How To Roast Broccoli + 4 Roasted Broccoli Meal Prep Recipes To Fight Boring Broccoli

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.

Broccoli is one of my favorites, such a simple but yet so amazing side dish, another one of my top favorite side dishes is my Easy Pan-Fried Asparagus.

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.

If you love the bold, tasty, and amazing flavors of How To Roast Broccoli , you’ll enjoy Sauteed Asparagus | And 7 Creative Ways To Season! for a twist.

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:

1. wash the broccoli and then pat dry;
2. remove the leaves and stems (as close to the crown as possible);
3. 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);
4. 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:

1. break down broccoli into florets (unless you have broccoli that’s already broken into florets in which case you can skip this step);
2. roast broccoli as recommended in the how to roast broccoli section down below;
3. when cooked through and golden brown, remove the broccoli from the oven and serve as a side dish;
4. or allow to cool and transfer to meal prep containers for later use.
5. 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:

1. 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;
2. drizzle broccoli florets with olive oil;
3. toss with broccoli toppings – I have 4 recommendations for you today;
4. spread broccoli as evenly as possible on the lined baking sheet to make sure all florets cook at the same time;
5. 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:

1. roast broccoli florets for 15 minutes;
2. toss;
3. 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...

• pan-fried salmon
• slow cooker shredded chicken
• cilantro lime chicken
• garlic-roasted pork chops

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!

1. Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
2. Sesame Ginger Roasted Broccoli
3. Lemon Roasted Broccoli
4. 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. 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.

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.

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.

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…

• 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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