Tried roasting broccoli at 450 instead of 400 last night, big difference

I usually do 400 for 20 minutes but decided to crank it up after seeing a recipe online. The edges got super crispy and almost charred in a good way, but the stems were still a little raw in the middle. Has anyone found a perfect temp and time for getting broccoli crispy without burning the outsides?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_robert4d ago

My buddy Mark tried this exact thing last week with a whole sheet pan of broccoli. He left it in for 18 minutes at 450 and the tops were basically little burnt crisps while the thick stems were still squeaky. He said it was like eating two different vegetables at once, one perfect and one totally raw.

riley_miller254d agoRising Star

and honestly that's exactly the problem with trying to roast a whole sheet of broccoli without cutting the stems down or separating the florets. i've been there myself and it's so frustrating because the flavor of the burnt bits is just bitter and nasty while the squeaky stems are basically inedible. what i've started doing is chopping the stems into thin coins or half-inch pieces so they cook at the same rate as the tops, or even tossing the stems in first for like 5 minutes before adding the florets. also, if your buddy's oven runs hot he might need to drop the temp to 425 and keep an eye on it after 12 minutes instead of just trusting the timer. another trick is to toss everything in a little oil and salt before roasting, then hit it with a squeeze of lemon right when it comes out to balance any leftover bitterness.