Roasted broccoli (especially with garlic) is probably my all-time favorite way to make broccoli. However, this Baked Broccoli Casserole, this Garlic Roasted Broccoli Rice and these Roasted Broccoli Tots are also to-die-for!
I’m a big fan of roasting veggies, especially in the fall. The combination of heat and proper surface area on the pan can turn any vegetable into a savory side dish in no time. At a high heat, the sugars in the vegetable caramelize. When spread out over the pan in an even layer, the broccoli is able to brown properly.
This combination makes for a warm, tasty crowd-pleaser. I mean, garlic always helps too.
Related: Roasted Broccoli and Zucchini
The measurements for this recipe are really more of a guideline. You can add more or less olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt or pepper. Occasionally I also like to add some red pepper flakes about halfway through the roasting process for more heat.
Now, this recipe is very easy to put together. While preheating the oven to 400 degrees, I cut the broccoli into bite-size florets and rinse them off. Make sure to dry the florets thoroughly so that they roast better in the oven. Then, in a large bowl, toss together the broccoli, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread out evenly in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
Roast for about 15 minutes until crispy and tender, until the edges begin to brown. About halfway through, flip the broccoli and add the red pepper flakes, if using. After it is done roasting, drizzle the lemon juice over the broccoli and serve.
Besides tasting delicious paired with garlic in this recipe, broccoli – you may have heard – is super. A super food. It’s got Vitamin C, it helps your body fight cancer, it helps with bone health, and it boosts your immune system. All from one vegetable. There isn’t much it doesn’t do.
Oh yes, I was one of those kids who would rather sit for an hour at the dinner table rather than finish my broccoli. But no more. I’m not sure I will be making broccoli any other way for awhile. Be forewarned that this broccoli makes an addictive, delectable side dish.
P.S. If you’re looking for a recipe that’s more hearty and perfect when cold weather hits, also try this sheet pan roasted broccoli and sweet potato: https://paleogrubs.com/roasted-broccoli-and-sweet-potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
- 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with melted coconut oil, salt, black pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake until florets are tender enough to pierce with a fork and the edges are browning, about 15 minutes. Turn once halfway through the baking process and add red pepper flakes, if using. After baking, squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving.
Servings
Time
More Garlic Roasted Broccoli Recipes
Mediterranean Roasted Broccoli
Roasted broccoli is mixed with Mediterranean-inspired ingredients to form this flavor-packed side dish to bring to the table. Black olives, pine nuts, tomatoes, and lemon add a variety of tasty elements to this otherwise simple dish. Healthy and simple to prepare, this roasted broccoli dish should be on your table in no time.
Ingredients
1 large head broccoli, cut into florets
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small tomato, chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup black olives, pitted and diced
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
3 slices bacon, crumbled and cooked
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Add the tomatoes to the pan. Bake until the broccoli florets are tender enough to pierce with a fork and the edges are browning, about 15 minutes. Turn once halfway through the baking process and add red pepper flakes, if using.
2. Combine the basil, black olives, pine nuts, and crumbled bacon in a small bowl and toss. To serve, place the roasted broccoli and tomatoes on a platter and top with olive mixture. Drizzle with lemon juice.
Dear Rebecca. Hi. Just wanted to say you have bought back memories of my children sitting at the table for an hour, not wanting to eat the broccoli. My daughter has since told me it used to go in her pockets. Explains a lot. I am going to cook this for me and myself tonight and i know I won’t have to report that i loved it, i know already I will. Great site and thank you for sharing. Love and respect. Sherie
Thanks for the comment Sherie, it made me so happy to read it. Hope you did enjoy the broccoli!
WOW!! Now this is broccoli. And so easy! Yummy hot or cold. Thank you!!!
Thank you for the info in your post, Kate! I was wondering if I could make it now (lunch) & take to my friends’ as a cold side dish later this evening for dinner. Now I can try with confidence, thanks! It really makes a difference to be in community!!
Delicious! I used to roast cauliflower similar to this, but I love the broccoli even more. Thank you!
My family loves broccoli and we eat it often . This is the best recipe ever. We eat even more now 😉
I’m assuming this serves 4? I couldn’t find a serving size.
Eat however much you want. Broccoli, garlic, lemon juice tossed in some healthy oil. Refrigerate what you don’t eat then snak on it. Make a ton of it and eat it for a few days. Sky’s the limit.
thank you for all the wonderful ideas! I love your blog (and this broccoli was fabulous!!! )
I love this! I am going to cut back on the salt, but I added some cilantro, parsley, and used lemon wedges for decoration. I also served it with cous cous with red chili sauce for taste.
