22 Quick and Easy Recipes in 30 Minutes (or less) + 5 Chef Secrets To Make You A Better Cook!

Simple Steamed Broccoli

Tested & Perfected Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

An easy side dish, this simple steamed broccoli is perfect with a pat of butter and some salt and pepper.

Bright green broccoli in a steamer basket.

There are endless creative ways to prepare broccoli, but if I’m in a hurry or preparing a main course with a flavorful sauce, I’ll often prepare it simply steamed. My kids actually prefer it this way, topped with a simple pat of butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. It’s also delicious with a squeeze of lemon or drizzle of soy sauce and toasted sesame oil.

What you’ll need to make steamed broccoli

Broccoli, water, and sea salt on a counter.

How to make steamed broccoli

To start, cut the broccoli into 1-1/2″ florets — it’s important that they’re all about the same size so that they cook at the same rate. Fill a large pot with an inch of water and bring to a rolling boil. Place a steamer basket inside the pot and add the broccoli.

Broccoli in a steamer basket set within a pot.

Cover with a tight-fitting lid, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, until the broccoli is tender. It’s personal preference but I like my broccoli fully cooked, rather than “al dente.”

Pot of steamed broccoli.

That’s all there is to it. Enjoy!

Bright green broccoli in a steamer basket.

Simple Steamed Broccoli

An easy side dish, this simple steamed broccoli is perfect with a pat of butter and some salt and pepper.

Servings: 4-6
Total Time: 15 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ - 1¾ pounds broccoli crowns, cut into 1½" florets
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Fill a large pot with about an inch of water and bring to a rolling boil. Place the broccoli florets in a steamer basket inside the pot. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the broccoli is bright green and tender. Add salt to taste.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Calories: 72
  • Fat: 5 g
  • Saturated fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 8 g
  • Sugar: 5 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 1 g
  • Sodium: 199 mg
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

See more recipes:

Comments

  • Hi Jenn,

    How much soy sauce and sesame oil would you use? Ratio?

    Thanks so much in advance:)

    • — Jenna on June 13, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Jenna, I’d suggest 2 to 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on June 15, 2022
      • Reply
  • it is super duper bad, why would you make this

    • I think this is meant as a simple and basic recipe to steam broccoli. There is another broccoli recipe that has more flavor if that is what you are looking for.

  • Thank you so much. Easy recipe & delicious.

  • Perfect!

    • — Darcelle Daigneault
    • Reply
  • So simple and so delicious! It was a nice change from my usual roasted broccoli that has oil and garlic. It was perfect with the Asian Flat Iron Steak. I would love more recipes on how to cook vegetables simply yet tasty. Thank you!

  • This is so delicious. I have a smaller round but tall pan that I stand the broccoli in the water, bring to boil, lower heat and steam/simmer the vegetable until bright green, then serve. So nutritious and so good! A little salt and pepper.
    We have been adding a dollop of mustard to the broccoli because my spouse read it make for better digestion and nutrition.

  • Thank you for writing this recipe. So simple to steam vegetables but you’ve taken the “guess” work out of it and the consistent result is properly cooked and beautifully green florets appear every time!

  • I was cooking my broccoli wrong all this time until now. Thank you Jenn!

  • Simple and delicious. I love steamed broccoli.

    • — Shirley LaFleur
    • Reply

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.