10 Minute Broccolini Recipe (2024)

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By Courtney ODell

Feb 02, 2024, Updated Feb 20, 2024

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Easy 10 Minute Broccolini Recipe – the easiest way to cook broccolini or baby broccoli in just 10 minutes with tons of garlic butter flavor!

10 Minute Broccolini Recipe (2)

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Table of contents

  • Pan Fried Baby Broccoli
  • How to Make 10 Minute Broccolini
  • Tips to Perfect Pan Fried Broccolini
    • FAQs
  • What to Serve With Broccolini
  • 10 Minute Broccolini Recipe
10 Minute Broccolini Recipe (3)

Pan Fried Baby Broccoli

One of my favorite vegetables has always been broccoli.

I don’t know why- but something about the texture, the slight bitterness, the bright green color- I love to add broccoli in just about any recipe, or just eat it steamed or sautéed.

A few years ago I tried broccolini for the first time- and it was everything I loved about my beloved broccoli, but less bitter- longer, thinner stalks that have a deep, almost asparagus-like flavor, and a deep buttery taste when cooked right.

It quickly became my favorite thing to order out- but I could never master it at home. I recently made some in a hurry, and I found a new way to make broccolini that is now my absolute favorite- all by a happy accident- and we’ve made this delicious side dish five nights in a row since!

We can’t get enough of this 10 Minute Broccolini– it’s buttery, earthy, slightly salty, rich, and full of flavor- and it is SO quick and easy. It also works perfectly in a keto, paleo, low carb, or Weight Watchers diet – and is great alongside basically any dinner you make!

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How to Make 10 Minute Broccolini

To make this easy recipe, you’ll need:

  • Clarified butter. Clarified butter is a great way to help crisp and caramelize vegetables and meats – it has a higher smoke point than butter, but the same rich, delicious creamy flavor – so it’s perfect for getting a nice perfect sear and crunch on vegetables and meats. If you want to make this recipe vegan, you can skip the clarified butter and use avocado oil or olive oil.
  • Olive oil. Olive oil adds with clarified butter to make a perfect fat medium to pan fry broccolini in, so it gets caramelized and tender with tons of irresistible flavor.
  • Broccolini. Broccolini, or baby broccoli, is a cross between broccoli and gai lan, a leafy plant from China similar to broccoli. This results in a long and lean broccoli that is tender, with a light, vegetal taste that is less bitter.
  • Celtic sea salt. I love using a high quality salt that has a salty flavor, without as high sodium as table salt.
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Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use this method:

  • Prep. Trim woody ends off broccolini, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper. Melt clarified butter in a pan and heat until shimmery.
  • Cook. Add broccolini to pan and caramelize until it has browned and is lightly tender. Add water to pan and cook down until it has become as tender as you’d like.
  • Enjoy!
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Tips to Perfect Pan Fried Broccolini

The secret to broccolini that I stumbled upon is pretty simple- we’re going to sauté it and let it caramelize, and then flash boil it to make it perfectly tender. By doing this all at a pretty high temperature, we’re cutting the cook time dramatically- which ups the flavor for this delicious side dish.

Let it brown. When letting your broccolini sauté, it’s important to let it brown. Browning=flavor!!

Charred bits are ok. Since the broccolini will be a deep, vibrant green, it might almost take on a burnt appearance. Unless you smell burnt bits it isn’t burnt- you’ve just given some caramelization to the florets. You want a brown color, not black.

Stir occasionally. Be sure to toss the broccolini around once a minute (its only sautéing five minutes) so it doesn’t burn. Don’t worry- you got this. Once it’s had a good chance to develop flavor, we just need to add some water to soften the stems a bit.

Add water after browning to soften. Since we’re not adding much water, it won’t take long and will cook off quickly. If you’re in a really dry climate, or your pan is too hot, you might need to add a little extra water. No big deal- just cook it till the water has cooked off, and your broccolini is soft. Don’t flood it, and don’t worry- this is a pretty hard dish to mess up! You can do it!

Trim woody ends. One note- I do like to trim the bottom 1/2″ off of broccolini. I find its a bit woody, like asparagus stems- but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. You might experiment to find what you like the most.

FAQs

How can this recipe be stored?

Leftovers can be stored in a container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Is broccolini just young broccoli?

Broccolini is a different plant, but part broccoli – baby broccoli is a green vegetable similar to broccoli but with smaller florets and longer, thin stalks. It is a hybrid of broccoli and gai lan, a Chinese leafy plant similar to broccoli.

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What to Serve With Broccolini

Broccolini is delicious with all kinds of main dishes, from our top rated baked pork tenderloin, roast chicken, or easy sloppy joes – to easy homemade schnitzel, or a comforting and delicious porcupine meatball recipe!

We also love serving broccolini with Spinach Parmesan Garlic Butter Spaghetti, or Easy Sheet Pan Oven Roasted Chicken and Leeks!

Try these recipes next:

Mushroom Quiche

BBQ Chicken Sliders

Cheesy Tortellini Bake

Stuffed French Toast Bites

Avocado Toasts

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10 Minute Broccolini Recipe

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10 Minute Broccolini Recipe (19)

10 Minute Broccolini

Yield: 3 servings

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes

This easy 10 minute broccolini recipe is pan-fried and bursting with flavor - this is the best way to make delicious pan fried baby broccoli, ever! Never bitter and full of rich, buttery flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp clarified butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 package broccolini
  • celtic sea salt, 1/2 tsp
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. In a large pan, heat butter until it is melted on medium high.
  2. Add olive oil.
  3. Add broccolini, toss frequently until browned and bright green, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add salt, toss over broccolini.
  5. Add water, cook until water is evaporated and broccolini is soft, another 5 minutes.
  6. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information

Yield 2Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 134Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 16mgSodium 600mgCarbohydrates 4gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 1g

Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.

