Or you can serve with a sauce or dip if your kids like to dunk their food. Try ranch, ketchup, guacamole, salsa, or any favorite sauce or dip.
- You can double this recipe if needed. Just try to spread out the broccoli florets evenly so they roast, rather than steam.
- You can use a head of broccoli and cut it up into florets or use bagged florets. You can also use frozen broccoli.
Nutrition
This post was first published October 2019.
This was delicious and much yummier than the boiled broccoli I was served as a child!
This was so good! I used frozen broccoli because that’s what we had on hand and it turned out great. I did cook it a little longer, but it held up well (with a 1 and 3 year old I don’t always get to the oven when the timer dings!) I also seasoned it with lemon pepper and it was delicious. We had no leftovers! I usually have most of the bag left when I just steam it. I will use this method again in the future for sure. Thank you!
The recipe mentions to use olive oil (yum!) and to bake at 400F. But my olive oil bottle says maximum heat 375F. So will it work if I bake at 375F, if so for how much time should I bake at 375F?
Yes it will work. It may need 2-4 additional minutes of cooking time.
Want to try ASAP. Is it okay to use freezed broccoli?
It works fine!!
I made it with frozen broccoli. ?