Grilled Broccoli Recipe: 5 Ideas for Broccoli Seasoning
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Mar 11, 2022 • 2 min read
Learn how to make a grilled broccoli recipe you can use as a summer side dish or mix-in for grain bowls and pasta dishes.
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What Is Grilled Broccoli?
Grilled broccoli is fresh broccoli that cooks on the grill. You can steam the broccoli first before finishing it on grill grates or in a grill pan, or you can place raw, clean broccoli directly on the grill. Like roasted broccoli, grilled broccoli has a smoky flavor and crispy broccoli florets due to the high heat. Serve grilled broccoli as a side dish or use it in grain bowls, pasta dishes, and salads with other grilled vegetables.
5 Seasoning Ideas for Grilled Broccoli
A variety of flavors pair well with broccoli’s earthy and slightly bitter taste. Here are five seasonings that will enhance your grilled broccoli dish:
- 1. Barbecue sauce: Brush the broccoli with homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce (or BBQ sauce) as the broccoli grills. Flip it frequently to caramelize the barbecue sauce and soften the broccoli. Alternatively, marinate the broccoli in barbecue sauce before placing it on the grill.
- 2. Curry powder: Whether it’s garam masala or a generic curry powder, curry seasoning adds the flavors of turmeric, clove, cumin, and ginger. Mix olive oil and curry powder to form a paste, and then rub it on the broccoli. Alternatively, add a sprinkle of seasoning after you steam broccoli and then again after you finish grilling it.
- 3. Oil and vinegar: After you grill the broccoli, season it with salt and pepper and drizzles of oil and vinegar. Use extra-virgin olive oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or champagne vinegar, depending on your preferences.
- 4. Soy sauce: The salty umami flavor of soy sauce pairs well with the earthy flavor of broccoli, which becomes sweeter during cooking. Season the broccoli with soy sauce after grilling it, or use a marinade with sesame oil, grated ginger, garlic, and honey.
- 5. Taco seasoning: Containing chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and paprika, taco seasoning has a smoky flavor that enhances the taste of grilled broccoli. For additional spice, add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Grilled Broccoli Recipe
makes
prep time
5 mintotal time
16 mincook time
11 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the grill on medium-high heat.
- 2
Fill a large bowl with water and ice cubes. Set this aside.
- 3
Bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stovetop.
- 4
Cut each head of broccoli into quarters, keeping the stems intact.
- 5
Carefully lower each piece of broccoli into the boiling water to cook for about 1 minute before immediately plunging the broccoli into the ice water.
- 6
Season the partially cooked broccoli with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- 7
Use long-handled tongs to place the broccoli, flat side down, on the grill, then let the broccoli cook for 5 minutes.
- 8
Using the tongs again, flip the broccoli to grill the other side for another 5 minutes.
- 9
When the broccoli is crisp-tender, remove it from the grill and place it on a serving platter.
- 10
Top the grilled broccoli with a squeeze of lemon juice and Parmesan shavings, then serve it immediately.
- 11
If you have leftovers, store the broccoli in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator.
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