Best Ways to Cook Broccoli include roasting for crisp edges, steaming until tender, and sautéing with garlic and olive oil. These 13 broccoli and broccolini recipes give you plenty of ways to use a bunch, from simple vegetable sides to complete dinners with shrimp, salmon, and more.
Quick Look: Top 13 Ways to Cook Broccoli
- What it is: Broccoli and broccolini recipes, from simple vegetable sides to shrimp and salmon dinners.
- Cooking methods: Roasted, steamed, grilled, air-fried, sautéed, and stir-fried.
- Key ingredients: Broccoli or broccolini, with garlic, olive oil, lemon, cheese, and other vegetables, depending on the recipe.
- Pairs well with: Chicken, steak, seafood, or a holiday roast.
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Jump to:
- Quick Look: Top 13 Ways to Cook Broccoli
- Why We Love Broccoli
- Roasting Broccoli
- Roast It with Garlic and Cheese
- Roast It with Carrots
- Keep It Simple with Olive Oil and Salt
- Roast It with Cauliflower and Carrots
- Roast Broccolini Until the Edges Are Crisp
- Bake It with Fish on One Sheet Pan
- Pair It with Lemon Garlic Salmon
- Stir-Fry It with Beef
- Broccoli Beef Stir Fry, Chinese Take Out Style Recipe
- Air Frying Broccoli
- Cook Broccolini in the Air Fryer
- Steaming Broccoli
- Steam It with Carrots
- Cook It with Shrimp for an Easy Dinner
- Grill Broccoli
- Grill It with Garlic and Herbs
- Sautéing Broccoli
- Make Broccoli Rice with Garlic
- Ways to Cook Broccoli FAQ
Why We Love Broccoli
- Broccoli is one of the healthiest veggies you can eat. It's loaded with calcium, fiber, and vitamin C, and it brings color, crunch, and flavor to just about any meal.
- You can steam it, roast it, air-fry it, or toss it into a salad.
- As a side dish, it pairs well with everything. A quick steam or roast with a little lemon adds the right crunch and completes your plate.
- Broccoli also cooks faster than most vegetables. Whether you steam it or roast it, it's ready in minutes, which makes it perfect for busy weeknights.
Roasting Broccoli
Roasting brings out the best in broccoli. It adds a nutty flavor, crisp edges, and a hint of sweetness. Just toss with a little butter or olive oil, roast in a hot oven, and you've got a healthy, filling side dish.
Roast It with Garlic and Cheese
Roast It with Carrots
Roasted Broccoli and Carrots is a healthy side. Broccoli roasts alongside sliced carrots and whole garlic cloves.
Keep It Simple with Olive Oil and Salt
Roast broccoli at 400°F until tender, with crisp edges. A little olive oil and salt keep this side simple enough for everyday dinners or a holiday table.
Roast It with Cauliflower and Carrots
Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and garlic roast together in a colorful vegetable medley. Serve the platter alongside your holiday roast or make it with a weeknight dinner.
Roast Broccolini Until the Edges Are Crisp
Roasted broccolini has tender stalks and lightly crisp tips. Toss it with olive oil and seasonings for a simple side to serve with fish, chicken, or a roast.
Bake It with Fish on One Sheet Pan
This sheet-pan fish and broccoli cooks in about 25 minutes, with just one pan to clean. Use mahi-mahi or another white fish and serve it with tangy sour cream dill sauce for an easy, low-carb dinner.
Pair It with Lemon Garlic Salmon
Lemon and garlic add flavor to seared salmon served with roasted broccoli. This dinner for two combines seafood and vegetables for an easy meal.
Stir-Fry It with Beef
Stir-frying broccoli quickly over high heat locks in its bright color and crispness, creating a flavorful dish. This dish pairs well with a variety of sauces and rice.
Chinese Style Stir-Fried Broccoli is made by quickly stir-frying broccoli florets with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and oyster sauce.
Broccoli Beef Stir Fry, Chinese Take Out Style Recipe
Air Frying Broccoli
To cook broccoli in an air fryer, toss the florets with olive oil, salt, and your favorite seasonings, then air fry at 400°F until tender and crispy.
Cook Broccolini in the Air Fryer
Steaming Broccoli
For steaming, use a steamer insert in a pot with a few inches of water to keep the broccoli out of the water. Cover, bring to a boil, and let the steam cook the broccoli.
Steaming retains more nutrients than boiling because the food doesn't come into direct contact with water.
Steam It with Carrots
Cook It with Shrimp for an Easy Dinner
Grill Broccoli
You can also grill broccoli next to your meat. Use a basket or place larger pieces of broccoli directly on the grates so they don't slip through the holes.
Grill It with Garlic and Herbs
Sautéing Broccoli
To make broccoli rice, start with fresh broccoli. Like cauliflower rice, pulse broccoli in a food processor until it looks like grains. Then sauté it in a skillet with butter or oil until tender. It's quick, easy, and packed with nutrients.
Make Broccoli Rice with Garlic
Ways to Cook Broccoli FAQ
Yes. Roasting broccoli with a little olive oil makes a simple vegetable side dish. Cook until tender with lightly browned edges.
Yes. Air frying gives broccoli crisp edges and tender stems with a little oil. Leave space between the florets so they cook evenly.
Blanched broccoli is commonly used in stir-fries to provide a vibrant color and crisp texture. It's also a nutritious addition to salads, pasta dishes, quiches, and appetizers.
Broccoli pairs perfectly with carrots, bell peppers, onions, snap peas, and cherry tomatoes. The combinations are endless. A simple stir-fry with garlic and bell peppers makes a great side dish.
Yes. Peel off the tough outer layer, then slice the stems into thin rounds or strips. Roast, steam, or sauté them with the florets. Cut the stems smaller so everything finishes cooking together.
