Crispy, slightly charred broccoli florets oven roasted with crunchy Parmesan cheese and Panko breadcrumbs- this vegetable side dish takes on a whole new level of deliciousness!Jump to Recipe
If you’re getting a little pushback on serving broccoli with dinner again from the kids, let me tell you this is how to spice things up. Crispy Parmesan cheese just makes everything better! Yes, EVEN broccoli! Broccoli roasted in the oven is magnificently simple, with very little prep work and cleanup, these addictive little broccoli florets will get scarfed up faster than your average vegetable side dish. It’s vegetable sorcery, see for yourself!
Ingredients and Tips for making Crispy Parmesan Roasted Broccoli:
Broccoli florets: It’s important to cut your broccoli in fairly even sizes, large pieces will take longer to cook than smaller pieces. A little tip: I like the cut the broccoli florets lengthwise to give a flat bottom so that the crispy Parmesan sticks onto the broccoli easier when roasting (see image below in instructions).
Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese is awesome with this recipe, but if you have Asiago, Cheddar, or Romano instead, I think those would be great too! The key is to use freshly grated cheese. The pre-shredded bags or containers of cheese contain additives that prevent sticking, hence a longer shelf life, but they also affect how way the cheese melts. I recommend buying all your cheese whole and shredding/ grating as needed!
Panko bread crumbs: I prefer to use Panko breadcrumbs instead of Italian-style breadcrumbs whenever my goal is to get a good crisp, like with this recipe. Panko flakes have a larger surface area and a more irregular shape, which helps them create a light, crisp coating when fried or baked. I suppose you could try the Italian-style breadcrumbs in a pinch, if you do, leave a comment and let me know how it turns out.
Olive Oil: Olive oil is the bond used to make the Parmesan Cheese and Panko Breadcrumbs stick together.
Seasoning: I think a simple combination of garlic powder and kosher salt does just fine, but add a pinch of cayenne if you want to add a little heat.
How to Make Crispy Parmesan Roasted Broccoli:
Preheat oven to convection roast at 425 degrees F, and move a rack into top third position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Trim broccoli florets into evenly sized pieces. If washing make sure to pat dry (wet broccoli will not crisp up, it will steam while roasting)
In a small mixing bowl combine panko breadcrumbs, shredded parmesan olive oil, salt, and garlic powder.
Spread the Parmesan/Panko mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Layer broccoli on top. Drizzle approx 2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt, and about ¼ cup Parmesan over the broccoli. *just eyeball it, measurements don’t need to be exact.
Roast for 15-20 minutes. Until cheese is crispy, and the broccoli stem can be pierced with knife with a little resistance.
Crispy Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Ingredients
- 6 cups broccoli florets
- ½ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese plus more for topping
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ tsp salt plus more for topping
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup olive oil plus more for drizzle
Instructions
- Preheat oven to convection roast 425 degrees and move a rack into top third position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Trim broccoli florets into evenly sized pieces. If washing make sure to pat dry (wet broccoli will not crisp up, it will steam while roasting)
- In a small mixing bowl combine panko breadcrumbs, shredded parmesan olive oil, salt, and garlic powder.
- Spread the parmesan/panko mixture on parchment-lined baking sheet. Layer broccoli on top. Drizzle approx 2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp salt, and about ¼ cup parmesan over the broccoli. *just eyeball it, measurements don’t need to be exact.
- Roast for 15-20 minutes. Until cheese is crispy, broccoli stem is able to be pierced with knife with a little resistance.