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Categorized as:
Broccoli, keto, Keto Vegetables, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables

About Courtney

Courtney loves to share great wine, good food, and loves to explore far flung places- all while masting an everyday elegant and easy style at lifestyle blog Sweet C’s Designs. Sweet C's devoted to finding the best food and drinks you'll want to make or find, around the world!

Read More About Me

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10 Minute Broccolini Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is broccolini just baby broccoli? ›

Despite what you may have heard, Broccolini is not baby broccoli. This lanky vegetable is a hybrid first created in 1993. Broccolini a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It has small florets, long stalks, and a few small leaves — all of which are edible.

Is broccolini better raw or cooked? ›

The best way to experience the health benefits of broccolini is to eat it raw. The stems, leaves, and florets are all edible. You can also choose to steam your broccolini and serve it as a side to complete a tasty, nutritious meal.

What's better broccoli or broccolini? ›

The verdict. Broccolini – by a hair's breadth! Nutritionally, the two brassicas are very similar. But the excellent vitamin A content of broccolini, together with the fact that it needs less prep and there's no waste, gives it the edge over broccoli for us.

How do you take the bitterness out of broccolini? ›

The easiest way to rid broccoli rabe of some of its bitter flavor is by blanching it first. Just a quick dip in boiling water extracts enough of the bitterness and jumpstarts the cooking.

Are you supposed to eat the stems of broccolini? ›

Broccolini stems are more tender than broccoli stems, and you can eat the broccolini stems along with the florets.

Why is broccolini more expensive than broccoli? ›

Broccolini will also have longer stems and smaller heads in comparison to broccoli. Broccolini is still a fairly new cruciferous vegetable, as it was invented in 1993 in Japan. Because of its newness and because it provides less quantity in a stalk, broccolini is typically more expensive than broccoli.

Why is broccolini so much better than broccoli? ›

It contains compounds like sulforaphane that are responsible for many of its health benefits, especially its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Eating broccolini may also support heart health and blood sugar control. Compared to broccoli, broccolini tastes sweeter, with a mild flavor and more delicate texture.

Why does broccolini taste better than broccoli? ›

Broccolini tastes milder and sweeter than broccoli. Because its stalks are thinner, broccolini require less prep work than broccoli (which tend to have woodier stalks). Broccolini lends itself to roasting, grilling, sauteing and steaming.

Can you eat too much broccolini? ›

As broccoli is rich in Potassium that causes lowering of blood pressure, an excess consumption can result in hypotension. An excess broccoli consumption can also increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. Patient on blood thinners can have increased risk of bleeding due to the presence of Vitamin K in broccoli.

Can I eat broccolini everyday? ›

Rich in folate

Just half a cup of cooked Broccolini® provides nearly half of your recommended daily amout of folate. Here are some benefits of consuming folate rich Broccolini® daily. Folate energises the mind and body by supporting psychological function and reducing fatigue*.

Why does broccolini taste so good? ›

It's mellower and less bitter than standard-issue broccoli, with a mild sweetness much more akin to Chinese broccoli. But our favorite part of broccolini is its texture. The long stems have a pleasant crunch, and the ratio of stem to leaf to bud is pretty perfect, if you ask us.

Is broccolini anti inflammatory? ›

Broccoli and broccolini are nutritionally powerful foods due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification properties, and they also contribute toward cancer prevention, digestive and cardiovascular support, skin and eye health, and vitamin D support (due to an unusually strong combination of both vitamin ...

What is the healthiest vegetable? ›

Spinach takes the top prize as the healthiest vegetable because of its range of nutrients and benefits.

Why is broccolini more expensive? ›

Broccolini costs a little more

Since a "bunch" of broccoli has two or three stalks, it only takes two or three cuts to harvest. However, because broccolini consists of 15 to 20 stalks similar in size to asparagus, it takes more time to cut and harvest.

Should you cut broccoli before or after cooking? ›

Chop your broccoli after you cook it – not before

Then remove the head from the pot using a pair of tongs, and put it on a chopping board. You'll notice the broccoli florets are already starting to fall away from the stem when the cooking time is up, and the rest can simply be removed with one single chop.

How much do I cut off broccolini? ›

How to Prep Broccolini for Cooking. What I love about Broccolini is how easy it is to prepare and how little waste there is. You simply trim the stems by about a half-inch and you're good to go.

How do you know when to cut broccolini? ›

Harvest the central crown as soon as it develops. In a week or so, six- to seven- inch-long side shoots will form from the stem. Pick when heads are tight and firm. For best flavor, harvest before white flower buds appear, although the flowers are also edible.

Why should you cut broccoli in advance? ›

always chop broccoli 40-90 minutes before cooking ⁠⁠

And myrosinase is super-sensitive to heat, too. These are the enzymes responsible for broccoli's super antioxidant properties but the ⁠vegetable must be chopped, chewed or cut to activate sulforaphane.

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