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This garlicky steamed broccoli with crispy, buttery panko is an easy 25-minute recipe. A splash of lemon juice and herby parsley brighten everything up for the perfect summer side!
Why I Love This Steamed Broccoli Recipe
You’ll make this quick broccoli side for weeknight dinners, cookouts, and gatherings.
- Beginner-friendly. There are no complicated techniques for boiling the broccoli or making the breadcrumb mixture, making it perfect for cooks of any skill level.
- Little oil. No oil is needed to cook the tender broccoli, and only a bit of butter is needed to crisp the panko.
- Convenient. Use fresh or frozen broccoli so you can throw together this easy side on any weeknight.
- Versatile. Broccoli is an excellent base for experimenting with flavors. Add Alfredo sauce, make it spicy, or top it with lots of cheese.
The Ingredients
Cooking this steamed broccoli dish starts with gathering some simple ingredients that blend perfectly to enhance the natural flavors of the veggie. The lemon juice adds the perfect amount of brightness!
- Broccoli: Make sure it’s chopped into florets.
- Water: For boiling the broccoli.
- Salt and pepper: I prefer kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper.
- Unsalted Butter: Reduce the salt in the rest of the recipe if you use salted butter.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic or garlic paste are best, but garlic powder will also work.
- Panko: Regular or Italian breadcrumbs work too.
- Lemon: You’ll need the zest and the lemon juice.
- Fresh Parsley: This is an optional garnish, but you could also use cilantro or any other fresh herbs you enjoy.
How To Make Garlic Steamed Broccoli
This delicious broccoli dish requires only a few easy steps to make. The garlic butter adds richness and flavor, and the crispy garlic-panko adds the BEST crunch.
- Prepare the broccoli. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook it (covered) for 7-8 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain it, pat it dry with a paper towel, and season it with salt and pepper. Set it aside.
- Make the panko mixture. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook it for 1 minute, until fragrant. Mix in the panko, zest, and lemon juice. Season it with salt and pepper. The panko mixture should be golden and crispy.
- Mix it. Stir in the cooked broccoli and let everything heat up for another 2 minutes.
- Serve. Garnish with fresh parsley, serve, and enjoy!
Can You Steam Frozen Broccoli?
Of course! You don’t even need to thaw it. Add 2-3 minutes to the regular cooking time or follow the package instructions.
Recipe Variations
Steamed broccoli won’t be so boring once you toss it with easy bourbon chicken, melty cheddar, or creamy sauce!
- Re-use the pot. To reduce cleanup, once you set the boiled broccoli aside, dry the pot and use it to prepare the breadcrumb mixture.
- Make it cheesy. Sprinkle 1-2 cups shredded cheddar, mozzarella, or parmesan cheese over the broccoli during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Cover the pan and cook until melty.
- Add crunch. Sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, or cashew nuts over each serving bowl for some nutty crunch.
- Add protein. Toss leftover Instant Pot turkey breast or juicy chicken breasts with the broccoli. Shredded rotisserie chicken works too.
- Use leftovers. Process leftover croutons, salted crackers, or toasty bread until fine and crumbly. Use the mixture as the breadcrumbs.
- Make it creamy. Pour 1 cup béchamel or Alfredo sauce into the pan. Mix it with the broccoli for a creamy side dish.
- More veggies. Swap half of the broccoli for cauliflower florets.
- Add heat. Sprinkle 1/4/-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper into the breadcrumb mixture.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this garlic butter steamed broccoli as a side for all your favorite mains. Try it with my air fryer meatloaf, honey mustard chicken, or air fryer pork chops.
If you prefer seafood, definitely serve it with this garlic butter oven baked tilapia or baked lobster tails. For salad options, prepare my La Scala chopped salad or heirloom tomato salad.
Proper Storage
This light recipe is best the day it’s made because the breadcrumbs will stay crispy.
- Fridge: Place it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To reheat it: Microwave it in 30-second increments until warm. You can also reheat it in a pan over medium-high heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Steamed Broccoli Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds broccoli, cut into florets
- ¾ cup water
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup panko crumbs
- 1 whole lemon, zested
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Steam the broccoli. Add the water to a pot and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli florets to the boiling water and cover. Cook for 7 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Season it. Drain, pat them dry with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
- Make the garlic butter. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic to the melted butter and cook for 1 minute or until soft and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Don't burn the garlic.
- Add the remaining ingredients. To the butter, add the panko crumbs, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, mix, and stir until everything is well blended and moist.
- Combine with the broccoli. Stir in the prepared broccoli and cook until all is combined and heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- Use one pot: To minimize cleanup, set the boiled broccoli aside, dry the pot, and then use the same pot to prepare the breadcrumb mixture.
- Use frozen broccoli: For convenience, opt for frozen broccoli; there’s no need to thaw it beforehand. Simply extend the regular cooking time by 2-3 minutes or adhere to the package instructions.
- Storage: Store the steamed broccoli in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This sounds so amazing! We all LOVE broccoli here – can’t wait to try this!
I need to eat more broccoli….you make it look so good
I’m making this for dinner tonight! Love the addition of the garlic and bread crumbs – and we have all of the ingredients in our fridge. Can’t wait!
Healthy but SO flavor packed. I could definitely get on board with a big bowl of this 🙂
This would be my main dish, seriously looks incredible. And I won’t mention that it’s been 80 degrees here lately. Oh wait. Sorry. Hope you’re staying warm!
Oh man, baklava sounds so good right now. My kids would love this broccoli! I hope I have all the ingredients!
I don’t think I’d ever hear ‘snowsuit” and “church” in one sentence but you pulled it off! Merry Christmas, my dear! We celebrated last night. 🙂 I’ve a got a whole Slavic feast of recipes on my blog today and if one cooks it all, stretchy pants will be needed. Enjoy snow! Gorgeous broccoli recipe!
Merry Christmas, Julia!!! I’m at my Mom’s for Christmas lunch and I can’t even describe how good everything looks! You can imagine, I’m sure!! 😀 My yoga pants are sitting in my bag and I’m looking forward to slipping them on real soon! haha 🙂
What a wonderful way to change up broccoli! I often just end up steaming broccoli for dinner, but I love the idea of kicking up the flavor with garlic.
This broccoli looks delicious! Hope you made it there without freezing!
Merry Christmas! We have Divine Liturgy this morning and a luncheon later. There is also a custom here where I live to shoot guns on Main Street.
Merry Christmas!! Shooting guns on Christmas? Now that’s *different*! 😀 I love traditions!
I do too. The gun shooting thing must be a Serbian thing. I live in a rural area. This area was settled mostly by Serbs, Germans, and Italians.