This Crispy Roasted Broccoli Recipe Is Your New Guide to Roasting Veggies

School’s in session, no mushy broccoli allowed.
Image may contain Plant Food Egg Vegetable and Broccoli
Photo by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone and Jennifer Ophir

When I was little, I knew I didn’t actually hate broccoli—I just hated the stinky, pale-green, mushy steamed stuff I got served in the middle school cafeteria. Because even at a young age, I could tell that it wasn't the vegetable's fault. I knew broccoli deserved better. And now, in my adult life, I finally understand what that means: crispy roasted broccoli with plenty of luscious tahini sauce drizzled overtop.

This roasted broccoli recipe couldn't be more simple to make or easier to love. It produces beautifully browned florets and coins of sweet, crisp stem, and should be your new go-to method for making the kind of weeknight veggie side that feels like a joy, rather than a chore, to make and eat. Here's how it goes down.

Take a large head of broccoli—the kind that still has a nice long stalk, not just broccoli "crowns"—and cut it crosswise into coins, starting at the bottom working your way to the florets. (That's right: The stems are edible, and delicious!) Like you would in any sort of roasted vegetable situation, you’ll want to cut the chunks into uniform pieces so they all cook at around the same rate.

That's right: You can eat the stems, don't throw 'em out!


Then you're going to spread the broccoli out on a rimmed sheet pan, making sure the pieces aren't too crowded—you want them to have plenty of space to breathe, otherwise they'll steam rather than roast. Pop those into a preheated 425°F oven—that's the kind of heat you need in order to get the outside of the broccoli crispy while the interior retains a bit of crunch—and before you know it those beautiful green hunks will transform into crackly, brown-tinged jewels ready for saucing. You’re not done yet, though.

If you ever taste seemingly-simple sauces at restaurants and wonder how they pull it off, well, then this is the sauce for you. It reads kind of fancy, but all you're doing is whisking together lemon juice, salt, hot water, tahini, and olive oil until it's smooth and creamy. The end result is a beautiful emulsion that’s velvety and rich while also punchy enough to give that platter of crispy-crunchy broccoli just the right amount of zing. The best part? If you slipped up and made a little too much sauce, don’t worry! The sauce is perfect for topping other roasted veggies, pita pockets, and any type of grain bowl you find yourself cobbling together when you're too tired to cook. Toast some sesame seeds real quick, sprinkle those on top, and you're looking at a mini-masterclass in flashy toppings and finishes. Broccoli: redeemed.

Right, about that roasted broccoli recipe:

Image may contain Plant Food Meal Dish Fruit Citrus Fruit and Vegetable

Crispy Roasted Broccoli with Tahini Sauce

Three simple things separate the kind of crispy, flavorful roasted vegetables that you could happily eat three nights a week from the kind that feel like a sad afterthought—and this roasted broccoli recipe gets it right. For one, making sure not to crowd the vegetables on the sheet pan ensures that they actually roast, not just steam. And cranking the heat—425°F is the sweet spot—helps to achieve exterior browning and caramelization more quickly, so that the veggies stay crisp-tender. Finally: SAUCE! Even the simplest, throw-together tahini sauce makes a platter of roasted broccoli feel a lot more special. And there you have it folks: roasted veggies you can actually get excited about.
View Recipe