Tired of boring broccoli in your meal prep? Yes, broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse and a great addition to a clean eating diet because it is low in calories and rich in essential vitamins, protein, and fiber. BUT it can get boring! In this post, I share 4 super easy roasted broccoli recipes you can use for meal prep during the week.
Growing up, we had broccoli one way and one way only: steamed.
And I loved it. Still do.
There’s a simplicity to steamed broccoli with just a pinch of salt (and, ok, sometimes an incy wincy bit of butter) that I find very yummy.
But, as I have grown older, I have realized just how many other ways there are to cook broccoli. I’ve even found some new favorites.
One of which is THIS oven roasted broccoli recipe.
Oh my gosh, this is so yummy. And simple to make, too!
Broccoli is a star in the clean eating world. And for very good reason. Rich in vitamins, fiber, and protein, broccoli is low in calories and can be eaten raw or cooked. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of raw broccoli, but I love it when it’s cooked, especially when it’s roasted because something magical happens in the oven and it add so much flavor and texture.
For me, roasting broccoli is the best way to cook broccoli. At the end of this post, you’ll know everything about how to cut broccoli, how to prep broccoli, how to cook fresh broccoli vs how to cook frozen broccoli, how to roast broccoli, and how long to roast broccoli for the best texture. And you’ll get 4 delicious broccoli meal prep recipes for easy broccoli sides during the week.
Sounds like a good plan? Great! Then let’s begin!
If steaming broccoli creates a fresh, simple and light flavor, then roasting broccoli creates a deep, robust and complex flavor.
Both are delicious, just different.
Plus, with broccoli, you get all those additional positives like high fiber, super food, clean, and low calorie so I’m all over it even more.
This roasted broccoli creates a veggie side you won’t believe is actually healthy for you.
If you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to stop eating it.
HOW TO CUT BROCCOLI
How to cut broccoli is a common question I get every time I talk about broccoli. I gotta admit — broccoli looks a bit complicated to cut. But it’s actually easy to cut broccoli into florets. Here’s what you have to do:
- wash the broccoli and then pat dry;
- remove the leaves and stems (as close to the crown as possible);
- with a paring knife or a chef knife, start to break the florets apart by simply slicing them off the stem (slice the stem, not the brushy part of the broccoli);
- and, since we’ll be cooking broccoli, make sure the florets have roughly the same size.
Tip: Avoid cutting through the top, bushy part of the broccoli if at all possible. Doing so will mess up the look of the florets and will make a mess. Instead, turn the crown over and cut through the stem and then pull apart using your hands.
HOW TO MEAL PREP WITH BROCCOLI
Meal prep broccoli once and don’t worry about dinner sides for a week. It’s a good idea, isn’t it? That’s why I love to meal prep so much. Just follow these simple steps for how to meal prep broccoli:
- break down broccoli into florets (unless you have broccoli that’s already broken into florets in which case you can skip this step);
- roast broccoli as recommended in the how to roast broccoli section down below;
- when cooked through and golden brown, remove the broccoli from the oven and serve as a side dish;
- or allow to cool and transfer to meal prep containers for later use.
- you can store broccoli meal prep in the fridge or in the freezer.
HOW TO ROAST BROCCOLI
There are many healthy ways to cook broccoli, roasting broccoli just happens to be my favorite. Whenever I have broccoli in the fridge, I try to think about new or different ways for cooking broccoli. Somehow, most of the times I end up roasting it because it’s so flavorful and easy — plus hardly any clean-up.
Tips for how to roast fresh broccoli:
- First, make sure the broccoli florets have roughly the same size so they can cook evenly – broke them down further with a paring knife if necessary;
- drizzle broccoli florets with olive oil;
- toss with broccoli toppings – I have 4 recommendations for you today;
- spread broccoli as evenly as possible on the lined baking sheet to make sure all florets cook at the same time;
- roast broccoli in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes – the broccoli is golden brown and mostly tender when ready.
COOKING WITH FROZEN BROCCOLI VS FRESH
We already established that the best way to cook broccoli is to roast it. I have great news! If you learn how to roast broccoli, you can use both fresh broccoli and frozen broccoli. No defrosting necessary! This will save time and it’s one of my favorite cooking hacks. And it makes life a little easier.
