This sautéed broccoli recipe is my answer when I need a fast, healthy side dish. Garlic and lemon do a wonderful job of cutting through broccoli’s bitterness. This one is hard to stop eating!
Every time I’m grocery shopping, I toss broccoli in my cart. Not necessarily because I have a plan for using it, but because I know it’s healthy and a good vegetable side to have during the week. This garlic broccoli is probably my most made broccoli recipe. It’s quick, it’s tasty, and it works really well with almost any main.
So if you’re like me and usually have a bag of florets or a head of broccoli sitting in your veggie drawer, save this one. You’ll be happy that you did! This recipe calls for cooking your broccoli in a skillet on the stove. If you would prefer to use the oven, see our roasted broccoli recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Broccoli: You can use both the florets and the stems/stalks in this recipe (and I highly recommend it). I walk you through preparing the florets and stalks below (hint: you’ll need to peel the thick stalks first, then you’ll be rewarded with tender, delicious broccoli bites).
- Olive Oil and Butter (if you like): I start by sautéing in olive oil, then I finish with a bit of butter. The butter is optional but delicious, and I add it to most of my sautéed vegetable recipes (like sautéed zucchini and this mushrooms recipe).
- Garlic: I love the hint of garlic here, and think it keeps the dish versatile with most main dishes. You can add more flavor with red pepper flakes or ginger, but when I’m rushing to get dinner on the table, mincing garlic for a side is usually where I stop.
- Lemon: The other day, I did a poll on Instagram and asked everyone their favorite ingredients with broccoli. Garlic was high on the list, but so was lemon. Inspired Taste readers clearly love the lemon-garlic combination (see this bok choy recipe as proof), so we’re doing it again with this easy broccoli recipe. I spritz over fresh lemon juice right as I swirl in the butter at the end. The lemon juice and butter come together to create a light lemony butter sauce that coats the broccoli.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Sauté Broccoli
Tip 1: Preparing the broccoli. Let’s break this down into two parts: the florets and slender stalks, and then the thicker stems.
- I use a pairing knife to separate the slender stalks into florets and am happy to leave those thinner stalks an inch or so long. Just like when I roast broccoli, I love leaving some flatter sides by slicing florets in half, which will take on a bit more color because more surface area hits the pan.
- The thick stems are delicious, but you want to peel the tough skin away (it never really breaks down). Once you peel it away, you can chop the stems into a similar size as the florets. They turn out incredibly tender in the end, and are actually my favorite part of broccoli!
Tip 2: Brown the broccoli. Using a wide skillet with some olive oil, add all of the broccoli stems (they take a bit longer, so they go in first). Leave them to brown a bit, then add the florets and arrange them in an even layer.
Tip 3: Add a bit of water and use a lid. Toss in garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then, for a quick burst of steam and to get that bright green, tender broccoli we all love, add a splash of water, cover with a lid, and cook for a few minutes. Uncover, and you’ll be rewarded with perfectly cooked broccoli.
Tip 4: Finish with butter and lemon. Remember that this part is optional, but to turn this into one of my favorite ways to serve broccoli, turn off the heat, then swirl in a bit of butter and squeeze over some fresh lemon juice. The butter and lemon combine and coat all the florets, making this broccoli perfectly popable!
Serving Suggestions
Here’s the great thing about this sautéed broccoli: it works with almost any main you can throw at it. It’s really versatile, so definitely look through our dinner recipes for inspiration.
A few of our family’s favorite ways to serve it are next to pork Milanese (instead of the salad), with these slow cooker chicken meatballs, maple soy glazed salmon, classic meatloaf, buttered noodles, baked pork tenderloin with apples, and our juicy lemon chicken thighs.
More Broccoli Recipes
- Cheddar Roasted Broccoli
- Broccoli Salad
- Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Pasta Primavera
- Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
Easy Sautéed Broccoli
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
I love this simple sautéed broccoli recipe. Everything happens on the stovetop in a skillet. There’s a hint of garlic, and I especially love swirling in a little bit of butter right at the end. The butter lightly coats the sautéed florets and stems, which makes this dish so easy to keep eating.
You Will Need
1 pound broccoli (450g)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
2 to 3 lemon wedges
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Prepare the broccoli: Separate the broccoli crown from the main stalk. Use a pairing knife to cut the crown into small, bite-sized florets, about 1 ½ inches long. Then, use a vegetable peeler to peel away the tough outer layer of the thicker stems. Cut the peeled stems into bite-sized pieces, about 1 inch long. Keep the florets and stems separated in two piles.
2Brown the broccoli: Heat a wide skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, then add the broccoli stems in one layer. Lightly season with salt and pepper, then leave them to brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Stir, then add the florets, another light pinch of salt and pepper, and spread them into a single layer in the skillet. Allow them to cook until they begin to brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.
3Add the garlic and water: Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then pour in ¼ cup of water. Stir, then cover the skillet with a lid (or use a small baking sheet placed on top to act as a lid). Cook until the broccoli is vibrant green and tender, about 3 minutes. Keeping the heat around medium should be fine, but reduce the heat a bit more if you notice that the broccoli is taking on too much color.
4Stir in butter and lemon: Uncover the skillet, turn off the heat, then toss in the butter and the juice from 2 to 3 lemon wedges.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Quickly reheat in a skillet to get a little texture back.
- Add some cheese. When we asked our readers about their favorite ingredients to serve with broccoli, three were repeated so many times over. Garlic, lemon, and parmesan cheese. In our recipe above, we include the garlic and lemon, but if you want to go for the trio, use a microplane to finely grate lots of parmesan cheese over your broccoli right before serving.
- The nutrition facts are estimates.
So good! And here I’ve been throwing out chopped off broccoli stalks all these years(!). They are so good, tender, and flavorful cooked this way. I added both the lemon juice and red pepper flakes and it was over the top delicious. I only wish I had known about this method when my Dad was alive. He loved broccoli and the only thing I knew to do was steam it. Thank you for your wonderful recipes. This is the best cooking site on the internet. I came for the lemon pound cake and never left. ☺️
Yay! You have made our day with this comment 🙂
It’s delicious.. thanks sooo much !!!
Love your recipes 😋
I can’t wait to try this!
You are going to love it! 🙂
What a great recipe. I also love the broccoli stalks best and the cauliflower stalks similarly. I even have to stop myself from eating the stalks raw while I am preparing the veggie. Today I am slow cooking a pork knuckle and this will go perfectly with that. Thanks for reminding me.
I have the same problem. I love broccoli stalks 🙂
Love tryig your recipes. Thank you!
You are so welcome! 🙂