Name: Roasted Frozen Broccoli
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Vegetables
Ingredients: 1 pound frozen broccoli*; 2 tablespoons olive oil; Kosher salt; Fresh ground black pepper; 1 small garlic clove; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)

Here’s a trick for an easy and healthy side dish: roasted frozen broccoli! The oven gives this veg a makeover, making it browned and crisp at the edges.

Can you roast frozen vegetables? That’s the question Alex and I set out to investigate with this recipe. Recently we made frozen peas taste blow-your-mind good (these Peas with Lemon). So could the same sort of thing be done with broccoli? Turns out, it’s possible…and delicious! Roasted frozen broccoli comes out tender and browned, and flavored with garlic, salt, and lemon: it’s pretty darn tasty. The entire pan disappeared a flash! If you’re looking a healthy way to make frozen broccoli taste its very best: this is your recipe.

Is roasting frozen as good as with fresh?

Could roasted frozen broccoli really be as good as roasting fresh broccoli? Well, they’re both good: just different! Here’s what we found:

If you have access to fresh, make this Best Roasted Broccoli. There’s really nothing like roasting broccoli from fresh stalks. The texture is much sturdier and robust than with frozen. However…
Frozen broccoli is much more tender, but still delicious! Frozen broccoli can stand the test! It is definitely more tender than fresh broccoli, and you have to handle it gently. But it still comes out lightly crispy at the edges. Make sure to salt it well and you’ll want to gobble it up in one sitting.

Ingredients for roasted frozen broccoli

You only need a handful of ingredients for this healthy side dish recipe! Of course, the advantage of roasting frozen broccoli is that it’s inexpensive and easy to store. Pull it out of the freezer and make a batch anytime! Now that we know this trick, we’ll be using it for nights that our refrigerator is bare. Here’s what you need:

1 pound bag frozen broccoli
Olive oil
Garlic
Kosher salt
Lemon juice — this adds a tangy flavor that takes it over the top! But it’s optional, especially if you won’t have one on hand. No special trips to the store needed.

How to make roasted frozen broccoli

Fact: there are many of our side dish recipes that are much faster than this roasted frozen broccoli. So if you’re looking for something quick and easy, try those frozen Peas with Lemon, or our Sauteed Spinach or Sauteed Kale (5 minutes!) or Sauteed Broccoli (10 minutes). But if you’re looking for the best way to make frozen broccoli taste good: this is your recipe. Here are the basic steps:

Rinse the frozen broccoli under warm water for a few seconds. Then shake off as much water as possible.
Mix the broccoli with olive oil and kosher salt. Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (for easy cleanup).
Roast at 450 degrees for 25 minutes. The broccoli will come out with browned edges: just like fresh broccoli.
Season with a little more salt, garlic, and lemon. We like to add just a little grated fresh garlic to the mix in our roasted veggie recipes. The lemon is not required, but the tang really amps the flavors.

The serving size is small. Double if desired!

You’ll notice that a 1 pound bag of broccoli seems like less florets than you would imagine! The quantity gets even a little smaller when roasted. If you’re feeding very hungry eaters, we’d suggest making a double batch. Alex and I polished this pan of roasted frozen broccoli off very quickly.

One thing to note if you double it: when you roast two pans in the oven, it can take longer to cook because there is more surface area to heat. Watch the pans and know you may need to roast a few minutes longer.

Let us know if you give this kitchen hack a try in the comments below!

Another recipe that uses frozen broccoli

Try our Broccoli Potato Soup! To keep this soup on the quick and easy side, we used frozen broccoli instead of fresh. It’s like a broccoli cheese soup, but a healthy and plant based version…and even more delicious! Go to Creamy Broccoli Potato Soup.

This roasted frozen broccoli recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.