How to Cook Broccoli in the Oven (The BEST Crispy Oven-roasted Broccoli) (2024)

How to Cook Broccoli in the Oven: your complete guide to making the best, crispiest oven-roasted broccoli.

Hey, friends. I have another simple side dish tutorial for you today, how to cook broccoli in the oven.

And I am SO excited about this one because if this isn’t how you’ve been oven-roasting your broccoli, your life will from here on forever be changed for the better.

Because this broccoli is the best broccoli.

We’re talking crispy, crunchy, toasty, roasty broccoli tops and creamy, dreamy broccoli stems.

We’re talking literally 5 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes in the oven.

And we’re talking broccoli so good that if you’re not careful, you’ll eat half of it off the baking tray before it ever makes its way to a plate.

If you’ve read some of my earlier side dish tutorials like How to Steam Broccoli in the Microwave, How to Cut Butternut Squash, and How to Steam Cauliflower in the Microwave, you’ll know I usually keep these posts pretty short and sweet, but this one’s a bit longer because it’s full of tons of broccoli tips and tricks from how to prep broccoli in advance to how to get the crispiest roasted broccoli.

See Also: Asparagus in the Oven

But if you’re in a hurry, feel free to scroll right past to the recipe. 😉

Okay, let’s talk all about roasting broccoli in the oven.

How to Prepare Broccoli for Roasting

Prepping broccoli for roasting is easy. You just need to start with clean, dry(-ish), broccoli florets cut into bite-size pieces.

Why start with dry broccoli? Because wet broccoli heads will steam rather than crisp up, so for the crispiest broccoli, get it as dry as possible before roasting.

To dry your broccoli, you can leave it to dry on a towel on the counter for an hour, use a salad spinner, or wrap it in a towel and shake off as much liquid as possible.

How large of florets to cut your broccoli for roasting is up to you. I do find that smaller florets end up crispier, so I usually cut mine into small bite-size pieces.

Packaged pre-washed and cut broccoli works perfectly well for oven-roasting, and while I don’t love the extra cost or packaging, sometimes the convenience can be a real lifesaver. If using pre-cut florets, don’t be afraid to cut them into smaller chunks.

How to Get the Crispiest Broccoli

Everyone knows crispy broccoli is the best. To get the crispiest broccoli with toasted, almost burnt edges, this is what you’re going to want to do:

• Start with dry broccoli (we already covered the why above).
• Don’t crowd the broccoli. There should be enough space to lay the broccoli out in a single layer so all the edges can get crispy.
• Smaller florets = crispier broccoli.
• Flip if you really want to. Flipping your broccoli half-way through will give you slightly crispier broccoli, but I hate doing it unless I’m roasting large chunks because it takes forever. I find smaller florets already get really crispy without this step. But if you’re roasting larger florets, give it a go or use a spatula to stir the broccoli halfway through.

Those are all the tips and tricks I have for you today. Ready to roast some broccoli?

How to Cook Broccoli in the Oven

1. Start with clean, dry broccoli cut into small florets.

2. On the baking tray, combine broccoli and oil and use your hands to toss the broccoli so all sides are coated. For the crispiest broccoli, I recommend using the full 2 tablespoons, but if you are trying to cut back the amount of oil you cook with, you can get away with just 1 tablespoon. Arrange broccoli in a single layer.

3. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (and/or other preferred spices). Bake at 450° for 12 to 20 minutes, until stems are fork-tender.

4. And that’s it! Serve alongside something delicious (like Homemade Carnitas, Oven-roasted Tri-tip, Baked Ziti, or Salsa Chicken) before your broccoli gets cold, and try not to hog all the crispiest bits. 😉

FAQ

Can I prep broccoli in advance for roasting?

Absolutely. Prepping a big batch of broccoli in advance is a great way to make sure that you have an easy vegetable side available at all times. Wash and cut your broccoli and then dry completely.

Store broccoli in a loosely covered (not air-tight) container or half-closed bag with a folded dry paper towel to help absorb moisture. Properly prepped broccoli will keep for 3 to 4 days, up to a week if you’re lucky.

When you’re ready to serve the broccoli, all you have to do is transfer it to a baking sheet, toss with oil and seasoning, and bake.

Does roasted broccoli make good leftovers?

Yes and no. Roasted broccoli is best right out of the oven when it’s still hot and crispy. Once cooled and reheated, it still maintains all that delicious roasted broccoli flavor, but it becomes quite soft and no longer has all those little crispy bits. I’ll happily eat leftover reheated roasted broccoli, but I’d rather just prep a big batch of precut, prewashed broccoli at the beginning of the week and roast it fresh every meal.

Can I roast frozen broccoli?

Yes. I find that frozen broccoli doesn’t come out crispy the way fresh broccoli does, but it still roasts up beautiful and delicious. Follow the recipe as written when cooking frozen broccoli. No changes are needed.

How can I get really dark, almost burnt broccoli?

Okay, if you’re like me and prefer broccoli that’s basically been charred within an inch of its life, here’s a little extra tip for you.

After prepping your broccoli on the pan with olive oil and seasoning, give it a light spray all over with a cooking spray like PAM. The extra oil will really help everything crisp up extra well.

Bake for an additional 5 minutes or so over the recommended cooking time, until the florets are as charred as you want them, keeping a close eye on the broccoli in the last few minutes of cooking time.

More Easy Vegetable Sides

• Roasted Green Beans
• Roasted Zucchini
• Microwave Corn on the Cob
• Microwave Baked Potato
• Microwave Sweet Potato

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