Roasted Broccoli - Love and Lemons (2024)

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:

1. First, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. While the oven warms up, break a head of broccoli into evenly sized florets. Spread them on the baking sheet in a single layer.
3. 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 zestand 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 withgrated 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 muhamarrafor 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