This Charred Broccolini with Chili and Garlic recipe is a one-pan side dish with big, bold flavors and a crisp tender texture. It’s the ideal side dish to roast chicken, grilled steak, pasta or seared tofu.
Broccolini doesn’t get the attention it deserves, in my humble opinion. It’s the long, skinny cousin of broccoli with a more gentle flavor. It’s delicious steamed or boiled, like broccoli, but we like it best when it’s toasted and charred.
There are many ways to char broccolini, including on the grill, in a hot oven and under the broiler. But I like it best simply seared in a large hot skillet. It cooks fast, just 2-3 minutes per side, and will happily soak up a bold garlicky sauce.
Keep this recipe around for the holidays, too, as it’s an interesting and easy-to-execute side for a special occasion dinner. But, it’s also right at home for a busy weeknight as you can use the same skillet to sear or roast chicken.
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Ingredients that Matter
You will need a couple bunches of broccolini to make this recipe, along with some simple ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Broccolini. Similar to broccoli in texture and flavor, broccolini has long and thin stems and small florets. It has a more delicate flavor, that’s somewhere between broccoli and asparagus. Here in the United States you’ll likely find it sold in bunches, about 6 ounces each. For this recipe use two bunches so you have enough to serve four to five people.
- Garlic. Broccolini and garlic pair very well together. We use three garlic cloves, but feel free to adjust based on how much you like (and tolerate) garlic.
- Chili Pepper. Like garlic, broccolini goes really well with some heat, and for this recipe we use a long red chili pepper. Remove the seeds if you want to tame the heat; I like it simply thinly sliced with the seeds.
- Olive Oil. Since the recipe calls for searing the broccolini on high heat (to start), we need an oil that can withstand that heat. Regular olive oil (not extra-virgin) will work well. Use it both to sear the broccolini and to build the simple sauce.
- Basil. Finishing the dish with some torn basil leaves provides a fresh, herbaceous flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe uses a couple simple techniques. First, sear the broccolini in a couple batches (more if your skillet is small), then remove the pan from the heat and add more oil, garlic, chili pepper and salt and cook just until softened. Here’s how the recipe comes together.
Trim the ends off the broccolini, cutting off just a ¼ to ½-inch from the stem. Then thinly sliced the chili pepper (removing the seeds, if desired), and slice the garlic. Add the garlic, chili pepper, oil and salt to a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over high. Add oil then add the broccolini in a single layer (you’ll likely cook the broccolini in two or more batches). Be sure to add broccolini in a single layer, but it’s okay if the skillet is a little crowded.
Cook the broccolini until seared on one side, 2-3 minutes. It’s okay to gently move the broccolini around a bit while cooking, but avoid moving too much. Flip the broccolini and cook until charred on the other side, another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the skillet and repeat with remaining broccolini. Adjust the heat to avoid smoking out the kitchen and turn that vent on.
Remove the skillet from heat then add the small bowl of oil, garlic, chili peppers and salt. Cook, using the residual heat in the skillet, until tender and slightly browned, about 1 minute (be sure to stir frequently). Remove the peppers and garlic back to the small bowl then add the broccolini back to the skillet and toss in the leftover oil.
To serve, top the broccolini with the softened garlic and chili peppers and add torn basil leaves. I suggest serving from the skillet to keep the broccolini hot, but you can also transfer to a serving platter or bowl.
All about Broccolini
Broccolini is a brassica vegetable that’s a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli (gai lan). Its flavor is milder than broccoli and has nutty, asparagus notes. It has long, thin stems and small florets. It’s loved by many chefs and home cooks for its delicate flavor, tender stems and lovely presentation.
As a brassica, broccolini is quite good for for you! It’s high in vitamins and minerals plus has flavonoids, which may inhibit cancer growth. Though it should be noted research suggest that cooking broccolini reduces phenolic acid. In particular, boiling broccolini, and other brassicas, may greatly reduce those cancer reducing flavonoids (roasting, on the other hand, may not reduce them as much).
Variations
This recipe is easy to adjust based on your preferences. Here are some suggested variations:
- More Heat – Simply adding another hot pepper, or leaving the seeds in, will make the dish spicier! One suggestion: taste your pepper before adding to the dish as not all hot peppers are actually spicy! Try nibbling a bit of the pepper and adjust how much of it you add based on its spice level.
