This is still the best damn broccoli ever. Roasted broccoli with crispy golden edges, finished with a drizzle of lemon juice, zest and a sprinkle of parmesan. It’s so good, yet so easy, it’s like magic….
This Roasted Broccoli is the best broccoli recipe ever
4 1/2 years ago when I first shared this broccoli recipe, I stated that this was the best damn broccoli I had ever had in my life. And that still holds true.
Sure, I’ve had fancier. Great chefs can work magic on the humble broccoli and turn it into a real fancy dish.
But the thing that makes this particular recipe the best broccoli recipe ever is that it’s so quick and easy and yet so good!
Roasting is the key here. Roasted broccoli has flavour that is puts plain steamed broccoli to shame!! It sweetens it, you get caramelisation, crunchy edges and it sucks up the flavour of the lemon juice.
And when you finish it off with a little parmesan…. OMG. It’s just so damn good!!!
How to make the tastiest broccoli of your life
Ready to see how easy this is? Not much more effort than steaming it!
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Two large broccoli heads (this will serve 4 as a side, or 2 if I’m present)
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Break into florets and halve larger ones
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Pile onto tray, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with finely sliced garlic, salt and pepper then toss
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Spread out on tray
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Roast for 20 – 25 minutes just until the edges are a bit browned and crisp (my favourite part!)
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Drizzle with lemon juice and zest and parmesan, toss then serve
I don’t take credit for this Magic Broccoli. It is based on an Ina Garten recipe – though hers has more oil, pine nuts and basil. Terrific, but quite rich and a bit more fiddly than I’d make for day to day purposes (I make Magic Broccoli a lot!)
So this recipe is a simplified and healthier version. I find that if you use too much oil when roasting broccoli, the florets soak it up like a sponge. So what should be a pretty healthy broccoli side becomes excessively rich and oily.
Trust me, you do not need tons of oil to roast broccoli. Especially not when we finish it off with lemon and parmesan!
So easy.
SO DAMN DELICIOUS.
It’s like….magic! ~ Nagi x
More fabulous Broccoli recipes
Health benefits of broccoli
Broccoli is a powerhouse of goodness! It’s rich with Vitamin C and K, high in fibre (good for your digestive system), and other minerals and antioxidants that promotes good health. There’s also been studies that suggest that broccoli helps with cancer prevention – though it’s not conclusive.
In summary: Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse and Magic Broccoli makes it easy to eat LOADS of it!!
Best broccoli recipe ever!
Watch how to make it
Magic Broccoli recipe video!
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Magic Broccoli (Best roasted broccoli recipe ever!)
Ingredients
- 2 medium to large heads of broccoli , about 1 kg / 2 lb
- 2 garlic cloves , finely sliced or minced
- 2 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)
- Black pepper
- Zest of half a lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C/425F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan/convection).
- Cut/break broccoli into florets and pile onto baking tray. (Note 2 re: stem)
- Drizzle all over with extra virgin olive oil, scatter with garlic, salt and pepper. Toss with fingers or tongs, then spread out over tray in a single layer (or toss in large bowl or ziplock bag).
- Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until the tips of the florets are slightly browned and crispy. The broccoli should be "tender crisp", meaning just cooked through, not soft and floppy.
- Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle over the lemon juice, zest, and parmesan. Toss quickly, transfer to serving plate and garnish with a bit more parmesan. Serve warm!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Magic Broccoli originally shared in 2014. Updated with new photos, new video, all new words in post. No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare!
Life of Dozer
I know I’ve already shared this photo on my blog, but I only put it up on Instagram this morning. I asked people to caption the photo – and some of the responses were so good, I had to share!!
Caption This responses:
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“Catch me mum 🐶” (To which I responded: “I’d be flattened – then in hospital!”😂)
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“Dozer for President” (At which I grinned just thinking what a great world it would be with giant “Dozer for President” banners all over the world…)
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“If Jaws was a dog….”
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“Houston, we have lift off!🚀🚀”
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“Me – when someone hands me a plate of Asian food” (To which I responded: Me too!!)
And you? Any suggestions??
Damn. I was throwing together a meal from the fridge/freezer towards the end of the week and had two not-so-perky heads of broccoli. Teamed them up with corn on the cob, baked potatoes and some brilliant beef sausages from our butcher.
Broccoli (cooked exactly as described) was finished first.
Now I can’t stop snacking on it while waiting for the rest of dinner to be done?
This is now officially my FAVORITE broccoli recipe!! SOOOOO yummy!!! Easy to make and simply perfect.
Thank you! Tried it tonight with broccolini (as that was in the fridge) and it turned out BEAUTIFULLY. I wasn’t sure about the lemon and parmesan but it was a great contrast to the hint of S+P plus, of course, the sweetness of the broccolini!
Excellent. Great, easy recipe.
Where is oven temperature ? Everyone assume 400 F?
Absolutely spectacular broccoli dish!
Wow! The. Best. Broccoli. EVER!! I made this last night for the first time and we just scarfed it down! Wish we’d made more…just so yummy! Magic, indeed! Thanks again for another stellar recipe, Nagi…your dishes are amazing!
I have always liked broccoli. I have. But this….
This was the best broccoli I’ve ever had. My 17 year old son liked it so much that he got up and made himself another batch after dinner.
Woah what a compliment!!! Thanks so much AMF! N x
Hi there can I used goat cheese instead or Parmesan cheese for the bake broccoli recipe
Hi Nagi, This magic broccoli is almost what I made last night without knowing it. I just didn’t know about adding the Parm. cheese, husband will love it more with that, he eats it, but under duress lol.
I wanted to know if you have a Ninja Foodie, I bought the 9 in 1 (I live in France, kitchens are small so having lots of appliances in one is great). I had never had an air fryer before so have spent the last 4 months experimenting with that. But one of the great things is using the combination of Pressure Cooking and then Air Frying. I love to PC my whole chicken and then AF till it is golden brown and crispy. The only difference from cooking in the oven is the chicken is SO incredibly tender, and it takes less time to cook, uses less electric AND it doesn’t heat up the kitchen like conventional oven and stoves. (you are in summer down there now eh? So anyway I cooked my broccoli in the Ninja on Air Fry or Air Crisp as they call it. I will be doing it again, adding the garlic and Parm, this should work with Cauliflower and brussel sprouts too – right? If you have a Ninja or are considering getting one I would love to hear about your recipes for them. Or even just for an Air Fryer.