When you’re looking for a quick weeknight veggie side dish to add to the dinner table, look no further than this steamed garlic broccoli! It comes together in just a few minutes, and with a few ingredients you probably have on hand, you can add tons of savory garlic flavor. This recipe shows up on our menu at least once a week! Let start cooking.
What is better—steaming or boiling broccoli?
It’s a personal preference, but we are solidly Team Steaming. It is faster than boiling, and steaming allows the broccoli to retain more of its nutrients. Plus, steamed broccoli is more flavorful and crisp-tender. So if you have a steamer basket or an electric vegetable steamer, go for steamed broccoli!
But if you don’t have a steamer basket, you can still make garlic broccoli—you’ll just need to boil it instead.
What do I need to make this garlic broccoli?
Grab some heads of broccoli, unsalted butter, garlic powder, and salt. That plus water is all you’ll need for this super simple side dish!
You may be thinking, “wouldn’t this be better with fresh garlic cloves?” And normally, we’d agree with you. But because you are adding the garlic flavor after steaming, using minced garlic will leave you with veggies that taste overwhelmingly like raw garlic. That is nobody’s favorite, so we use garlic powder instead! Plus: garlic powder is so much faster—making this a perfect weeknight side dish.
Wholefully Protip
If you have garlic butter on hand, you can toss that with your steamed broccoli instead!
Can I do this with fresh or frozen broccoli?
Yep! You can steam both fresh or frozen broccoli (no defrosting required).
How do I make steamed garlic broccoli?
This is a truly simple side dish:
- Put broccoli florets in a steamer basket over a pan of boiling water. Steam for 6-8 minutes.
- Move the broccoli to a serving dish or bowl and toss with butter and garlic powder.
- Season to taste with salt, and serve.
Wholefully Protip
To make this side dairy-free and vegan, replace the butter with dairy-free buttery spread.
Want more easy side dishes like this garlic broccoli?
Steamed Garlic Broccoli Recipe
Making a fast side dish for your family can be simple—and this steamed garlic broccoli is the perfect example!
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh broccoli
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cut broccoli into florets. Large broccoli stems can be sliced into coins.
- Put 1 inch of water in a pan fitted with a steamer basket, cover, and bring the water to a boil.
- Add the broccoli to the steamer basket and put the cover on. Steam for 6-8 minutes, or until the broccoli is fork-tender.
- Move the broccoli from the basket to a serving dish and toss with the butter. Add the garlic powder and give the broccoli a toss again. Season to taste with salt.
Notes
- Feel free to swap in your favorite dairy-free buttery spread to keep this recipe vegan!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 44Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