Okay, this was delish!!! BUT OMGee the GAS onslaught started in about 45 min. and lasted several hours. Did I eat too much? Anything I could do about this? Good thing I didn’t have to leave the house, but my poor family, LOL.
Laura,
Any time you increase your fiber intake, your body will respond. The best way to counter the gassy response is to maintain a diet with adequate fiber. Once you build up to it, your intestines adjust and the response well be less gas. Of course, there’s always pills too…gasx and beano are popular choices for relief while you’re body adjusts.
Good luck, T
I eat a lot of fiber with no problem. I find garlic gives me bad gas. Try cutting back on the amount of it.
omg, you made me laugh so hard!!! Broccoli never has that effect on me so I am hoping this recipe will be no different!
Indication that you arent eating enough fiber (veggies)! Daily you have to eat more veggies, digestive system will adapt and less gas will be eliminated lol
The gas experience can get increased by 1) Too much garlic-5 cloves is a lot. Plus, if it is cooked less, it can be more gassy. So be sure to mince it finely so that it cooks more thoroughly ( and reduce the amount).
2) Broccoli stems can be killers, so try leaving less of the stem on or leave it for others 3) Freshness counts. Old broccoli was used to inflate the Hindenburg blimp. If you see brown areas on the florets before you cook it, it will blow you up. 3) Under-cooked broccoli is more gassy. Perhaps cut your florets into smaller pieces so that they cook more thoroughly in the recommended time or cook it longer.
Thanks for posting this recipe. We grow our own veggies whenever possible. Steamed was getting a bit tiring even with the olive oil, garlic and lemon sauce I make. I’ve done whole heads of fresh picked cauliflower for 3 nights because it’s so good. Now it’s broccoli time!!! I know this recipe is going to have my husband wishing we had planted more broccoli.
Could you tell me how you do your cauliflower please?
Alicia, I’ve never tried this with broccoli, but can’t wait to! This is basically the same way I always do my cauliflower though.
I get all my cauliflower cleaned, cut and spread out on a baking pan. Then I just sprinkle olive oil over it (I keep olive oil in a “picnic” ketchup container), garlic powder, onion powder and some Tony’s cajun seasoning. I bake (roast) it until it’s just turning a little brown, flipping it over once or so.
Myself and my husband have no problem eating the whole head of cauliflower when I make it this way! It is so amazing it should be bad for you 😉
My first lot is in the oven right now, can’t wait as I love broccoli and it sounds delicious!
This completely failed. Garlic was burnt beyond recognition after about 7 minutes. Brought the heat way down but it was still a disaster. We ate it anyway. Oh well.
Hi Susan,
I was wondering the same thing… wouldn’t the garlic burnt at 400? Hmm. Have you tried it again without the garlic burning??
Thanks!
Made a super large order of this for leftovers…mistake, we ate it all the same evening!
Love this! I’m 43 and having allergy and autoimmune problems. After a severe allergic reaction to who knows what my husband told me to figure out this “diet thing” and he would do it with me. Bought the book and am learning a lot!
If you add 2-3 strips of raw bacon, cut into small pieces, and cook until the bacon is done, it takes this dish to another level.
You can do this with grapes and green beans too! So yummy!
Grapes!? And green beans?! Need some update/clarification on that!
thanks for terrific recipe , will definitely be cooking the broccoli & looking forward to more of your great recipe’s
I’ve always known this recipe as “crack broccoli” because it’s so addictive.
I use this for brussel sprouts as well. Delicious.
Can this be done with frozen broccoli florets?
Yes, it just might take longer!
Sounds lovely, Rebeccca. Just one small but significant point. Olive oil breaks down to a not so nice oil and should not be used in heats over 180 C which is 350 F . I use rice bran oil or peanut oil, both of which have a higher heat rating
Love these recipes….keep sending
Yes, I also was wondering how to make this with frozen broccoli, especially since it will be wet when thawed…
Thank you.
I often use frozen brocc. I let it defrost and try to dry with paper towels. Sometimes, I put in the roasting pan and place in heated oven (without olive oil and additional ingredients) for 5 mins to let dry, then I take out and add other ingredients. You don’t want to use wet broccoli or it will just steam and not brown.
Just put it in the oven frozen. It will steam and then start browning. I use a high temp of 400-425.
I always have broccoli in the fridge. Glad to find something a little different to do with it! Thanks so much!
I made this in a roasting basket on a gas grill with shrimp! A whole meal in a basket
Great recipe which I make often and always add Craisins…..delicious!!!
This recipe is outrageously good! Just made a batch— I highly recommend it!
