July 3, 2023
updated
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Transform plain broccoli into a delicious side dish with the tips and the recipe for roasted broccoli below.
How Long Does it Take to Perfectly Roast Broccoli?
Delicious roasted broccoli can be achieved in 15 to 20 minutes in a 400F oven. It’s a healthy side dish you can quickly whip up, and leftovers are easy to repurpose into the next day’s lunch as a salad topping or with your favorite power bowl combo.
Roasting is the easiest way to transform veggies from an afterthought to the focal point of weeknight meals, and if you still need to make the switch from steamed broccoli, this post will be the one to convince you.
Ingredients
Making broccoli taste amazing in the oven only requires a few pantry ingredients.
You’ll need:
- Broccoli: fresh or frozen florets. See notes on frozen below*.
- Olive oil: helps the broccoli achieve crisp edges and adds flavor.
- Salt: this is a must as it will bring out more flavor.
- Seasonings: aside from salt, you can add on spice blends like Roasted Vegetable Seasoning, curry powder, garlic powder, etc.
You’ll find the amounts in the recipe card below.
Best Oven Temperature for Roasted Broccoli
400F is a terrific temperature for roasting fresh broccoli to achieve crispy exteriors and tender inside; and at this temperature, you only need 15 to 20 minutes of cooking.
However, if you’re roasting frozen broccoli, you’ll want to increase the oven temperature to 450F. Since frozen broccoli contains more moisture, you’ll need this higher temperature to help evaporate the moisture quickly and reduce the chance of getting soggy veggies.
How Long to Roast Broccoli by Temperature
Depending on how much time you have, the oven temperature, and if you’re adding any other ingredient to the sheet pan; roasting broccoli can take as little as 15 minutes and up to 25 minutes to cook.
The chart below provides a quick reference based on the oven temperature and whether you use fresh or frozen florets.
| Oven Temperature | Time |
|---|---|
| 375F | 25 min |
| 400F | 15-20 min |
| 425F | 12-15 min |
| 450F* | 20 min |
* 450F is only recommended if using frozen broccoli
How much broccoli you put on the baking sheet also plays a factor in cook time, which I explain further below.
Keeping Roasted Broccoli from Getting Soggy
Roasted broccoli gets soggy because either the oven wasn’t hot enough or the pan was overcrowded with too many broccoli florets. To avoid this, you’ll want to set the oven temperature between 400 and 425F.
This temperature range is the sweet spot when roasting fresh florets since they cook quickly without burning or drying out.
Placing too many florets on the pan causes overcrowding which leads to steam buildup on the pan since there isn’t enough surface space for the heat to pass through (free space on the pan).
What Can You Roast at the Same Time as Broccoli?
While the broccoli roasts at 400-425F, you can add one of these ingredients to the sheet pan and turn it into a meal or feed more people.
Try one of these at the same time:
- Salmon fillets: this is one protein you can bake for the exact same time and at the same temperature as fresh broccoli. Use my Cajun Salmon recipe for a tasty start.
- Shrimp: only need 8 minutes in a 400F oven so you’ll start cooking the broccoli, remove the baking sheet, place the shrimp and finish off the roasting.
- Smoked sausage: cut the sausage links diagonally into thick pieces, bake at 400F, and they’ll fully cook along with the broccoli in 15 to 20 minutes.
- Salmon Nuggets: this recipe is one to use with frozen broccoli. The nuggets are cooked at 450F for about 20 minutes, relatively the same time as the broccoli. *Use a separate baking sheet for broccoli and nuggets.
- Cubed potatoes: the oven temperature will need to be set to 425F. You can also grab the full recipe in my Oven Roasted Potatoes & Broccoli.
- Asparagus: crank the oven to 425F, and you’ll have beautifully roasted asparagus and broccoli in less than 15 minutes!
- Carrots: Turn the oven to 400F and bake for 20 minutes with sliced carrots.
Best Roasted Broccoli Recipe
By now, you should be confident in how easy this healthy side dish is to make. Grab your olive oil, seasonings, and broccoli, and let’s get started.
- Prep
Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the broccoli into florets, then give them a quick rinse under water before patting dry with a clean kitchen towel. - Toss
Mix the olive oil and seasonings in a large bowl. Add the florets to the bowl and toss to combine before spreading them in an even layer onto the baking sheet. - Roast
Place the baking sheet in the oven, and roast the florets for 15 to 18 minutes or until the centers are fork-tender and the exteriors golden brown.
How to Store Roasted Broccoli
Storing roasted broccoli is a cinch. Place the room-temperature florets in an airtight container, seal, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To reheat, microwave the florets in a microwave-safe dish for 2 minutes. Alternatively, you can roast florets at 400F for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.
Whether you are serving roasted broccoli fresh from the oven or reheated, it’s way more than just a side. You can serve it on top of a paleo salad, or in a non-traditional way like savory oatmeal; it’s basically risotto, but oats instead of rice.
Roasted Broccoli for Beginners: How long to cook, best temp and more!
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons roasted vegetable seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
- Wash and trim the broccoli so the florets are similar in size. Pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- Combine the olive oil, salt, and roasted vegetable seasoning in a large bowl. Add the broccoli florets and toss to coat the veggies with the seasoning.
- Spread the broccoli onto the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until the florets are tender and the edges golden brown.
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