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.
Tami says
Love this recipe served it as aside with oven roasted rack of pork. Itwas fantastic my son said it was even better then the broccolini he had at a high end restaurant . .
Erren's Kitchen says
What a compliment!!! We are so glad you both enjoyed it. Love your choice of pairing it with roasted pork, too! Thank you for giving the recipe a try!
Kristin says
Seriously, this is the best broccoli of my life!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Kristin!! Love to hear that! 🥰
Danna says
This really is the best broccoli I’ve ever had.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Dana! Love to hear that! 🥰
Armand Don Alcazar says
Yes, this was a great recipe. So tasty and easy, really! I liked the slight crunch, or the texture as well. I had it as a side with steak, onion and mushrooms, with mashed potatoes. Well done, and I’ll make this again.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Armand! So happy you enjoyed it! Your whole meal sounds delicious!
James Bondar says
not the best recipe
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you for your feedback. If you can provide specifics as to why you did not care for it, I may be able to help troubleshoot it for you.
Debbie Perkins says
A few things missing in the recipe- how much garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest and park. What temperature do you roast it at?
Erren's Kitchen says
Hi Debbie! I am not sure where you are looking, but all of that information is there. Here is a direct link to the recipe card for your convenience. I hope you love the recipe!
https://www.errenskitchen.com/seriously-best-broccoli-life/#wprm-recipe-container-7680
Ethan Montrose says
No it’s not.
That’s really inconvenient to not have this vital information, kindly ask for it, then receive a snarky response gaslighting the person who asked. I don’t know what temperature to set the oven, how much garlic to use, or how long to cook it. Why couldn’t you just tell us?
Erren Hart says
Hi Ethan, I can’t find a comment we answered from you. I’m sorry you read an answer reply as snarky. I can assure you that it wasn’t meant to sound that way. At the top of every post (in the blue box under the recipe name and blurb) there is a recipe button with a down arrow next to it. That will take you directly to the recipe card (although depending on your device you may have to scroll a little). The recipe card will give you all of the information you need to make the dish.
Trevor says
Unsure why you couldn’t find the list of ingredients or oven temp. It’s all there in plain view.
S Waters says
The time you took to write YOUR snarky comment, you could have just clicked RECIPE and it would have taken you straight to EVERYTHING needed to make this wonderful side dish. Why couldn’t YOU just READ.
Erren is doing a great job providing us with exact instructions.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you for your support! 🥰
Tyanne says
super good recipe. I put mine in the air fryer after the oven for extra burnt broccoli.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Tyanne! Using the air fryer was a great idea!
Rebecca says
Awesome recipe my broccoli phobic children hoovered this up! I had a cauliflower in the fridge so added this too. Utterly delicious accomplishment to roast chicken. Good enough to eat by itself ❤️
Erren's Kitchen says
That is so awesome, Rebecca!! We are so glad you all enjoyed it so much! Thank you for giving it a try and taking the time to come back and let us know how it went!! We appreciate you! 🥰
noah smith says
The best broccoli ever! Tender, flavorful, and addictive—this recipe will change how you feel about this veggie. Simply amazing!”
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Noah! What wonderful feedback! So glad you loved it! We agree.. very addicting! 😍
noah smith says
Prepare to be amazed by The Best Broccoli of Your Life! Flavorful, crispy, and downright addictive. Elevate your veggie game with this recipe!” https://kitchenadvising.com/
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much, Noah!
Nina says
Yep, I’m a fan, thanks Erren. I used lime juice instead and it was so delicious
Erren's Kitchen says
SO glad you loved it! What a great modification!
Jane says
It’s a winner! Very tasty and so easy to make. I added fresh green. beans with the broccoli, was awesome.
Erren's Kitchen says
How wonderful, Jane!! Thank you so much for the feedback. Adding green beans sounds like a great idea. 😊
Ann Gonzalez says
It was fabulous! I’ve made it several times and it always turns out perfect. We love lemons so I always add more zest. The combination of lemon, garlic, and Parmesan is wonderful. This is in our weekly rotation, but I could eat it every day.
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear that you’ve made this recipe several times and that it has become a regular in your weekly rotation. Your enthusiasm for the combination of lemon, garlic, and Parmesan is exactly what makes this dish so special. I love that you’ve personalized it by adding extra zest—great idea! 😊