Ever bought a bag of frozen broccoli florets and then wondered what to do with them? Do you thaw them, do you leave them frozen? Don't worry friends, I'll be sharing my favorite recipe on how to cook frozen broccoli, so it's perfect and ready to use on or with anything! Transform these frozen florets into your favorite meals that you would typically use fresh broccoli for at a fraction of the price.
Following the broccoli recipe on the back of the frozen vegetable bag isn't always the best way to make it.
I've made broccoli a number of ways including air frying frozen broccoli, and even roasting broccoli with garlic in oven, but this is my favorite way to make broccoli to add on top of pizzas, add into a hearty pasta dish, or simply serve as a side dish.
The options to use broccoli are simply endless.
Using the right recipe, you can make frozen broccoli and other frozen vegetables taste absolutely delicious without breaking the bank.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Great way to liven up otherwise plain old boring frozen veggies
- Frozen broccoli is cheaper than fresh produce, making this a cheap side dish
- It's a healthy side dish and is versatile enough to be used in or with other main dish recipes
- Simple to customize with your favorite seasonings
- Vegan and gluten-free recipe
- No need for the oven as this one's made on the stovetop
Ingredients Needed
Get more info on these simple ingredients in the recipe card below.
- frozen broccoli florets
- olive oil
- chopped garlic cloves
- lemon juice
- lemon zest
- dried thyme
- salt
- red pepper flakes, optional
How to Make the Best Frozen Broccoli
Step 1: Put the florets in a microwave-safe bowl. Defrost in 30-second intervals, using the microwave's defrost setting, until the florets are fully defrosted, stirring in between intervals.
Once defrosted, add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, and salt. Stir well to combine.
Step 2: Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until it starts to brown.
Step 3: Add the seasoned broccoli to the skillet with the garlic.
Step 4: Cook for about 5 minutes, or until it's tender and warmed through. Stir occasionally.
Serve however you desire and enjoy this easy side dish.
Storing and Reheating
This broccoli should be used while it is still nice and warm.
If you want to store the leftovers for the next day or next few days, let them cool down before adding to an airtight container and keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can use the leftovers in other meals if you'd like.
You can reheat leftovers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in an hot oven for a few minutes until warmed through.
Alternatively, you can also reheat leftovers using other cooking methods like in the microwave or on the stovetop.
You can even air fry your leftover broccoli to warm it back up!
Tips and Variations
- Make sure you know how long your cooked broccoli will last!
- To prevent soggy broccoli - it may be helpful to pat your broccoli dry once defrosted and removing any excess water before adding it to the skillet with the garlic.
- Want more flavor? Add some onion powder, black pepper, and garlic powder to your crispy broccoli.
- Instead of a little olive oil, you can use avocado oil in its place. You can also use olive oil spray or just a few tablespoons of water if you want an oil free recipe.
- We also have an oven roasted broccoli recipe for fresh broccoli if you want.
- Like cheesy broccoli? Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if you'd like. You can also use vegan Parmesan-style cheese or nutritional yeast to keep this recipe dairy-free.
Why use frozen broccoli?
Not only is it more economical then fresh broccoli, but it's already chopped, washed, and prepared which helps you skip multiple steps when cooking your broccoli.
The best part is that since the broccoli is already prepped, you don't have to dirty up the whole kitchen, drag out the cutting board, etc.
And, of course frozen broccoli lasts longer than fresh broccoli so you can stash some in your freezer for when you're in the mood to make this easy recipe.
Other From Frozen Recipes
- How to Cook Frozen Brussels Sprouts on the Stovetop
- Air Fryer Frozen Egg Rolls
- Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Frozen Mozzarella Sticks
- Air Fryer Frozen Dumplings (Potstickers)
- Air Fryer Frozen Waffle Fries
- Air Fryer Frozen Pierogies
Conclusion
Got leftover broccoli? Check out some of our readers favorites including this amazing veggie are Cheesy Broccoli Vegan Quiche and Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup.
Did you know? Rating a recipe lets others know what you thought of it. And it helps motivate me to keep making great recipes.
Rating and sharing recipes is one of the best ways you can support your favorite food bloggers!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 16 oz frozen broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- optional: crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish
Instructions
- Defrost the frozen broccoli in the microwave using the defrost setting. Put broccoli into a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on defrost in 30 second intervals until fully defrosted, stirring in between.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme and salt to the broccoli in the bowl. Stir to combine.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch nonstick skillet and cook the garlic until it starts to brown, approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Add the seasoned broccoli and cook until tender and warmed throughout, stirring occasionally, approximately 5 minutes. Add more salt to taste and garnish with red pepper flakes if desired.
Penny McQueen
My family LOVED this. Please add the garlic info to ingredients. I used a heaping tablespoon to 16 ounces of broccoli.
Sireesha
Thank you so much for your feedback! We have plans to revise this post to include garlic information. So glad you loved it!