The Brilliant Roasted Broccoli Trick I’ll Follow Forever
Not a week goes by that I don’t roast a head of broccoli. It’s easy, nutritious, and, oh yeah, my can-be-very-”opinionated” children happily devour it. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll make Christine’s Caesar roasted broccoli (a fave among The Kitchn staffers). Other times, I’ll sprinkle the florets with za’atar and squeeze lemon juice on top. But most often (sometimes even multiple times within a week) I’m just roasting broccoli with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Now, I never thought you needed a proper recipe for this simple side. Toss broccoli florets with oil, salt, and pepper, then cook on a sheet pan in a hot oven, right? Wrong! (Well, kinda.) Back in January, Patty’s perfect roasted broccoli recipe forever changed the way I’ll roast broccoli — and really, most vegetables — forever. Her brilliantly simple trick: Preheat the baking sheet while your oven is heating.
Heating the baking sheet will maximize the caramelized goodness, and these crispy browned bits are loaded with flavor. Honestly, the broccoli florets are so good, people have a hard time believing that you just seasoned them with salt and pepper.
My Tips for Making the Very Best Roasted Broccoli
If you can, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. I don’t always do this because half the time I’m cooking something else in there, like chicken. But if you’ve got the oven space to spare, this will ensure your best chance of even cooking.
As we’ve already established, add the baking sheet to the oven while it preheats. Get it hot, hot, hot!
Dry off your broccoli. After rinsing your broccoli (which you should do!), make sure you blot off as much of the water as you can. Water + heat = steam, which won’t get you the same level of crispiness.
Use parchment paper for easy cleanup. I almost always do! Wait to line the hot pan until right before you add the broccoli in a single layer. (Just remember that it’s hot!)
Further Reading
We Asked 3 Chefs to Name the Best Ice Cream, and They All Said the Same Thing
The “Beautiful” $3 Flower Tumblers at Walmart People Are Buying 2 at a Time
Ball Just Dropped the Most Beautiful Mason Jars for Its 140th Anniversary ("So Iconic!")
