Name: Lemon Butter Broccoli
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 (12-oz.) bag raw broccoli florets*; 1 Tbsp. olive oil; 1/4 tsp. salt; 2 Tbsp. salted butter; ¼ tsp. garlic powder; 1/4 tsp. granulated sugar; Zest of 1/2 lemon

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Turn anyone into a broccoli fan with my delightful Lemon Butter Broccoli. You may want to make enough for second helpings!

If you or anyone in your family or circle of friends doesn’t like broccoli, you have to make my Lemon Butter Broccoli for them. They will be converted. It’s not a regular, ordinary lemon butter either. This one has a secret ingredient.

Cooked lemon butter broccoli florets on a white platter with lemon wedges.

How To Bring Out Sweetness In Broccoli

To bring out the natural sweetness in the broccoli and to counteract the bitterness that tends to turn people away, I’ve incorporated two techniques. First, oven roasting the broccoli, and then tossing it in the lemon butter sauce (with the secret ingredient).

Roasting in general brings out the natural sugars in vegetables, and broccoli is no exception. I even sometimes just take a head of broccoli, add olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast it whole. It brings out so much sweetness. When broccoli is broken into florets like for the recipe below, it will be about 20 minutes in the oven. At that point, the broccoli becomes a perfect tender-crisp, with lightly browned and charred edges, and sweeter than before it was roasted.

What Ingredients Do I Need?

Bagged broccoli, which is what I often use for convenience, or heads of broccoli can be used interchangeably. If using heads of broccoli, you’ll need about two to equal the 24 ounces called for in the recipe. The bagged broccoli won’t contain the stems, but if using broccoli heads, peel the stems to remove the tough, woody part, and then finely chop the stems. Or, save the stems for another recipe.

To enhance that sweetness even more, the broccoli is tossed in lemon butter that is infused with garlic, salt, lots of lemon zest, and a scant amount of sugar. When divided into six servings, it turns out to be about a pinch of sugar per person. That tiny amount of sugar surprisingly makes a big impact on the flavor of the broccoli and eliminates much of the bitterness.

How To Make My Special Lemon Butter Broccoli

To make the Lemon Butter Broccoli, first preheat the oven to 400°F. Then, in a large bowl add the broccoli, olive oil, and salt. Toss this all together until broccoli is well coated in the oil and salt, which will help it roast evenly in the oven.

Transfer the broccoli to a large sheet pan and spread out the florets in a single layer. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. You want the broccoli crisp-tender and lightly browned around the edges. Remove the pan from the oven, and set it aside while you make the lemon butter.

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, garlic powder, and sugar. Microwave this for about 30 seconds or until butter is melted. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir to ensure the butter is melted, and then add the zest.

Transfer the broccoli to a serving bowl and drizzle melted lemon butter over the broccoli. Immediately toss the broccoli to distribute the butter and serve warm.