Crispy Parmesan Broccoli Chips aka Smashed Broccoli
I had seen this viral recipe on TikTok and knew my family aka Hungry Friends would love it! They came out super crispy and they were a breeze to make.
For this recipe, make sure you don’t slice your broccoli into small florets. Keep them medium to large in size – sometimes slicing two small buds together. You’re going to get your pot water boiling, add in the broccoli pieces, salt it and let it get back up to a boil. Don’t walk away and forget – you do not want mushy pieces of vegetable. You want them JUST fork tender.
I used shredded parmesan cheese for that sharp flavor and harder consistency to create a chip like texture. My inkling is that any cheese will work but I haven’t tried mozzarella or cheddar for example, so I can’t say for sure.
If you like this recipe, you will LOVE these:
- Crispy Parmesan Broccoli Sticks
- Crispy Parmesan Carrot Sticks
- Crispy Parmesan Cauliflower Steaks
- Crispy Broccoli Steaks
- 5 Minute Skillet Broccoli + Feta
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Crispy Parmesan Broccoli Chips
Ingredients
- 3 crowns broccoli, cut into large florets
- 10 oz shredded parmesan cheese
- salt, garlic powder + onion powder to taste
Spicy Ranch Dip:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbs Sriracha sauce
- 1 tbs rice vinegar
- 2 tbs chopped chives
- 1/2 tsp each onion powder, garlic powder
- pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 420℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bring a large pot of water (1/2 way full) to a boil. Add in the large florets and 1 tsp salt and bring back to a boil. Blanch the broccoli for just a minute or two, then strain and transfer to a platter lined with paper towels. Do not over boil the broccoli.
- Sprinkle the baking sheet evenly with your cheese so that there is a thin layer. Next transfer the broccoli to the sheet, slightly spacing them out so that you have room to mash them. Take a small shot glass and smash the broccoli pieces down gently but firmly. Sprinkle the tops with salt, onion powder and a little garlic powder. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese has turned golden brown and the broccoli is turning crispy. Allow to cool slightly and then break apart to serve.
Dip:
- Whisk together dip ingredients and taste. Adjust if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Looking for more?
Mine also stuck to the parchment.
Was it wax paper or parchment paper? I can imagine wax melting a bit and sticking.
Made it tonight. Just cooking for 2 and just guessed on the ingredient amounts, but I followed the process (blanching, roasting) as in the recipe. Very good! Lovely color, texture and taste. Very easy and I’ll be making it again.
Hi Kelly, thanks for sharing your feedback and I’m so glad you liked the chips!
Looks and tastes amazing!! Any chance you could please share the spicy ranch recipe with amounts of each ingredient? A little afraid to overdo it with vinegar 😊
Hi Dia, I’m so glad you liked the recipe. For the dip use 1/2 cup mayo, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1 tbs Sriracha, 1 tbs rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp each onion powder, garlic powder, dash of cayenne pepper + 2 tbs chives
Love it! Thanks for sharing all your yummy recipes 🇬🇷
Question? How do you keep these fresh and crisp? Or are they just meant to be eaten right away?
Hi Laura, really they are meant to be eaten on the spot but you can definitely refrigerate and have the next day or two as well!
Why weren’t mine crisp?
Made tonight, yum!
Shredded parmesan isn’t something my grocery stores carry so I used cheddar and havarti cheese. Little oily, so I blotted with a napkin. Added everything but bagle seasoning after it was cooked so as not to burn.
Will make again.
So delicious! I used frozen broccoli, skipped the salt but sprinkled black pepper. I also placed some sliced mushrooms in the spaces between the broccoli crowns. Put the garlic and onion powder on for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Thanks for.sharing. So yummy!!!
Hi Sandy, thanks for sharing your feedback with the frozen broccoli with us! Sounds awesome with the mushrooms too!!
fourth recipe on your site & im so impressed ! i was a bit skeptical thr cheese was on the bottom because i never saw a recipe like that but definitely amazing !
HI Valerie, yes its definitely a unique recipe and I’m so happy every recipe you tried has been to your enjoyment! Thank you!
I just made these and WOW I could eat this whole pan LOL turned out perfect!
Hi Karin, i had the same situation at my house!! lol
hi there, can you use frozen broccoli florets?
