Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli (EASY)

Name: Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 head broccoli (12-14 oz); 1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (~1 lemon); 3-4 cloves garlic; 2-3 tbsp salted butter; 1/2 tsp salt

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

Whatever your relationship status is with broccoli – best buds, kinda meh, it’s complicated, you will love this Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli.

This is seriously one of the tastiest broccoli side dish ever….and it’s so easy to make as well! Roasted lemon broccoli is oven baked, slightly crunchy on the outside, seasoned with a delicious lemon garlic flavor that is savory and slightly tangy.

Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli on a rectangular plate with lemons behind

Want more broccoli recipes? Check out Broccoli au Gratin, Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry and Broccoli Kale Apple and Cranberry Slaw as well!

Oven Baked Broccoli with Lemon and Garlic

Take my husband for example. Historically not a broccoli fan, he devoured this lemon garlic roasted broccoli. And yes, he was pretty surprised by how much he liked it.

Full of bursting flavors and a slight crunch, I am convinced that lemon garlic roasted broccoli is how you convinced those non-veggie eaters to eat more veggies!

As for me – broccoli and I were in the “kinda meh” category. Never hated it; never loved it; never my first choice.

But now that this yum thing has made its way into my life somewhat unexpectedly – oh my gosh I ABSOLUTELY ADORE this baked lemon broccoli dish.

Couldn’t stop eating it. Couldn’t believe I couldn’t stop eating broccoli. Ah, the surprises in life.

Totally went from meh to best buds. All thanks to this incredible roasted lemon broccoli recipe.

A rectangular plate of roasted broccoli with lemons

The inspiration for roasted lemon garlic broccoli came from a local restaurant.

When my sister was in town a few weeks ago, we tried out a new place and ordered this lemony slightly charred broccoli side that I fell in love with it. After that, I was determined to recreate the roasted lemon broccoli dish at home.

After a handful of trial and error, I got it exactly the way I liked it. I also decided to leave out the charring of the broccoli because I actually like it baked better.

And so it happened – Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli. BEST broccoli dish ever.

Ingredients

Lemon garlic roasted broccoli is made with only 5 simple ingredients:

broccoli – cut into broccoli florets
lemon – use freshly squeeze lemon juice. The citrus from the lemon really brings about incredible flavors to the broccoli
garlic – use fresh garlic for the best flavor. Garlic powder just isn’t the same!
salted butter – don’t use unsalted, it’s less tasty. You can use olive oil or vegetable oil, but in my experience butter taste a whole lot better. However, olive oil is in fact a healthier way to make this.
salt

How to Make Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli

When I created this roasted lemon broccoli recipe, I wanted to keep it simple. No fancy ingredients, straight-forward cooking, and minimal active time in the kitchen (less than 10 minutes active time!).

To make roasted lemon garlic broccoli, start by cutting up broccoli into small to medium sized florets, and then bring them to a large mixing bowl.

In a small ramekin, melt butter and add minced garlic to melted butter. Then drizzled the mixture to broccoli. Toss well.

After that, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of freshly squeeze lemon juice. One medium size lemon should be able to yield that. If you like it super lemony, feel free to add more lemon juice.

Drizzle lemon juice all over broccoli, and toss again.

Next, add some salt to the broccoli, and toss some more.

Spread lemon garlic broccoli onto a baking sheet. Do not overlap or overcrowd the baking sheet.

Uncooked Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli on a baking sheet

Bake lemon garlic broccoli in the oven at 425℉ for 17-20 minutes. No flipping required – easy easy easy.

The product is a beautifully roasted broccoli with lemon and garlic flavors.

Something about lemon flavors in this simple garlic broccoli dish takes it to the next level.

It is crunchy, flavorful, and makes eating broccoli so much fun!

Lemon + garlic + buttery = the combo that makes these broccoli come alive.

If you there’s only one thing you take away from this post, it is that. Take that with you, and see broccoli in a whole new light!

Variations and Substitutions

Here are some other minor tweaks to this roasted lemon garlic broccoli recipe that I’ve made that works well:

Add parmesan – parmesan brings another level of flavor and saltiness to your roasted lemon broccoli
Use cooking oil (avocado oil, olive oil) instead of butter – this is a healthier spin, but I honestly think the butter version taste better.
Add almonds – for the extra crunch!

Up close of a rectangular plate of Roasted Lemon Garlic Broccoli

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use frozen broccoli instead of fresh broccoli?

Yes you can but I don’t love the texture of frozen broccoli after it is baked (less crunchy, a bit soggy) so I would recommend fresh broccoli if you can find them.

How can I make this dish healthier?

Substitute butter with olive oil or avocado oil. Butter makes this dish more flavorful, but olive oil and avocado oil are healthier choices

What’s the best way to reheat this?

I always reheat this in the microwave and it turns out just fine!

DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest! We very much your help! 🤍

Other Yummy Veggie Dishes