For cooking frozen broccoli, you should follow the steps for how to roast broccoli, but allow it to roast a little longer – -usually double the amount of time does the trick.
How long to roast broccoli from frozen broccoli:
- roast broccoli florets for 15 minutes;
- toss;
- then roast for additional 10-15 minutes. So about 25-30 minutes total time.
WHAT TO MEAL PREP WITH BROCCOLI
Broccoli meal prep works great as a dinner side. I like the broccoli meal prep with…
For more meal prep inspo, check out my Meal Prep Ideas post..
HOW TO STORE BROCCOLI MEAL PREP
Now that you have the 4 different broccoli meal prep sides, you have to store them properly so you can enjoy them for dinner throughout the week.
- To store broccoli meal prep in the fridge, use airtight containers. The broccoli will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To further extend the shelf life of roasted broccoli, you can store the broccoli meal prep in the freezer. It will last for up to 12 months this way. Try to lay out the cooked broccoli on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and then freezing initially to allow the florets to freeze individually. Then, once frozen, transfer the frozen broccoli to a freezer safe container.
TIPS FOR BROCCOLI MEAL PREP
If you’re planning to meal prep your broccoli, follow these tips for some added goodness:
- If you store the broccoli meal prep in the fridge, microwave for 1-2 minutes when you’re ready to eat.
- If you want to freeze roasted broccoli, use freezer-safe airtight containers or freezer bags.
- To thaw frozen roasted broccoli, transfer the broccoli meal prep from the freezer to the fridge and allow to thaw overnight. This is the best way to maintain the texture. And you can store defrosted roasted broccoli in the fridge for 3-4 days. However, if you’re in a hurry, you can thaw broccoli in the microwave. You’ll have to eat it immediately though.
- How to tell if broccoli is bad – if broccoli isn’t kept frozen at a constant temperature, it can go bad – the best way to tell is to smell it. Trust me, you’ll know if it’s bad.
4 ROASTED BROCCOLI MEAL PREP RECIPES
With a few simple ingredients, you can create so many different flavors. Try them all for broccoli meal prep.
Below, I’ve shared four different roasted broccoli recipes for you that work great for meal prep to keep your broccoli tasting fresh, vibrant, and definitely not boring. Scroll down to see the recipes or click on the recipe that sounds best to you below!
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
- Sesame Ginger Roasted Broccoli
- Lemon Roasted Broccoli
- Spicy Roasted Broccoli
1. GARLIC PARMESAN ROASTED BROCCOLI
Made with olive oil, garlic, parmesan, salt, and pepper, garlic parmesan roasted broccoli is a classic in my house. I’ve been doing this side dish for years and I love it every time.
PS If you’d prefer not to add in any parmesan to this roasted broccoli recipe, that’s perfectly fine. Instead, you could toss in some nutritional yeast or just remove this ingredient entirely. Removing the parmesan and then baking the broccoli will make this recipe vegan.
- 2 lbs fresh broccoli (about 3 med/large crowns), broken into florets
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
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Lay broccoli florets evenly out onto our lined baking sheet.
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Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, thinly sliced garlic and grated parmesan cheese.
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Lightly toss the broccoli to sort with the seasonings and then spread the broccoli back out as evenly as possible.
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Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees F, or until the broccoli begins to turn golden brown and is mostly tender.
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You can eat this straight from the oven or allow to cool and place into a meal prep container to be used as a fantastic garlic parmesan broccoli meal prep side during the week. This broccoli will last in the fridge for up to 5 days or can be frozen for longer storage. When ready to eat, just pop in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe Video
2. SESAME GINGER ROASTED BROCCOLI
Made with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pepper, and red pepper flakes, sesame ginger roasted broccoli is a little spicy and totes delicious. Garnish with sesame seeds to add more crunch.
- 2 lbs fresh broccoli (about 3 med crowns), broken into florets
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 clove minced fresh garlic
- 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
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Lay the broccoli florets evenly out onto another lined baking sheet.
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Then, drizzle with sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce, minced garlic, minced fresh ginger, ground black pepper, and some crushed red pepper flakes.
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Lightly toss the broccoli to sort with the seasonings and then spread the broccoli back out as evenly as possible.