HI Bev, absolutely yes.. frozen works here!
Just pulled it put of the oven and let it cool a bit. Parm looks perfect and it tastes great. I towel dried the broccoli, then smashed it, then pressed paper towel on top of that to get more moisture out. The broccoli is still a little smooshie. Not a total deal breaker, but wondering if there is a way to crisp up the broccoli a little bit. Letting it cool on the pan, maybe it will as it cools off. Otherwise, would recommend, and will make again!
Hi katie, maybe leave in longer or bump up temp of oven just a small bit…
So disappointed… what a waste of a recipe. Paper completely ruined it. Had to throw the whole thing out.
Would this work with mozzarella instead?
HI Ani, I’m not so sure it would work. For the broccoli to get crispy, it takes some time. The mozzarella might burn in that time. I’m not sure however, it could work
how are these at room temp? thinking i would make them for a party that im going to but doubt they would still be warm by the time i get there
Hi Allen, personally, I Liked them at room temperature
Can you use a different cheese like mozzarella? Or can I use the Parmesan in the bottle? I don’t have Shredded Parmesan
Can I use aluminum foil instead of parchment paper??
HI marge, absolutely!
Hi. I would definitely not recommend using foil. I realized after I started making this recipe that I was out of parchment paper so used foil as you stated. Unfortunately it completely stuck to the foil and tore off in pieces. It was impossible to pick off all the foil so I had to throw 90% of it in the garbage. What I was able to sample around the edges tasted great! But don’t use foil, you’ll waste all your ingredients and be left with a pan of food that looks and smells fantastic but is just a tease because you can’t eat it. 🤣
We now know that aluminum leaves residue on our food and experts all recommend not using it where it touches food. I know that’s a big change – and aluminum foil been central in our lives forever, but…now we know!
I made it with mozzarella, it was good but wasn’t crispy. I think there’s too much moisture in the mozzarella.
This is really good just be careful with putting onion and garlic powder on top because it will burn in the oven and give a butter taste. When I make this again I will skip that step!
Not sure why so many people have “ sticking to the parchment issue” that is why I use parchment for lots of recipes- ezpz lift and cleanup…???
would this work with frozen broccoli?
Everything cans out great except the parchment paper stuck to the cheese…
non stick aluminum foil works great!
Great recipe and healthy. I appreciate you taking time to share this.
thanks so much for trying it out! Cheers!
I must have done something wrong! The parchment was all stuck to the bottom- and unable to pull it off the food. Had to throw it out. It looked and smelt good though!
I followed your instructions, but the cheese stuck to the parchment, and it couldn’t be pulled off. Unfortunately, had to throw everything out. Would love to know how to avoid this next time.
Hi Suzanne, i’m so sorry the recipe didnt work for you!! Its strange because that’s the whole point of parchment: no sticking. I ‘m not sure what I can advise to change. Are you sure it was parchment and not some other type of paper? Again I’m very sorry you had to throw out the ingredients!
Try taking it off the paper when hot .
I’m here to reassure everyone it did not stick. I used parchment paper, Parmesan and Romano cheese mixed. Did not grease the sheet. Removed from the pan to a wire rack with a spatula immediately, and it crisped up perfectly after about a minute so I could snap off pieces. It DEFINITELY is best within 10 mins or so— I didn’t love the broccoli at room temp. This is a winner and I’ll definitely make it again!
Use oil spray or PAM on the parchment. Problem solved…
This was a fail for me. I don’t know what I did wrong but I could not peel off paper. What a terrible waste of cheese. I wanted to love this. Had to toss it.
Me too! Soooo disappointing. I actually questioned the use of parchment and thought to just put it directly on the pan. And yes, I used baking parchment
I , have the same problem with that paper
It not good for me either!
my parmesan started burning after 14 minutes and my broccoli wasn’t able to crisp up at all. what did I do wrong? should I have patted the broccoli dry after blanching? what little bits didn’t burn I ate and it was still pretty tasty but I know it could be better
I Just got to your site and the recipe’s look DEELISH!!!? I can’t wait to try these gummies snacks!
Thank you very much for taking your time to share these wonderful treats!!!
Great Job and Thank you once again!!!
Hello! And thank you for the kind comment! You’re going to love these chips too!