Grilled broccoli is one of those simple side dishes we love to throw on the grill and serve up with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a generous shower of grated parmesan.
Four ingredients, 10 minutes, and a hot grill is all you need!
With very little preparation and cook time required, our grilled broccoli is one of those dishes that I tend to pull out of my hat when I need a vegetable to go with dinner and I need it to be easy.
Quick-cooking is part of what I love about grilling anyway and grilled vegetables take minimal effort to cook right alongside steaks or chops … or while the meat is resting.
Grilling brings out the flavor of broccoli and truly is one of the tastiest ways to prepare most vegetables. Cooking over high heat gives broccoli a touch of smokey char on the outside with a tender inside and a little snap for texture.
Broccoli Tops The List of Healthy Green Vegetables
When asked the question “Is broccoli good for you?” The simple answer is yes. Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable from the Brassica family, which also includes cauliflower, romanesco, kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and collard greens.
Broccoli is a healthy choice because it is high in fiber (super-important) and packed with a wealth of nutrients including protein, iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, magnesium, vitamins A, C, E & K, as well as an array of B vitamins.
Of course, you can eat it raw, but uncooked cruciferous vegetables can be hard to digest or cause painful bloating. Fermenting and cooking help to break down the sugars that can cause this issue but that’s not why we grill our broccoli—it’s because it tastes good.
And tasty vegetables are more likely to get eaten, right?!
How Do We Make Broccoli Taste Better?
Since broccoli tends to be slightly bitter-tasting, it pairs really well with salty ingredients like blue cheese, parmesan, miso, or soy sauce. Did you know salt helps mellow bitterness? Yep! Sweetness does too. It’s best to balance bitter flavors by introducing something salty, sweet, or sour.
A trio of flavors works some bitter-balancing magic in this recipe—Parmesan (grated and shaved), fresh lemon zest, and a hint of crushed red pepper flakes. The grated Parmesan cheese in this dish adds a wonderful salty, savory note, acidic lemon adds brightness, and a pinch of crushed red pepper brings a little zesty-spice.
TIP: If you don’t have a grill then roast the broccoli in the oven. Check out our Tuscan Roasted Broccoli Recipe for all the details!
Tips for Preparing Grilled Broccoli
- Smaller bite-size florets work best when using a grill pan, as shown in the photo.
- Larger florets are easier to turn on the grill if you don’t have a grill pan, stick to about the size of a clementine orange. These larger florets can then be cut into smaller pieces once grilled.
- If the broccoli head has a nice long stem, prep that too! Cut off the bottom inch of the stalk, peel the outer layer of the stem, and slice the stem into 1/4-inch slices. You’ll find the stem pieces taste slightly sweeter than the florets.
- Pre-heating the grill pan will help the broccoli brown and cook more quickly.
Special Equipment: When grilling broccoli, we use a grill pan placed over a gas or charcoal grill. Either type of grill will suffice and give the broccoli that wonderful smoky flavor, although you will find that charcoal does add just a little extra smoke.
How to Grill Broccoli STEP BY STEP
1. In a large mixing bowl, toss the broccoli with the avocado oil. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and toss again to coat.
2. Heat the grill to at least 400F, ensuring that the vegetable grill pan is in place during pre-heat.
3. When ready spread the broccoli over the hot grill pan and grill on high (med-high if your grill runs hot) for 6-8 minutes, turning every couple of minutes until the broccoli is cooked on both sides.
4. Take the mixing bowl from earlier and place the cooked broccoli into it. Season to taste with a little more salt and pepper and toss with lemon zest and grate a layer of parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.
TIP: You know the broccoli is cooked when well browned in some spots but fork-tender in the center.
Recipe Variations
- Substitute the avocado oil with either coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- Substitute orange zest for the lemon zest and add a few orange segments on top for an orange-forward twist.
- Substitute a teaspoon of your favorite spice or herb blend for the crushed red pepper flakes.
- Substitute chevre, asiago, feta, or cotija cheese for the Parmesan.
- Toss in sliced garlic with the broccoli before grilling.
- Add some extra crunch with toasted walnuts or almond slivers sprinkled over the finished dish.
- Make it vegan with a grated plant-based cheese alternative.
- Add other vegetables to the mix like cauliflower florets, carrots coins, mushrooms, etc. Don’t be shy with your vegetables. Just be sure to cut them into similar sizes for grilling.
Grilled Broccoli with Lemon & Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli florets (5-6 cups) halved or quartered into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest about 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese , plus more shaved for garnish
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, toss broccoli with oil to coat. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper; toss again.
- Heat grill to at least 400 degrees with vegetable grill pan in place during pre-heat. When ready, spread the broccoli over the grill pan and grill over high heat (med-high if grill runs hot) for 6-8 minutes, stirring and turning after a couple of minutes, until well browned in spots and fork-tender. Save the mixing bowl for the broccoli to go back into after being grilled.
- Remove from grill and transfer back to the mixing bowl. Toss with lemon zest and grated Parmesan. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Top with shaved Parmesan for garnish, as desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe Tips
- Smaller bite-size florets work best when using a grill pan, as shown in the photo.
- Larger florets are easier to turn on the grill if you don’t have a grill pan, stick to about the size of a clementine orange. These larger florets can then be cut into smaller pieces once grilled.
- If the broccoli head has a nice long stem, prep that too! Cut off the bottom inch of the stalk, peel the outer layer of the stem, and slice the stem into 1/4-inch slices. You’ll find the stem pieces taste slightly sweeter than the florets.
- Pre-heating the grill pan will help the broccoli brown and cook more quickly.
Recipe Variations
- Substitute the avocado oil with either coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- Substitute orange zest for the lemon zest and add a few orange segments on top for an orange-forward twist.
- Substitute a teaspoon of your favorite spice or herb blend for the crushed red pepper flakes.
- Substitute chevre, asiago, feta, or cotija cheese for the Parmesan.
- Toss in sliced garlic with the broccoli before grilling.
- Add some extra crunch with toasted walnuts or almond slivers sprinkled over the finished dish.
- Make it vegan with a grated plant-based cheese alternative.
- Add other vegetables to the mix like cauliflower florets, carrots coins, mushrooms, etc. Don’t be shy with your vegetables. Just be sure to cut them into similar sizes for grilling.
Joy says
This was so good with grilled chicken, will make it again.
John / Kitchen Riffs says
I don’t believe I’ve ever roasted broccoli! Roasted it loads of times, but never grilled. I do need to remedy that, don’t you think? Terrific post — thanks.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I can’t wait to try grilling the broccoli. We like roasting it but this should give another flavor dimension to it.
mjskitchen says
I’ve never tried grilling broccoli before. What a great idea. With warmer weather coming it’s definitely time to start thinking about grilled and salad. What a great celebration of both!