This easy skillet broccolini is one of my favorite weeknight vegetable recipes. It takes about 10–15 minutes, requires very little hands-on cooking, and goes with practically everything. The broccolini gets tender and lightly charred in a covered skillet, while the edges become deliciously crispy and browned.
It’s an especially good side dish when you want a flavorful vegetable without a complicated recipe or a pile of dishes to wash.
Easy substitutions: Swap the butter for olive oil or your favorite vegan butter. Sometimes I also use Adobo instead of salt and pepper for a little extra seasoning.
Optional additions: Finish the broccolini with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a light coating of finely grated Parmesan cheese. The combination of crispy, browned broccolini, bright lemon, and salty Parmesan is hard to beat.
Ingredients
- Broccolini
- Butter, olive oil, or vegan butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, or Adobo
- Fresh lemon juice, optional
- Finely grated Parmesan, optional
How to Make Skillet Broccolini
- Prepare the broccolini. Cut the broccolini into thin stalks. Separate any particularly large pieces into smaller ones so everything cooks evenly.
- Start cooking. Heat a large skillet with a well-fitting lid over medium heat. Add a knob of butter and let it melt. Add the broccolini, season with salt and pepper, and cover the skillet.
- Leave it alone. Seriously. Don’t touch it until the broccolini has softened and started to brown, about 5 minutes. Keeping the lid on helps the broccolini steam and become tender while the direct heat starts to caramelize the edges.
- Flip and keep cooking. Use tongs to flip each piece of broccolini. Reduce the heat slightly to low, replace the lid, and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
- Let the edges get crispy. Check the broccolini. If it hasn’t browned much yet, give it a little more time. I like to let the edges get deeply browned and just barely start to char.
- Finish with lemon and Parmesan. Once the broccolini is completely tender and browned, turn off the heat. If you’re using lemon juice and/or Parmesan, add them immediately. Replace the lid and let the skillet sit for a few moments so the lemon can soak into the vegetables and the Parmesan can begin to melt.
Tips for the Best Skillet Broccolini
The secret to this recipe is not moving the broccolini too much. Letting it sit undisturbed against the hot skillet gives it time to develop those deeply browned, crispy edges while the covered pan keeps the stalks tender.
For the best texture, try to cut the broccolini into pieces of roughly similar size. Larger stalks can take longer to cook, while the thinner pieces may become crispy much faster.
This simple method also makes the recipe easy to customize. Use olive oil instead of butter, add your favorite seasoning blend, or finish the cooked broccolini with lemon and Parmesan for extra brightness and flavor.
What to Serve with Broccolini
This skillet broccolini is an easy side dish for weeknight dinners and pairs well with pasta, rice, potatoes, eggs, beans, tofu, veggie burgers, and other roasted or grilled vegetables. Because it comes together quickly, it’s also useful for rounding out a meal when you don’t have much time or energy to cook. This week, I paired it with my Curried Pumpkin Tart.