I too would like to know if you can use frozen vegetables.
never liked broccoli before. this is absolutely delicious!! I love it!!
when i saw this broccoli , I have realised how I missed it ! so tonight after work , Ill gonna cook this one but im happy to add a bit of beef to get extra protein ! thank u for posting this !
btw, if i will add beef , i will not baked it just sauted it ! I can add little nuts over it! Ive done it before and its really delicious !! try it !
I make this in a large skillet. Same ingredients, I just mince the garlic into the olive oil, let it sizzled a minute, then add the broccoli, put a tight lid on the pan, turn off the burner and let it cook 10 – 12 minutes while I get the rest of dinner plated.
Lift the lid, and the broccoli is bright green and just softened. Perfection. Works well for frozen broccoli, too(just a little mushier).
This works beautifully for Asparagus spears, too.
Omg!!!! I loved this. I’m 15 years old, and I’ve just started the Paleo diet. I’ve always avoided broccoli, and never even put it on my plate. It tasted so amazing! I’m in love with this recipe. Thank you so much
soooooo good thank you and Linda
I think I just died and went to broccoli Heaven! THERE JUST AREN’T WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW AMAZING THIS TASTED!!!!
This method of roasting Broccoli is awesome. We have done Cauliflower, Green Beans, Red Bell Pepper, Yellow Bell Pepper and they are all awesome and addicting. We use 425 oven and roast for 12-15 minutes
I followed this recipe exactly and it was awesome! So delicious, wouldn’t change a thing.
Oh. My. I think I heard angels sing. It was so easy…..so good. I even forgot the lemon and it was delicious.
I am 82 and have been eating broccoli & other green vegetables with olive oil, lemon etc. I grew up in a Fruit & Vegetable store , my parent’s owned. Try green beans, asparagus ,broccoli rabe .also.
Can you use pretty minced garlic in jar?
Love this broc recipe’!! My 4 grandchildren love to eat , they even ask for it ! & my grandson ( in college) makes it too!! Wow!!
Hello…thank you for sharing the recipe. I think for heart healthy people it would be best to choose an oil such as coconut or avocado to sustain the higher heat from baking in the oven. Olive oil turns into a trans fat when heated past 350 degrees.
This looks incredible! I love super easy and delicious recipes. I am going to be making this tonight and can’t wait! One of my daughters isn’t much of a broccoli fan BUT I think this recipe might win her over. Thanks for sharing…YUMMY!
I agree with everyone, I made this tonight knowing the first thing my husband would say, you know I Hate Broccoli, but he said nothing and then afterwards, he said you know that Broccoli was really good and he came back for seconds???????? It is definitely a keeper, thanks so much
Make a variation of this often. Add lemon pepper seasoning instead. It works amazing with garlic n fresh squeezed lemon
Roasted (grilled) Vegetables are the best. Broccoli and Cauliflower are among the bet of the best. Leave the florets with a long tail and use at a dip in hummus – call it dinner.
Holy cow! These were so salty! I like it, but next time I’m cutting the salt by at least half.
Like Lisa I gave the florets several liberal shakes of lemon pepper. Killer stuff!!! For a couple of years now I’ve done this same thing with a crimini mushroom/asparagus dish. It’s a meal in itself and I have to make it at least once a week, sometimes twice and as a certified die-hard carnivore that’s saying a lot.
Just wondering if anyone has tried this recipe on the grill? We’d rather fire up the grill than the oven in the summer.
My family has eaten broccoli for years and loved it, but this recipe ramped it WAY up! It is absolutely delicious! We will definitely be making this again soon!
Good. .but too much garlic! ! I used Trader Joe’s frozen garlic..maybe that’s the problem? Should’ve cut the stems shorter too.
We’ll be enjoying this with our supper tonight. Can’t wait to try it! It’s in the oven right now and smells great!!
All my life i’ve been putting the infamous broccoli very far away from my mouth!
A week ago i saw this page and follow the intructions…
… today im eating this green bliss for breakfast 0_o.
Thank you very very much for writing this in such a interesting way, that couth the attention of
a meat head like me.
Made this tonight for my family. Everyone enjoyed it & I’m sad there are no leftovers!
I made enough for two meals, planning to save the other one for work the next day. Ended up eating the second meal like 10 minutes after finishing the first one. Pairs well with chicken. Awesome stuff!
I loved it!!! The lemon taste adds glory to this recipe! Thanks for sharing! I will prepare this again!!!
This recipe is delicious!! I love it hot or cold! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Any tips on how to get the ‘sauce’ evenly all over, when I pour it into the broccoli it covers a few on the broccoil heads, and barely gets onto the other pieces of broccoli, how do yall get it to evenly coat everything? I mix, move the broccoli around but, it mostly pools into a handful of the broccoli… making it too strong.