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    Home » Side Dishes

    How to Cook Frozen Broccoli (No roasting required!)

    Jan 15, 2021 · 7 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Want to make great tasting frozen broccoli? Don’t want to have to roast it? No problem!  Start with a bag of frozen broccoli, add garlic and lemon, and you’ll make some really tasty broccoli in a snap!

    Cooked frozen broccoli floret.

    Frozen vegetables can be great—if you treat them right. Two staples that are always in my freezer are frozen green beans and frozen broccoli. They make quick and tasty side dishes. 

    That’s right. I said tasty. Here’s the thing about cooking frozen vegetables: if you simply thaw them and serve, they are kind of blah. If you take a few minutes (seriously, a few minutes) and add a couple of ingredients, like garlic and lemon, they transform from blah to “I can’t stop eating this!”

    Step One: Buying Frozen Broccoli. 

    There are three choices when it comes to buying frozen broccoli: florets, cuts, and seasoned/sauced broccoli. 

    We’re going to talk about the first two. If you’re buying seasoned or sauced broccoli, you don’t need this recipe. 

    Broccoli Florets

    This is my preference when buying frozen broccoli. The florets are the top of the broccoli that look like little trees. They include a bit of stem but not too much. 

    Broccoli Cuts

    As the name implies, broccoli cuts aren’t whole florets. You get a mix of florets and stems. Broccoli cuts are great for casserole and soups. They work for this recipe, too. So if you prefer the cuts, get them. 

    Cook’s Tip: Whether you buy florets or cuts, make sure the only ingredient is broccoli. 

    Step Two: Thaw

    This broccoli gets sauteed with garlic and lemon. But before you throw it into a hot skillet, you need to thaw it.  This extra step is worth it. Thawing it, either in the microwave or giving it a light steam, removed excess moisture. During testing, I found that sautéing frozen broccoli gave me soggy broccoli. Taking a minute to thaw it before autéing, ensured a much better texture.

    How to Thaw Frozen Broccoli in the Microwave.

    Remove the broccoli from the bag. Place them in a microwave-safe container. Add a little water and cover. Heat until the broccoli is just thawed. The broccoli does not need to be hot. 

    How to Thaw Frozen Broccoli on the Stovetop

    If you don’t have a microwave, you can thaw frozen broccoli using a steamer. Heat about a half-inch of water in a small pot until steaming. Place the broccoli in a steamer basket over the water. Cover and steam for about two minutes.

    Step Three: Saute with Garlic and Lemon

    Ingredients for cooking frozen broccoli. Salt, olive oil, bag of broccoli florets, lemon, and two cloves of garlic.

    A lot of recipes call for roasting frozen broccoli in the oven. This doesn’t work for me. If I’m grabbing a bag of frozen broccoli, I don’t want to be bothered roasting it. 

    So I saute it. This doesn’t make it as crisp as oven-roasted broccoli but it does a good job driving the excess moisture out. (Just don’t overcook it or the broccoli gets soggy.)

    How to Saute Frozen Broccoli

    Heat some olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or nonstick frying pan. Add a clove or two of minced garlic. Once the garlic starts to turn lightly brown, add the thawed garlic. Toss cook until bright green. If you like, you can cook until some brown spots appear on the broccoli. Add lemon zest and juice, salt to taste and you are done! (Or not…)

    Step Four: Add Cheese or Heat (optional)

    You can stop at step three. And sometimes I do. But other times, I add some parmesan cheese. Or a spoonful of sambal oleck.

    Cooked frozen broccoli floret.
    4 from 1 vote
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    How to Cook Frozen Broccoli

    It’s quick and easy to make great tasting frozen broccoli. Start with a bag of broccoli, add garlic and lemon and you’ll soon enjoy a flavorful side.
    Course Side Dish
    Keyword broccoli, frozen vegetables
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 5 minutes

    Ingredients

    • 1 (12 ounce) bag frozen broccoli, florets or cuts
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 1-2 cloves garlic
    • Zest and juice of one lemon
    • Salt, to taste
    • Optional

    Optional

    • Parmesan cheese
    • sambal oleck

    Instructions

    1. Place broccoli in a microwave-safe container. Add water. Cover. Microwave until broccoli until thawed but not hot, about two minutes. Drain and set aside.
    2. Heat olive oil in a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until oil shimmers but does not smoke. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is light brown.
    3. Add the drained broccoli to the skillet. Toss the broccoli to coat with oil and garlic. Cook until broccoli is hot and bright green, about three to four minutes. Add the lemon zest and juice. Toss to combine. Season with salt to taste.
    4. Optional: Add parmesan cheese or sambal oleck to taste.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marta Roncon says

      February 01, 2021 at 9:49 am

      “A lot of recipes call for roasting frozen broccoli in the oven. This doesn’t work for me. If I’m grabbing a bag of frozen broccoli, I don’t want to be bothered roasting it”….lol so true!! If I had wanted more work I would´ve bought it fresh 😉

      Thank you for the tips, I´ll try it tonight!

      Reply
      • Elizabeth says

        February 01, 2021 at 11:36 am

        Ha! Yessssss.

        Reply
      • Ryan says

        November 22, 2021 at 10:17 pm

        Roasting is actually less work! Toss it in some oil and salt and pepper, throw it in the oven, set a timer and walk away. No need to sit there and baby sit it by stirring it on the stove. Much easier!

        Reply
        • Elizabeth says

          November 23, 2021 at 1:54 pm

          But then you need to turn on the oven. Which for one small bag of frozen broccoli is not something that I want to do.

          Reply
    2. Mikaela Burnett says

      February 08, 2022 at 11:03 pm

      If you don’t want to roast your broccoli, you can always stick it in the microwave. To make it soft you would need to heat it up for 7 minutes the first time, and then add an extra five minutes. Once the five minutes are over, your broccoli will be ready to be seasoned and eaten… or maybe just eaten if your not into the whole seasoning thing lol!

      Reply
    3. Lori McDonnell says

      May 05, 2022 at 11:49 pm

      4 stars
      I appreciate your recipe and am trying it now. (Will be too tired to comment after.) I need it to be done quickly, but am willing to spend a few extra minutes on prep that improves flavor! That’s a biggie here. I hope it works! Thanks, in advance! If it turns out well, I’ll try extra hard to come back tomorrow to add 5th star. ☆

      Reply
    4. Cheryl Meadows says

      May 30, 2022 at 4:44 pm

      Sounds good going to try it tonight, thanks

      Reply

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    Elizabeth Barbone

    Elizabeth Barbone is the founder and recipe developer behind Cook Fast, Eat Well. A food writer for over 15 years, she's built a reputation for creating easy recipes that work.

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