Smashed Broccoli

This crispy oven-roasted smashed broccoli recipe with parmesan and red pepper flakes makes for the perfect side dish for any meal! You only need a handful of ingredients to make this and you can easily customize this smashed broccoli dish however you’d like! It’s a simple but delicious side dish.

Growing up, broccoli was one of the only vegetables I’d eat. So it’s no surprise that it’s still one of my go-to vegetables! They’re so easy to prepare and I love how satisfying it is to bite into them. This recipe will turn any broccoli-hater into a broccoli lover.

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• You can make the smashed broccoli as crispy as you’d like. Simply roast them longer! As they’re steamed first, they’re cooked through, and you can enjoy them with just a light roasting or more.
• You can add as much or as little red pepper flakes as you’d like. You can also change it up by using different seasoning. I love swapping out the red pepper flakes for everything but the bagel seasoning or a drizzle of chili oil.
• You don’t need a ton of ingredients to make this smashed broccoli recipe! A majority of the ingredients I have in my kitchen already.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• broccoli — I buy broccoli heads, so I can have only florets! I use fresh broccoli, but you could also use frozen broccoli.
• oil — you can use olive oil or another neutral oil such as avocado oil.
• seasoning — I season the broccoli with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.
• parmesan — freshly grated parmesan makes everything better. You can also use another shredded cheese of your choice. Parmesan adds a lovely salty flavor to the broccoli.
• lemon — a squeeze of lemon juice at the end adds a nice brightness to the smashed broccoli.

How to Make Smashed Broccoli

• Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a large pot with a steamer basket on top. Place the lid on top and steam broccoli until crisp-tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.

• Transfer the broccoli to a large sheet pan in a single layer and use the bottom of a mason jar (or potato masher) to smash the broccoli.
• Drizzle the olive oil over the broccoli and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Top with shredded parmesan.
• Broil the broccoli for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is crispy to your standards.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• If you do not have a steamer basket, you can blanche the broccoli instead. Add the broccoli to a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. If you blanche the broccoli, make sure it is dry before smashing. Any residual water will make it difficult for the oil and seasoning to stick.
• Smashing the broccoli flattens the broccoli, so there’s more surface area to hold the seasoning and parmesan and to crisp up.
• If you are using frozen broccoli, steam it from frozen! Do not thaw the broccoli first, or it’ll become mushy.
• You can make the smashed broccoli as crispy as you’d like. Just keep an eye on the broccoli as when you broil them, they can go from crispy to burnt quickly.

Make Ahead Tips

• Meal prep: once cooled, store the smashed broccoli in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
• Reheat: you can reheat the broccoli in the microwave at work. If at home, I like to reheat the broccoli in the air fryer or oven to keep the broccoli crispy.

More Side Dishes to Try

• Vegetable Stir Fry
• Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
• Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
• Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
• Boursin Mashed Potatoes

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