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15-Minute Sauteed Broccoli with Garlic and Parmesan

4.99 from 69 community reviews

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Master a simple technique and make this DELICIOUS sautéed broccoli with crisp-textured edges and a tender bite. It’s full of flavor, with plenty of olive oil, garlic and Parmesan cheese. Serve it as a side dish or toss with pasta — it’s an easy crowd-pleaser!

A white pan with cooked broccoli, with a spoon and lemon wedges along side.
Crisp-tender sauteed broccoli with lemon, garlic and Parmesan cheese.

This recipe will show you how to sauté broccoli perfectly. One you master this technique, try it with other sturdy vegetables like green beans or garlicky broccoli rabe.

The broccoli is quickly pan-seared and then briefly “steamed” so that it has a pleasantly crisp texture on the outside, but tender on the inside when you take a bite. And the broccoli keeps its beautiful vibrant green color because it cooks in minutes.

Is it better to saute or just boil broccoli? Honestly, both methods are great but yield different results. Sautéed broccoli has a slight edge on taste, in my opinion. That’s because you kind of get the best of both worlds — crisp brown edges and tender broccoli when you take a bite.

My pan-sautè method offers an alternative to baking or my recipe for roasting broccoli. Simply sauteed broccoli is simple and flavorful, with an appetizing aroma of garlic.

Bunches of fresh broccoli in a colander, with a bottle of olive oil, red chili flakes and garlic cloves to the side.
Minimal ingredients is all you need to cook sauteed broccoli.

Ingredients for the recipe

  • Broccoli: You’ll need 6 cups of florets, which is about 1 large head of broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds before trimming). Frozen broccoli won’t crisp as well, but will still taste good.
  • Garlic: Grated fresh garlic cloves are the best. Minced garlic from a jar will work, but I don’t recommend garlic powder for this recipe.
  • Olive oil: Use a good everyday extra-virgin olive oil.
  • Red pepper flakes: These add a layer of warm heat, but not too much.
  • Lemon wedges: For squeezing over the dish.
  • Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated is the best! You can substitute with nutritional yeast to make it dairy-free.

Prepping broccoli for sautéeing

During my restaurant chef training, I learned the best way to cut and trim broccoli for cooking. Once you master the steps, you’ll be slicing up bunches of broccoli like a pro.

  • The tender part of the broccoli stalk is completely edible. The trick is trim off the tough ends and slice the remaining tender stems thinly so they cook evenly along with the florets.
  • Slice the broccoli tops into florets that are about as wide as your index finger. This is the perfect size to ensure they’ll cook tender-crisp quickly and stay bright green.

How to sauté broccoli, step by step

  1. Start by choosing your largest skillet. A 12-inch pan is best because it has more surface area for searing the broccoli.
  2. Heat the pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes, just until a drop of water sizzles on contact. Add the olive oil, broccoli and salt, arranging the broccoli in one layer. You don’t want to add the garlic at this point or it will burn.
  3. Let the broccoli cook undisturbed until it sears to a golden brown, which takes 5-8 minutes depending on your stove.
  4. Stir the broccoli around, then add the garlic, chili and 1/4 cup water. Lower the heat to medium and cover the pan. Cook 5 minutes, or just until you can easily pierce a broccoli stem with the tip of a sharp knife.

Season it up

Sautéed broccoli doesn’t really needs nothing else added to it, but you definitely have options when it comes to seasoning. Broccoli tastes good with any type of fat, like olive oil, butter and cheese, as well as ingredients that have bright, acidic flavor, like citrus and vinegar.

  • Sprinkle with toasted almonds or pine nuts.
  • Add a crumble of flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
  • Add a big knob of butter to the broccoli as soon as you take the pan off the heat.
  • The naturally robust texture of broccoli is also good with crunchy things — think toasted breadcrumbs or sesame seeds.
A white pan full of sauteed broccoli, with grated cheese on top and a wooden spoon and lemon wedges on the side.

15-Minute Sauteed Broccoli with Garlic and Parmesan

Karen Tedesco
Master a simple technique and make this DELICIOUS sautéed broccoli with crisp edges and a tender bite! The broccoli has a ton of flavor, with olive oil, garlic and Parmesan cheese.
Print
4.99 from 69 community reviews
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Vegetables
Cuisine Vegetarian
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

12-inch nonstick skillet with a lid or cover

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 cups (450 g) broccoli florets and tender stems, from about 1 (1.5 pound) bunch
  • ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh garlic or minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper, or to taste
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) water

To serve:

  • 1-2 fresh lemon wedges
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • Place a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the pan is hot.
  • Add the olive oil, broccoli and salt to the pan. Arrange the pieces in one layer on the bottom of the pan as much as possible — this will help them sear better.
  • Cook the broccoli without stirring 5-8 minutes, until the broccoli is nicely browned on one side. Shake or stir the broccoli around and lower the heat to medium.
  • Add the water, garlic and chili flakes. Cover the pan and cook 5 minutes, or just until the broccoli is bright green and the stalks can be pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
  • Transfer the broccoli to a serving dish. Squeeze the lemon wedges over the broccoli and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Karen’s Notes and Tips

If you like, garnish your delicious sautéed broccoli with one or more:
  • Toasted sliced or chopped almonds
  • Pine nuts
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
  • A big knob of butter
  • Nutritional yeast (for a vegan option)
The cooked broccoli will keep refrigerated 3-5 days. You can also freeze it up to 1 month, but the texture will not be as crisp when reheated.

Nutrition

Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 8mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 74IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Recipe developer Karen Tedesco of the popular website Familystyle Food in her kitchen making a kale salad.

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.

4.99 from 69 votes (60 ratings without comment)

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15 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So so good!!! Best way to eat broccoli!

  2. 5 stars
    How do you freeze leftovers?

    1. Be sure that the broccoli is completely cooled (this will help prevent ice crystals from forming) and portion it into containers or freezer bags. It should keep well for 1-2 months.

  3. Great recipes, Karen. I loved the sautéed broccoli. It’s simple and easy to make. Thank you ❤️

  4. 4 stars
    Great recipe. I just added 4 cloves garlic instead.

  5. 5 stars
    Wow….just wow! Broccoli was perfect. Bonus for how easy it was! Thank you 🙏

  6. 5 stars
    This was really good and I’m not a vegetable person!! Definitely making this again

  7. malena smith says:

    5 stars
    Thank you for a quick, easy and most importantly delicious broccoli recipe that I will make again! Followed directions as shown.

  8. 5 stars
    This was excellent. I did have to use frozen broccoli, I ordered fresh but got subbed with frozen. It was still very good. Will definitely make again.

    1. Thanks for sharing Coral! Good to know that it’s very good with frozen broccoli, too.

  9. Thomas Kotalik says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely delish I made it for myself lasted two days Will let me friends know Thanks