Our 10 Most Popular Broccoli Recipes, Ranked

Broccoli—the sixth most-purchased vegetable in the United States—will likely appear in your refrigerator sometime in the next few weeks. When it does, there are over 900 broccoli recipes on our site that will help you transform these miniature green trees into something delicious. It’s worth mentioning that not all of these recipes are weeknight-friendly—some will require a combination of effort, time, and ingredients beyond the scope of Wednesday evening. But don’t worry: For every technically demanding broccoli recipe on our site, there is an equally delicious alternative that’s teeming with convenience and versatility. In pursuit of identifying the path of least cruciferous resistance, here are 10 of our most popular broccoli recipes, ranked by how likely we would actually make them on a weeknight.

The Criteria

When evaluating these broccoli recipes’ weeknight potential, I considered the following questions:

• Is it delicious? I’d like to end my day with a win. Good food helps..

• Do I already have the ingredients? Ideally, I’m not going to the store after work.

• Does it require much attention? Monday night dinner shouldn’t feel like a Chopped episode.

• Does it pair well with other foods? Will it dance with two-day-old roast chicken and shrimp kebabs? The best weeknight vegetables can.

• Will it be good tomorrow? If I’m putting in weeknight effort, then tonight’s dinner is (at least) tomorrow’s lunch.

10. Burnt Broccoli Pesto

Recipe developer Caroline Gelen knows: You don’t need pine nuts to make pesto. Other raw nuts like almonds or walnuts work just as well and cost much less. The best part? Transforming broccoli into pesto (that can then be mixed into pasta) takes just 30 minutes.

9. Sheet-Pan Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole

Thanks to the convenience of frozen broccoli, this crowd-pleasing family recipe from former Food52 Editor and current New York Times columnist Eric Kim becomes a weeknight possibility. Like any casserole, it’ll be even better when reheated the next day.

8. Broccoli, Lemon, and Parmesan Soup

The epitome of “set it and forget it,” this seven-ingredient soup from Food52 co-founder Merrill Stubbs requires just a few minutes of upfront work before you can shift your attention elsewhere (like making yourself the martini you absolutely deserve on a Monday).

7. Roy Finamore's Broccoli Cooked Forever

Re: Set it and forget it. Roy Finamore’s broccoli may take 2.5 hours, but it requires only five ingredients and is beloved by many of our community members. Of the reviews currently on the recipe, this comment from GiGi26 reigns supreme: “I think you have given me a way to get my husband to eat broccoli.”

6. Ina Garten’s Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli

It should be no surprise that our most popular broccoli recipe of all time comes from Ina Garten. If you keep basic Italian pantry staples on hand (basil, fresh parm, pine nuts) you should be able to make this immediately.

5. Roasted Sausage with Broccoli and Fennel

Community member EmilyC prioritized weeknight convenience when developing this recipe. “We all know that feeling of walking in the door after a long day and not knowing what to make,” she says. Her solution? Roasting small pieces of sausage, broccoli, and fennel in a tangy, lemony mustard sauce.

4. Broccoli Rabe Goma-ae

Here’s what this recipe asks of you: blanch broccoli rabe, grind up sesame seeds, combine mirin, soy, and sugar. That’s all. It might take 15 minutes at most. Serve alongside fish, chicken, or whatever you’ve got in the fridge.

3. Overstuffed Chicken & Broccoli Quesadillas

Broccoli, like most things, is best when stuffed between two tortillas. If you don’t have chicken, don’t worry: Your broccoli will pair fine with anything you’ve got in the fridge (so long as you smother it in cheese and hot sauce).

2. Perfect Steamed Broccoli with Caper-Raisin Vinaigrette

Recipe developer Sarah Jampel says it best: Steamed broccoli is “sweeter and more purely vegetal than its roasted counterparts.” Also, it (obviously) doesn’t require an oven, meaning you can allocate that space to other low-effort, weeknight culinary endeavors (like roasting salmon).

1. Tahini Roasted Broccoli

Why is this our best weeknight broccoli option? Well, it requires only seven ingredients, takes just 10 minutes, and—according to over 40 of our community members—is really damn good.

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What’s your favorite weeknight broccoli recipe? Let us know in the comments below!