Perfect Roasted Broccoli Recipe

My oven roasted broccoli recipe guarantees perfectly tender florets with the most delicious golden-brown crispy tips. It’s such a simple, perfect side dish!

Our family loves roasting broccoli in the oven, but we’re picky about it. You won’t find any mushy or overcooked broccoli here. My favorite method guarantees tender stems, crisp edges, and most importantly, really tasty broccoli!

The secret to the best roasted broccoli is high heat and a few small tricks we’ve learned over the years. With the right pan, a drizzle of oil, and a bit of patience, you’ll have broccoli so good you’ll want to eat it straight from the sheet pan. For more, see our roasted broccolini recipe!

Key Ingredients

• Broccoli: Look for florets that are tightly closed and a deep, vibrant green color. If they appear loose, pale, or have yellowing or small yellow flowers, the broccoli is likely past its peak and can taste bitter. If you only have frozen broccoli, don’t worry. We’ve included tips in the recipe for roasting frozen broccoli so it still turns out crispy and delicious.
• Oil: We like to roast vegetables with olive oil or avocado oil, both of which have great flavor and a higher smoke point. Avoid extra-virgin olive oi; since it burns more easily at high oven temperatures.
• Salt and Pepper: As with all of our roasted vegetable recipes, we season generously with salt and pepper. Once roasted, you can add extra flavor with your favorite spice blends or seasoning mixes.
• Lemon (Optional): I like to slice a lemon and toss the wedges right onto the baking sheet with the broccoli. The lemons roast and turn slightly sweet, and the broccoli tastes amazing with a squeeze of that roasted lemon juice over the top.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Roasted Broccoli in the Oven

Tip 1: Cut the broccoli into similarly sized pieces. So that all your broccoli roasts at the same speed, try to cut your broccoli into similar sizes. It’s up to you how big they are, but make sure everything in the pan looks similar in size. This way, everything roasts evenly. I use the same tip for roasted cauliflower, too.

Tip 2: Create lots of flat edges. Instead of pulling the florets apart to look like the tops of round trees, slice them in half or quarters to create a flat side. Place the flatter edge down when you arrange the broccoli on the baking sheet. As the broccoli roasts, the flat edge will get nice and brown.

Tip 3: Don’t overcrowd it on the pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the broccoli, and give them some space. Roasting the broccoli too close together causes it to steam rather than roast. This tip also applies to roasted mushrooms!

Tip 4: Use a high oven temperature. For those crispy brown tips and caramelized stems, roast broccoli at 425°F for 20 to 30 minutes. Check the broccoli towards the end of roasting, and don’t take it out until the tips of the florets are browned and crisp and the stems are tender.

Serving Suggestions

This broccoli might be one of the most made veggie sides in our house. We’re happy to serve it next to almost anything. Some of our favorites are next to mac and cheese, chicken nuggets (my son’s request), these lemon chicken thighs, our baked lemon dill salmon, and adding to rice or grain bowls.

I also love adding a dipping sauce to the side, like our tahini sauce, ranch dressing, or this creamy honey mustard.

More Broccoli Recipes