This addictive parmesan roasted broccoli with crispy breadcrumbs will have everyone enjoying their veggies! Packed with flavor from spicy red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and garlic, this easy side is ready in just 25 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
This crispy parmesan broccoli is a last-minute veggie side you will find yourself making over and over again! Here’s why:
- Easy: Toss everything together and bake until golden, you won’t need any complicated ingredients or techniques!
- Flavorful: Take your regular roasted broccoli and dress it up! With a combination of lemon zest, red pepper flakes, fresh garlic, parmesan and bread crumbs, each bite will be better than the last.
- Quick: This addictively cheesy broccoli will be on the table in just 25 minutes!
- Great for Gatherings: It’s easy enough to be a weeknight side, but impressive enough to be served for a holiday dinner as well.
Love broccoli? Try my creamy mac and cheese with broccoli or this best broccoli salad with bacon!
What You’ll Need
Red pepper flakes and lemon juice add the perfect amount of heat and tang. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Broccoli: For this recipe, you do only want to use fresh broccoli, never frozen.
- Oil: Avocado, olive or coconut oil all work great for this.
- Lemon: You will use both the zest and lemon juice.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, but garlic paste or garlic powder can be used.
- Salt and Pepper: Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper will give you the most flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes: These will add a mild heat. Use cayenne pepper for more heat.
- Breadcrumbs: Regular breadcrumbs or Panko style breadcrumbs will both work. Use whichever you have on hand!
- Parmesan: Make sure it’s freshly-grated and not the bottled version in a shaker can.
How to Make Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan
All the crispy goodness comes from the parmesan-breadcrumb mixture. Scroll to the recipe card at bottom of the post for full detailed instructions.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Parmesan: Whisk the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, breadcrumbs, and half of the parmesan cheese in a bowl. Set aside.
- Broccoli: Mix the broccoli, olive oil, zest, lemon juice, and garlic in a separate bowl.
- Combine: Toss to combine the parmesan mixture into the broccoli.
- Roast: Transfer the broccoli to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and fork-tender.
- Serve: Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with a little extra shredded parmesan, serve, and enjoy!
Cook’s Tips & Variations
A few tips and variations to ensure this parmesan roasted broccoli recipe turns out perfect:
- Don’t Use Frozen: Do not use broccoli out of the freezer and expect it to roast properly. It’ll release excess moisture, soften the florets, and take longer to cook.
- Spread It Out: Try to leave a little space between each piece of broccoli so the breadcrumbs have room to crisp up evenly.
- Make Even Cuts: Choose florets that are more or less the same size to ensure even cooking. Otherwise some of the broccoli will over-cook, while other bites will be undercooked.
- Add Bacon: Cook 4 to 6 bacon strips until crispy. Crumble and sprinkle them on top, before serving, for an added smoky and salty crunch.
- Prep Ahead: If you are making this for a dinner party, or meal prepping for the week, you can prepare it ahead. Follow directions until the baking step. Instead, tightly cover the baking tray with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Bake as directed.
- Brussel Sprouts: This recipe is also delicious made with Brussels sprouts instead of broccoli! Just remove the stems and cut the sprouts in half.
What To Serve With Parmesan Broccoli
Parmesan roasted broccoli is an easy veggie side that goes with just about everything! Here are a few tasty ideas:
- Chicken: Go for gold with this easy crockpot whole chicken! Feeling pasta? This chicken alfredo would be a perfect pairing with roasted broccoli.
- Beef: This southern smothered cube steak is a family favorite. If you feel like grilling, try out this flavorful churrasco steak!
- Seafood: We love pairing roasted vegetables with salmon! Try my easy salmon patties or teriyaki salmon recipes.
How To Store Leftovers
While best served fresh, you can re-crisp this broccoli in the air fryer!
- Fridge: Store cooled broccoli in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: You can reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments, till warm. However, for best crispy results, try the air fryer at 350°F for about 4 minutes.
- Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this broccoli. It will never crisp up again once frozen and thawed.
More Must Make Vegetable Side Dish Recipes
Yield: 4 servings
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
This parmesan roasted broccoli recipe with golden breadcrumbs and spicy red pepper flakes is an easy 25-minute side.
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, or olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, toss to combine the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, bread crumbs, and 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Set aside.
- Place the broccoli florets into a large bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic and toss to combine.
- Add the breadcrumb mixture to the broccoli. Toss to coat making sure each floret is coated in the mixture. (You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure that the broccoli is evenly seasoned and coated.)
- Transfer the broccoli to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the seasoning is golden brown and the broccoli is fork-tender.
- Top with the remaining freshly grated parmesan, and serve immediately.
Notes
Store: Transfer cooled broccoli in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheat: You can reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments, till warm. However, for best crispy results, try the air fryer at 350°F for about 4 minutes.
Don’t Use Frozen: Do not use broccoli out of the freezer and expect it to roast properly. It’ll release excess moisture, soften the florets, and take longer to cook.
Spread It Out: Try to leave a little space between each piece of broccoli so the breadcrumbs have room to crisp up evenly.
Add Bacon: Cook 4 to 6 bacon strips until crispy. Crumble and sprinkle them on top, before serving, for an added smoky and salty crunch.
Prep Ahead: If you are making this for a dinner party, or meal prepping for the week, you can prepare it ahead. Follow directions until the baking step. Instead, tightly cover the baking tray with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Bake as directed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 205kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 574mg, Potassium: 445mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 864IU, Vitamin C: 116mg, Calcium: 219mg, Iron: 2mg
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