How to bake frozen broccoli in oven at 350 is here! Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top florets or just butter for a healthy side dish from frozen to roasted to tender. Roasting frozen vegetables in oven is a great way to enjoy them year round.
Baking frozen broccoli has been a game changer for us. Even in the winter time when the produce in our store isn’t too fresh, we can now enjoy tender veggies every night still. On a sheet pan in the oven, this can be cooking at the same time as you meat for a complete meal.
What is the best way to cook frozen broccoli?
We experimented first making Instant Pot frozen broccoli and that worked out great but there was no crisp, this fixed that issue. It is also convenient when I also want to bake a chicken at the same time. It is convenient if I can also throw this on another rack and not have to turn another appliance on.
Like air fryer frozen broccoli, this way will get that nice crisp on the edges too which is nice. Kids will only eat this with goodies on top? No problem, I get it. Either sprinkle some cheese on top, or drizzle some Velveeta over the top when done. You will find that there are a lot of ways to serve and/or season this one once you get the hang of the timing.
Tips
We are just going to use a bag of broccoli right out of the freezer, olive oil, seasonings and if you want parmesan then that too. For easier cleanup and have it not stick to the pan just add a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom. When bought in a bag like this you bypass all the preparations which is nice too.
The stem is removed and the florets are sliced so each piece is around the same size. This is important whether you are cooking frozen or fresh Instant Pot broccoli so that it cooks evenly and each one is the same fork tenderness. 😉 Let’s talk about the nutritional value you will enjoy, which doesn’t change when frozen.
Now one thing to remember is that if you boil broccoli you will loose some of the vitamins, baking won’t do that. So another bonus.
There is literally NO prep work necessary when you cook frozen broccoli oven roasted like this. If you had fresh broccoli you would need to rinse, remove leaves, cut off the stem, slice the florets into smaller equal pieces and then start with coating with oil and seasonings. With this you throw it into a bowl, toss the broccoli with those and go!
How Long to Bake Frozen Broccoli
There is a bit of a variance as there is with cooking in general depending on what size your pieces are but in our experimenting I found that with large bite size florets you will want to Bake for 15 minutes.
Should you thaw frozen broccoli before baking?
No, the texture is better if you cook it from frozen to tender without thawing beforehand. If you let it sit it will soften and the florets will begin to wilt and get a bit mushy. Frozen baked broccoli is better poured on to a sheet pan and put into a preheated oven to immediately cook.
How to Season Frozen Vegetables
Then sprinkle with parmesan, or drizzle with sauce from Asian Broccoli recipe and bake for another 5 minutes. If you didn’t want to add cheese then I’d open after 15 to move around with a spatula, you could add red pepper flakes now if you wanted some spicy heat to it and then proceed with last 5 min.
- A sprinkle of some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper over the cooked broccoli is simple and obvious.
- You could just sprinkle garlic powder on the top, or go a step further to sauté minced garlic in olive oil or butter in a pan, then drizzle it over the cooked florets.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top to give it a bright, tangy flavor.
- Like I said we like to sprinkle grated or shredded Parmesan cheese on the top for a savory, cheesy taste.
- Red pepper flakes will add a touch of heat by sprinkling just a bit on top.
- Experiment with herbs and spices like thyme, oregano, basil, cumin, or paprika to add different flavor profiles.
Baked Frozen Broccoli Recipe
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Put separated pieces of frozen broccoli florets into a bowl, drizzle on olive oil to coat, toss, add salt and pepper, and other spices if desired.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and lay out the broccoli florets in one single layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Then sprinkle with parmesan and bake for another 5 minutes or until crispy to your liking and fork tender on inside.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Got the gist? Now let’s talk about variations you could go with on future batches. If you love the seasonings on this one then by all means stick to simple but you may want to tweak a bit and see which are your favorite combinations over the top of your oven roasted frozen broccoli.
Now jump to recipe below and get down to the basics, tweak from there depending on what else you are making. If you want another sheet of veggies to enjoy as a side dish, throw in our roasted zucchini and squash which is something else my kiddos love.
Another favorite I will make often too is a tray full of roasted red cabbage. You can use the same seasonings really on both which makes it handy.
Whether you bake fresh or frozen florets, it is one of the best vegetable sources of vitamin C, more than the daily recommended intake for adults. It’s an excellent source of vitamin K, which is important for blood clotting and bone health. Has folate which is essential for DNA synthesis and cell growth and there is some in there too. A good source of potassium, iron and even calcium!
