Roasted Fresh Broccoli with garlic, lemon, and Parmesan Cheese, this side dish recipe is sure to be the Best Broccoli of Your Life!
Serve this delectable recipe for anything from holiday dinners or just as a simple side for Breaded Chicken Cutlets or Baked Chicken Thighs with roasted potatoes everyone will love!
This simple, yet delicious twist on one of our favorite vegetables is the perfect side dish for almost any meal.
I love this recipe so much that I’ve started creating similar recipes with other vegetables.
So far, I’ve only posted my Garlic Roasted Green Beans, Garlic Roasted Carrots and The Best Brussels Sprouts of Your Life, but I’ve tried it with asparagus and cauliflower too!
Why This Recipe Works
- Cooking broccoli in high heat, caramelizes the outside, creating crispness and a sweet, nutty flavor.
- The crisp caramelized outside of the broccoli contrasts well with the tender inside of the florets.
- The nuttiness of the roasted garlic and broccoli combined with the saltiness of the cheese and sour lemon is a fantastic
The Benefits of Eating Broccoli
Broccoli has so many health benefits. I bet you didn’t know just how good though…
To name a few, broccoli is a good source of fiber, vitamins B6, E B1, and A. It’s a source of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, zinc, iron, and niacin. And that’s not the complete list!
Needless to say, I try to eat a lot of broccoli.
How to Choose The Best Broccoli
- Look for bright green broccoli with firm , strong stalks.
- Avoid woody Stems this will turn out hard and chewy when cooked.
- Don’t purchase broccoli with yellowing florets. Yellow is a sign that it is gone past the stage of desirable texture.
- Choose broccoli with compact clusters in the florets. The more open the florets, the older it is.
Amazing Roasted Broccoli
I discovered roasted broccoli on a blog post titled, The Best Broccoli of Your Life on an amazing blog called, The Amateur Gourmet.
I read the recipe (which is a recipe by the Barefoot Contessa) and thought it sounded good, but as much as I love broccoli, it’s just broccoli – how good could it be? I saved the post and moved on.
Today I had some broccoli to use so I thought I’d try it.
Let me tell you, this seriously is the best broccoli of my life!
Ina Garten uses 4 to 5 pounds of broccoli which I thought would be way too much for a side dish, but boy was I wrong! It may seem like a lot of broccoli, but it shrinks while roasting. Plus, it’s so good that it goes fast!
Roasted Broccoli is now my new favorite way to cook broccoli!
How to Make Roasted Broccoli:
Start with clean, dry broccoli.
Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
I use this garlic slicer for thinly sliced garlic.
I’m telling you, if you don’t have one, you’ll love it because it is amazing! Just fill it with peeled garlic, twist, and perfectly thin sliced garlic comes out! Click this link to get one.
Roast about 20 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.
Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with a bit more olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese.
Serve and enjoy!
Low Carb And Keto-Friendly
This roasted broccoli recipe has approximately 4g of Net Carbs making it perfect for anyone cutting carbs or following a low carb diet.
for Perfect Roasted Broccoli
- Don’t skimp on the oil (even if it seems like a lot), season well, and make sure your oven is hot before adding the broccoli.
- On washing your broccoli: After washing your broccoli, be sure to dry it thoroughly. The drier it is, the more it will crisp up.
- For crispy results: If you want even crisper broccoli, try flipping it halfway through the roasting. It’s a time-consuming task, but it crisps on all sides.
- Short on time? Make this dish even quicker by skipping the fresh garlic and replace it with garlic powder or you can do it simply with just olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Cooking for kids? I don’t know about your kids, but I have one that won’t eat anything that even resembles being burnt. This recipe does get quite crispy, so you may want to keep an eye on it and cook according to taste.
More Roasted Vegetables
Variation:
- For more texture, try mixing the cheese with breadcrumbs and a little olive oil and sprinkle it on top before roasting.
Did you make this?
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Let’s Make Seriously, The Best Broccoli of Your Life
Ingredients
- 4 pounds broccoli
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and sliced *See the notes section before starting
- Good olive oil or for Keto – butter flavor coconut oil
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets.
- Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.
- Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1½ tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and Parmesan. Serve hot.
