Mediterranean Lemon Garlic Broccoli
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Make Mediterranean lemon garlic broccoli like a restaurant chef! The oven roasting gives the broccoli a caramelized and crispy texture, while the finish is a fresh lemon flavor! Serve it as a vegetable side dish or a show stopper on your holiday table!
One thing I am sure of, this lemon garlic broccoli recipe will win over the hardest critic. I say that with such confidence because for years, I have been meh on broccoli. It’s either too soft, not seasoned well, or flavorless. So, when I say this recipe is a game-changer, I mean it. There are a few simple techniques and ingredients that make this recipe different:
- By cutting one side of the floret in half, you caramelize a larger portion of the broccoli.
- Next, the oven temperature. It must be HOT before you put the broccoli in the oven. The shock is necessary to achieve caramelization.
- Finally, fresh lemon and high-quality sea salt make this dish pop in flavor!
Try these steps, and you will immediately notice the difference. This is the same technique I have started using with cauliflower (try my roasted purple cauliflower!) I love to have it as a side dish, particularly on a carb-heavy dish such as lemon garlic pasta or saffron risotto.
Prep Time
5 Minutes
Total Time
25 Minutes
Servings
4 sides
Diet
Vegan, GF
Cultural Notes
The flavors I used in this recipe — lemon, garlic, and olive oil — are foundational in the Mediterranean diet. (Source: Oldways)
Ingredients
Broccoli
For a crispy texture, you must use fresh broccoli. You can use frozen broccoli, but the result will be a steamed vegetable vs. a roasted one.
Heat-tolerant oil
It is typical to use olive oil when oven-roasting veggies. If you have avocado, grapeseed, or light olive oil, use one of those instead. They are heat-tolerant and your broccoli will be crisper.
Salt
I recommend using two salts with this recipe. First, toss the broccoli in sea salt before cooking. Then once it’s done, sprinkle it with lemon and finish with Moldon flaky salt for the perfect flavor pop!
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Oven-Roasted Instructions
Step One: Broccoli
Start by preheating your oven to 425°F (220°C). Wash the broccoli and pat it dry with a tea-towel or paper towel. Next, cut the florets off the stalk and pat the broccoli dry again. Your goal is to get the broccoli as dry as possible.
Cut the florets in half so that one side is flat. Place the florets in a large bowl and toss with heat-tolerant oil, the minced garlic, and sea salt. You want to make sure the top of the broccoli is covered in oil for crispy roasting. Spread the florets directly on the baking sheet, flat side down.
Step Two: Roast
Place the broccoli on the middle rack and roast for 15-20 minutes. Flip the florets halfway through the cook time. For more char, switch the oven to broil on low and roast for two additional minutes. Keep a close eye on the broccoli, as it can go from charred to burnt very quickly.
Step Three: Lemon
Remove the broccoli from the oven and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top. Then you will want to gently toss the florets, coating them in lemon juice.
Step Four: Serve
Transfer to your serving bowl and serve immediately. This recipe is best straight out of the oven.
Alternative Cooking Method: Air Fryer Option
Making air fryer roasted broccoli is very similar to the instructions above. Start by preheating your air fryer to 400°F / 200°C. Follow step two, the broccoli preparation, as written above. Then place the broccoli in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Space it out as much as possible. Cook for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. Remove the broccoli from the air fryer and squeeze fresh lemon on top.
Perfect Pairings
If you tried this lemon garlic broccoli? Leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below.
Mediterranean Lemon Garlic Broccoli
Equipment
- 1 medium mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccoli florets washed and dried
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prep: Start by preheating your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Broccoli: Wash the broccoli and pat it dry with a tea-towel or paper towel. Next, cut the florets off the stalk and pat the broccoli dry again. Your goal is to get the broccoli as dry as possible. Cut the florets in half so that one side is flat. Place the florets in a large bowl and toss with heat-tolerant oil, the minced garlic, and sea salt. You want to make sure the top of the broccoli is covered in oil for crispy roasting. Spread the florets directly on the baking sheet flat side down.
- Roast: Place the broccoli on the middle rack and roast for 15-20 minutes. Flip the florets halfway through the cook time. For more char, switch the oven to broil on low and roast for two additional minutes. Keep a close eye on the broccoli, as it can go from charred to burnt very quickly.
- Lemon: Remove the broccoli from the oven and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top. Then you will want to gently toss the florets to coat them in the juice.
- Serve: Transfer to your serving bowl and serve immediately. This recipe is best straight out of the oven.
Notes
Lemon garlic broccoli is best served fresh. You can store it in an airtight container for up to three days, but the texture will soften. To restore the crispiness, reheat in the oven for five minutes or the air fryer for three minutes. This will restore some of it, but it will not be the same as fresh out of the oven.
