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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!
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10 Minute Broccolini
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!
Broccolini Recipe Ingredients
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.
How to make Sauteed Broccolini
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use this method:
How to prepare Broccolini
Broccolini requires minimal preparation after rinsing well to remove any dirt – simply trim off the woody ends, and pan fry or roast at a high heat!
How to cut Broccolini
The tough, woody stems of broccolini aren’t very appetizing, and can be very tough to chew. Trim away especially thick and tough ends to broccolini, about an inch off the bottom – but save the long, thin, and softer stalks since they are so delicious!
How to cook Broccolini
Trim woody ends off broccolini, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper. Melt clarified butter in a pan and heat until shimmery.
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!
Tips for making the Best Broccolini Recipe
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
Leftovers can be stored in a container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Broccolini is often called baby broccoli – but it’s actually a cross between broccoli and Gai Lan – Chinese Broccoli/Kale.
What to serve with Sauteed 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!
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10 Minute Sauteed Broccolini Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp clarified butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 package broccolini
- celtic sea salt, 1/2 tsp
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat butter until it is melted on medium high.
- Add olive oil.
- Add broccolini, toss frequently until browned and bright green, about 5 minutes.
- Add salt, toss over broccolini.
- Add water, cook until water is evaporated and broccolini is soft, another 5 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I did it!!! Thank you so much for such great instruction. We might secretly be broccolini lovers now. Shh. Don’t tell my friends. ?