Tips + Notes
- *This recipe makes very crispy garlic. In some ovens it could burn or become bitter. If you are worried about the garlic getting too dark for your liking, add at the last 5-7 minutes of cooking time coated in a little oil and scattered around the pan.
- Don’t skimp on the oil (even if it seems like a lot), season well, and make sure your oven is hot before adding the broccoli.
- On washing your broccoli: After washing your broccoli, be sure to dry it thoroughly. The drier it is, the more it will crisp up.
- For crispy results: If you want an even crisper broccoli, try flipping it halfway through the roasting. It’s a time-consuming task, but it crisps on all sides.
Low Carb, Keto Friendly Roasted Broccoli
This roasted broccoli recipe has approximately 4g of Net Carbs making it perfect for anyone cutting crabs or following a low carb diet.Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally published in 2014, but was republished with new photos (old photos below), step by step instructions and tips, and video in June of 2018.
Recipe notes: for this recipe, I went by The Barefoot Contessa’s Recipe but omitted the pine nuts and basil because, after the first taste, I just didn’t think it was needed so my recipe below won’t have it. I also made a much smaller batch, but I’ll give you her measurements of the ingredients I used.
Susie says
Absolutely delicious! My husband is crazy about it and so am I. Thank you for a terrific, easy recipe.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much Susie, I love to hear this 🙂
Julia says
20-25 mins is too much for the broccoli. I made it 15 mins and even this time broccoli turned out very soft, almost mushy…
Waste of broccoli 😞
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Julia, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. Ovens can be tricky things and some cook quicker than others, it’s best to check the progress halfway through. I hope you try it again 🙂
Erren Hart says
That’s so sweet Heidi, but all feedback is a learning experience. I’m lucky to have you though! Thanks for weighing in!
Jordan says
I used this recipe for my school article on broccoli.
Erren Hart says
So glad to hear it Jordan, I hope you liked it!
Mairi says
Fabulous! I will make it again tomorrow! Real wake up for the taste buds! Thank you
Erren's Kitchen says
Oh wow, that’s fantastic Mairi, so glad you liked it 🙂
Ronnie says
OMG this is delicious! I am happily munching away as I write! My new favorite way to enjoy broccoli. Thank you for this delicious recipe! ❤️
Erren's Kitchen says
I love to hear this, thank you so much for stopping by and letting me know how much you love it 🙂
J. Baker (Yes Baker!😂) says
Ok I have to cry foul here, although I’m open to discuss. I am a capable cook but pull this recipe up because I wanted to try the lemon and Parmesan. But 425 degrees for 20 minutes left me with butter burnt garlic and black broccoli. In fact the garlic was a goner by 5 minutes in. Talk me through this. (Fortunately, I had a second head of broccoli I quickly steamed and redeemed my meal).
Erren's Kitchen says
I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you, however my recipe calls for 400 nor 425, some ovens especially if they are fan ovens cook quicker.
Theodore Annese says
You should never cook fresh garlic for that long that hot. Even @400° 25 minutes is way too long. Reserve adding garlic til last 5 mins of cooking or my suggestion, saute garlic lightly in the oil you have reserved for tossing the broccoli in after roasting.
Erren Hart says
Hi Theodore, I added a note in the recipe (thanks to your comment) giving visitors the option to add the garlic later. My husband loves the garlic crispy, so I couldn’t change how I do things, but always try to offer my users different options for the best outcome according to their taste. Thanks for the feedback!
Christine G says
Super easy and really tasty!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you for the feedback Christine, it’s really appreciated, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Jessica M says
I love this recipe, I’ve made it twice now. I use seasoned breadcrumbs, lots of olive oil and toss them halfway through. Cheese on top with half a lemon! Perfect
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you for taking the time to let me know how much you love this recipe Jessica, I love to hear this 🙂
Cat Adams says
This was the best roasted broccoli I’ve tasted. But, I didn’t measure anything out as I didn’t have a lot of broccoli. I added thinly sliced shallots 1/2 way through and shook the pan to move the broccoli around after first roasting halfway through. At the end, I added a small amount of fresh, crushed garlic and mixed it up with the broccoli. No extra olive oil. Sprinkled the lemon zest and some lemon juice and two handfuls of Parmesan. Yumm-o-la!! The new standard for me.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much for stopping by and letting me know how much you liked this recipe, I love to hear this 🙂