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Sides · American

Roasted Broccoli

Hot oven, one sheet pan, no stirring: crispy edges and tender stems in 20 minutes.

Hands-on
10 min
Hands-off
25 min
Oven preheat
15 min
Total
35 min
Makes
4 servings
Serves
4

Cut and season the broccoli while the oven heats (about 15 minutes, so about 5 minutes of waiting), then 20 minutes in the oven.

Oven 230 °C · 210 °C fan (450 °F)

Pan large rimmed baking sheet (US: large rimmed baking sheet)

  • easy
  • vegan
  • vegetarian
  • gluten-free
  • weeknight
  • sheet-pan
  • thanksgiving
  • quick

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Roasted Broccoli
Amount
Units
Oven

Ingredients

You need: large rimmed baking sheet · chef's knife and board · vegetable peeler · oven mitts · spatula

Contains: none of the 9 major allergens in the listed ingredients

Method

  1. Heat the oven

    Heat the oven to 230°C (210°C fan, 450°F).

  2. Cut the broccoli

    Cut the stem off the 680 g (1 1/2 lb) bunch. Set the head crown-side down and slice down through the florets, turning as you go, so the pieces are a similar size. Peel the tough skin off the stem and slice or dice it.

  3. Season on the pan

    On the sheet pan, toss the florets and stem pieces with 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, the 3 sliced garlic cloves, and salt and pepper. Spread everything out in a single layer.

  4. Roast without stirring

    Roast for about 20 minutes. Leave the pan alone so the florets crisp where they touch the hot metal.

    Ready when: Ready when the floret edges are crispy and lightly browned and the stems are crisp-tender: a knife slides in with a little bite left.

    Otto tried this firstOtto opens the oven every 5 minutes to give it a stir. Every stir lifts the florets off the hot pan, and they come out pale and soft. Shut the door and leave it.

  5. Serve

    Serve warm. A squeeze of lemon or some grated Parmesan on top is good too.

Swaps

  • Instead of a fresh bunch of broccoli: frozen broccoli florets, not thawed Put the empty baking sheet in the oven while it heats. Toss the frozen broccoli with the oil and seasonings in a bowl, then carefully spread it on the hot pan and roast as above. It won't get quite as crisp.
  • Instead of 1 whole bunch: a bag of ready-cut florets, 450 to 680 g (1 to 1 1/2 lb) Use 2 tbsp oil either way; check smaller batches a few minutes early.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Storage
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days.
Reheat
Reheat until steaming hot, 74°C (165°F).

If something goes wrong

  • Pale and soft, not crispy Why: The florets were crowded or stirred, so they steamed.
    Spread them in a single layer (use two pans if needed) and don't stir for the first 20 minutes.
  • Some pieces burnt, others raw Why: Pieces of very different sizes.
    Slice down through the florets so the pieces are about the same size.

Good to know

  • Add red pepper flakes or lemon zest before roasting, or Parmesan or a squeeze of lemon afterwards.
  • If you'd rather roast at 220°C (200°C fan, 425°F), give it about 15 minutes, flip the florets, then 5 to 10 minutes more until a fork slides in easily.

Safety

  • The pan and oven are very hot at 230°C (450°F). Use oven mitts, and let an adult take the pan out.
  • When roasting from frozen, the pan goes into the oven empty and comes out scorching: tip the broccoli on carefully, away from you.