Sautéed Broccoli With Garlic and Chile

By Ali Slagle

Published April 5, 2021

Sautéed Broccoli With Garlic and Chile
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(1,319)
Comments
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This speedy, two-step recipe yields broccoli — or practically any vegetable — that is perfectly browned and cooked all the way through. After florets and thinly sliced stems are seared, add a little water and cover so the broccoli steams in its own juices until fork-tender. Not only does this bring out the vegetable’s inherent sweetness, but it softens whatever flavorings you add without burning them. This recipe embraces the prickly heat of chile and garlic, but you could also use ground spices, thyme or rosemary, ginger or scallions, capers or olives. Swap the broccoli for sliced carrots or sweet potatoes, cauliflower florets, broccoli rabe, or green beans, adjusting cook time and water as necessary.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1pound broccoli, cut into 1½- to 2-inch-long florets, stems sliced ¼-inch thick
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 3garlic cloves, sliced
  • Red-pepper flakes, to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high. Add the broccoli stems, season with salt and pepper, and cook, undisturbed, until starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the florets, season generously with salt and pepper, and shake into an even layer. Cook, undisturbed, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and stir until the garlic is fragrant, less than 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium, add 3 tablespoons water, cover, and cook until the broccoli is bright green and fork-tender, 2 to 3 minutes, reducing heat if needed to prevent burning. Season to taste with salt, pepper and red-pepper flakes.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,319 user ratings
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Comments

Greg Pyke

This is delicious. I skipped the water. Put a tight lid on and removed pan from heat for 10 minutes. We like our broccoli green not gray. And still a bit crisp.

Jim

If you like oven roasted broccoli you'll get the same flavor and texture with this recipe, without the oven. Highly recommended.

Peter

A bit of fish sauce near the end gives a nice splash of umami.

DC

Best shrimp cooking technique I know is from the cookbook 'Polpo' from the London restaurant of the same name. Follow this recipe but stir the the room temperature shrimp vigorously into the pan, then cook for only ONE - two minutes, add a knob of butter, cover the pan, and take off the heat to rest for 5-10 minutes. The shrimp are more tender this way

Jane

Really good recipe and I like that it uses the stems as well. Less waste. Season with red pepper to suit your spicy level.

Amy

I used chili crisp in place of the red-pepper flakes. Easy and delicious!

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