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Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees F, or until the broccoli begins to turn golden brown and is mostly tender.
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Top with some sesame seeds and then pack it on up to be enjoyed all week in the fridge. This broccoli goes great with some steamed brown rice and teriyaki salmon.
Recipe Video
3. LEMON ROASTED BROCCOLI
Made with olive oil, lemon juice & zest, lemon slices, sea salt, pepper, the lemon roasted broccoli is very lemony, vibrant, and refreshing.
- 2 lbs fresh broccoli (about 3 med crowns), broken into florets
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice plus zest
- 1 whole lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
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To get started, lay out the broccoli florets evenly out onto a lined baking sheet.
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Then, drizzle with olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, thinly sliced lemon, sea salt, and ground black pepper.
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Lightly toss the broccoli to sort with the seasonings and then spread the broccoli back out as evenly as possible.
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Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees F, or until the broccoli begins to turn golden brown and is mostly tender. The lemon slices will also start to get all goldenly-looking and delicious.
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To serve, add a few lemon wedges for good measure and then you’re good to go with this delicious and fresh lemon roasted broccoli recipe which is a great meal prep side for any protein.
Recipe Video
4. SPICY ROASTED BROCCOLI
Made with olive oil, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Sriracha, sea salt, pepper, this spicy roasted broccoli is flavorful, tasty, and slightly creamy.
- 2 lbs fresh broccoli (about 3 med crowns), broken into florets
- 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Sriracha or chili paste
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
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Lay out the broccoli florets evenly out onto a lined baking sheet.
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For this recipe, we need to make a quick spicy sauce so in a small mixing bowl, combine plain Greek yogurt, freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, Sriracha or chili paste, sea salt, and ground black pepper, and stir to combine.
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Drizzle this mixture over the broccoli florets and toss to coat. You could also do this in a large mixing bowl, but then you’d have a large mixing bowl to clean up.
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Then spread the broccoli back out as evenly as possible.
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Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees F, or until the broccoli begins to turn golden brown and is mostly tender. The spicy yogurt sauce will start to thicken as it cooks as well.
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To serve, garnish with sliced green onions, which is a nice fresh flavor that goes great with the spicy roasted broccoli.
Recipe Video
OTHER VEGGIES YOU CAN ROAST
Roasted veggies are great side dish options for dinner. And perfect for meal prep. When you’ve finished the broccoli meal prep, you can try roasting other veggies. I like to roast…
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- Carrots – try this Thyme Roasted Carrots recipe;
- Cauliflower – my Easy Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower recipe is waiting for you;
- Asparagus – you can make this Lemon Roasted Asparagus in only 10 minutes;
- Green Beans – my Parmesan Roasted Green Beans requires only 5 ingredients and is ready in 20 minutes;
- Brussels sprouts – these Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts are very yummy, BTW;
- Sweet Potatoes – try these easy and delicious Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
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Just wanted to say how grateful I am to you and all those that share recipes and tips, pointers, tidbits, etc on how they became healthy. This will be my 2nd week following one of your recipes bc I loved the first week!
Thank you so much!
This was very good but the broccoli all stuck to the aluminum foil!
Shoot – try to make sure it’s evenly coated in the oil next time to avoid that issue. Mine has never stuck too much – I can always peel it off. I also prefer using parchment paper as well, which might be a better option for you 🙂
Looking for roasted vegetables that are compatible with my weight watchers eating plan. Would like to try new vegetables that I have never eaten beets except pickled. Kale, turnips, parsnips, roasted root vegetable. A way to roast cauliflower that doesn’t taste bitter. I would be interested. Love your site and the way you cook vegetables.
Roasted veggies are def the way to go to keep your points low, but have massive flavor and still get tons of nutrients 🙂
Made this tonight and loved it! Added some sesame seeds too. Tasted like crispy fried seaweed from a Chinese takeaway!
YUM! So glad you enjoyed it — love adding sesame seeds – great idea 🙂
The kids would love having these again.
The kids and ME! 🙂
Roasted broccoli is one of my all-time favorite side-dishes. There’s nothing like a caramelized veggie!
I totally agree – it’s so good!
Glad to see more posts recently by Lacey
🙂 Thanks, Diana!