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??
Delicious! It even tasted good raw before it went in the oven.
This is my go to for side vegetables. I’ve actually become a bit of a broccoli fiend since finding this recipe. The Crispy garlic bits are the best. It’s super easy, delicious and healthy!
&had this broccoli last night with whiting fillets and your brown butter sauce. Simply stunning and so easy. No more boiled broccoli ever!
Yum so good thank you will never eat steamed Broccoli again. Just wanted to ask about the fan forced temperature of 180. Most of your recipes if the standard oven temp is 220 then fan forced is 200 but this one is 180?
Only you could make broccoli this delicious, Nagi 😂
I love eating the peeled broccoli stem raw. It’s delicious.
I have loved the website forever and this recipe is madness – me and my housemate cant get enough or our dinner party guests. This recipe is so delicious you will need one broccoli per person.
Amazing, so delicious, trying to stop myself from going and eating the leftovers….
I’m not typically a broccoli lover unless it’s soaked in a sauce, but this recipe is AWESOME. Now I neglected to read thru the entire recipe, so I accidentally went ahead and tossed the broccoli in everything and then roasted it. It came out GREAT. This is now my go-to broccoli recipe.
Yum yum yum!
Will make this again, so good!
Love this broccoli recipe! My family asks for it all the time. That’s saying a lot!
I am not a good cook. But I tried this broccoli dish anyway and it was amazing. I hope people don’t think I can cook now! Haha. But everyone loved it!
This is the best broccoli recipe ever. My family asks for it all the time!
So so good. I ate about half of it out of the roasting pan with a fork while I was waiting for the brisket to be ready. Oops.
Just realized I didn’t give stars with my review. 5+++
SO good!!! I was trying to make a meal out of what I had on hand. I made your chcken breast (a fam fave), this broccoli and corn on the cob. I was planning on steaming the broccoli as usual but this kicked the whole meal up a notch. Once again…thank you for so much yumminess on your site!
Which chicken breast recipe did you make with this?
There are many yummy ones to choose from. Thank you Nagi.
Can you use the powdered Parmesan?
made this tonight paired with grilled chicken thighs
Sooooo good and simple to make.
That’s a nice combo, Michelle!! N x
Are you kidding me? What took me so long to try this? I seriously could have eaten the entire pan of broccoli. I think I overcooked it a tad but it was so stinking good, not at all what I expected. I MUST trust your every word from here on. Making pavlova tonight for the first time… 🙂 Thank you, Nagi!!
Hi Nagi, I’ve tried several of your recipe post and love all of them. Let me add this is one of the best DAMN broccoli recipes I’ve ever tried 😋
Thanks Peg!! I am happy that you loved it! N x