- Lemon – Finish the dish a with a squeeze of lemon if you want a brighter side dish. Note that lemon juice will, over time, discolor the vibrant green color in broccolini, so add it just before serving.
- Anchovies – Add a few anchovies to the pepper and garlic for a big, salty flavor. Let the heat from the skillet melt the anchovies into the oil with the garlic and peppers. This makes for big, delicious flavor!
Equipment
This recipe works best in a large cast iron skillet. I love a good cast iron skillet, and I think you can’t go wrong with Lodge. This American company has been around for a long time and makes solid quality cast iron. I use this Lodge 15 Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet just about every day!
I recently added this thinner, lighter-weight cast iron skillet to my kitchen: 12-Inch Cast Iron Blacklock Skillet. It’s quickly become one of my favorite cooking vessels!
Storage
You can store leftover charred broccolini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Eat it cold out of the fridge, or reheat in the microwave or a skillet.
You can also prep the dish by trimming the broccolini a day ahead of time and adding the sliced garlic and chili peppers to oil (and storing covered in the fridge) for a day, as well.
Top tip
If you are making this for a dinner party or holiday get together, I suggest doubling the recipe. This means lots of batches of broccolini seared in a skillet. To keep warm, add cooked broccolini to a baking sheet and place in a 225F oven. You can keep it warm like this for up to 1 hour. The garlic and chili topping may be served room temperature.
FAQ
Broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and gai lan (Chinese broccoli). Broccolini has a delicate, mild broccoli and asparagus flavor with long and thin stems and small florets.
You can cook broccolini as you would broccoli. Broccolini is delicious steamed, boiled, roasted, grilled and charred. You can also eat broccolini raw.
You can char broccolini on the grill or under the broiler. Charring broccolini in a large cast iron skillet is another great way to add big, toasty flavor.
More Sides
Looking for other sides like this? Try these:
Dinner Ideas
Looking for some dinner ideas to serve with this charred broccolini? try these:
PrintRecipe
Charred Broccolini with Chili and Garlic
- Total Time: 20 min.
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Description
This Charred Broccolini with Chili and Garlic recipe is a one-pan side dish with big, bold flavors and a crisp tender texture. It’s the ideal side dish to roast chicken, grilled steak, pasta or seared tofu.
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 long red chili pepper, thinly sliced (seeds removed, if desired)
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly sliced
- ¾ tsp. salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 12 oz. broccolini (2 bunches), stem ends trimmed
- basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Stir together 2 tablespoons of the oil, chili pepper, garlic and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over high heat. While the skillet heats, trim the stem ends of the broccolini, cutting off about ¼ to ½ inch of the stem.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the skillet then a single layer of the broccolini (half the broccolini if using a large skillet). It’s okay to pack the broccolini in the skillet, just be sure it’s in a single layer. Cook until charred on one side, 2-3 minutes, the flip and cook on the other side, another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Adjust the heat to avoid smoking out your kitchen and turn that vent on. Remove broccolini to a clean plate or baking sheet and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and cook the rest of the broccolini, finishing with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Remove skillet from the heat then add the bowl of oil, garlic and chili pepper. Cook this mixture, stirring frequently, using the residual heat from the skillet, until tender and slightly toasted, about 1 minute. Spoon the chili pepper and garlic back in the bowl then add the broccolini back to the skillet and toss in the oil.
- To serve, top the charred broccolini with the chili pepper and garlic mixture and garnish with basil leaves.
Notes
- To serve this for a larger party or holiday, double the recipe. Keep the broccolini warm by placing charred broccolini on a baking sheet and store in a 225°F oven until ready to serve, up to 1 hour. The cooked chili pepper and garlic mixture may be served room temperature.
- Leftover charred broccolini may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Broccolini has a similar flavor to a broccoli and asparagus, but it has its own unique, delicate flavor.
- Broccolini is frequently solid in 6 oz. bunches, so you’ll want to purchase 2 bunches.
- Prep Time: 5 min.
- Cook Time: 12 min.
- Category: Sides
- Method: Searing
- Cuisine: American
Jon
Yum! I’ve only had broccolini steamed and this was so good sauteed! I used a jalapeno and it was spicy!! So good.