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
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WHAT? Only 5 stars? It calls for more than that! I made this for our “Happy Hour” last Friday…. and am going to do it again this Friday! Our “Happy Hour” is usually focused on the pets… but this time we had this delicious Broccoli and Parm. I was still raving about it on Saturday! (Obvious my life is pretty small, eh?) Thank you for posting this. It’s a keeper! Oh,…I didn’t have buttermilk, so I substituted plain Greek Yogurt…. and it was super!
Made this the other night for our Friday-Night Happy Hour. It was simply amazing! We’re still talking about it! I didn’t have buttermilk, so I used plain Greek yogurt… and it turned out great. Will be making this recipe again and again! Thank you so much for sharing.
It was so fun and munchable, having this sheet of deliciousness. We must’ve done some unknown thing wrong, tho, because the broccoli kept sticking to the shot glass, peeling it up from the tray while smashing it and once baked, the cheese became a nice crispy sheet but the broccoli didn’t crisp up in the oven. Not sure what to modify. Ate half as-is then smashed the second half thinner and re-baked but that didn’t help. Giving it all the stars even so, because it must’ve been my error if this worked for everybody else!
Hi Colleen,
I’m glad you liked them in the end.
I’m thinking that they were sticking to the glass because they were over par-boiled.
And the broccoli didnt crisp because it was still wet after the boil. Make sure to dry them well!
I hope this helps! And thanks for trying the recipe!
Any advice on storing it properly?
Hi Barbara, I store my leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I reheat in the mini oven
Thank you for separating out your recipes into types of diets – my partner has a severe dairy allergy and this prctice does make it convenient to find new recipes to try. That said, I wanted to let you know that this recipe and any other with parmesan, cheese, or butter should not be filtered into this category, as cheese and butter are dairy products and for those who are seeking to eliminate dairy from their diet for whatever reason would not be able to use this recipe as written. I see that you have added a note about using a cheese substitute in order to make this recipe dairy-free but to my mind, that’s not the same as this being a dairy-free recipe. Those of us who cook with allergens in mind already know to make these substitutions; personally I clicked on this recipe in hopes that you had found a new way to make something taste like parmesan chips that was actually nondairy, and so to see the actual recipe was something of a disappointment. I am looking forward to trying some of your other recipes for sure, and I appreciate this website – it’s very easy to navigate and find items of interest, with the one small caveat about the dairy-free recipes.
parchment paper & wax paper are different. not saying anyone used the wax but just trying to help.
Amazing!! Followed the recipe exactly. No problem with it sticking to the parchment paper. Will definitely make again 🙂
Hi Brenda, awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the chips!
I made this with mozzarella because I didn’t have Parmesan. I went to check on it 10 mins in and it was burnt. Peeled fine off the parchment paper though and still tasted good. I will be making this again just cooking time will be less. Thumbs up
so good
not sure what the other people are doing wrong, and believe me, I have very little culinary skills…I’m lucky I can spell culinary. I’ve made this twice now for my dinner and last time was best time. coming off the paper, I folded two sided together so it made this sort of Broccoli Parmesan casserole thing. soooo good.
I love this so much, I will never stop making it! I sprayed parchment paper with non stick cooking spray and it came off the paper very easily! Also used cheddar cheese instead of parmesan because that’s what I had on hand and it was perfect.
Hi Alana, Thank you for coming back and sharing your feedback with us! I’m so glad the recipe worked out for you in the end! Cheers!
oh!! thanks …trying that next time!
OMG, so easy and so yummy. This will be a go to.
Hi Karin, Awesome! So happy the recipe was a success!
These are delicious!!
Yes they are!! Thanks Christine!
I just made it and it came out almost perfect. I think I should have let the broccoli blanch a little longer. I was not able to smash the bigger florets as flat as in the video/picture. But it still tastes amazing! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
So glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for the sweet message!
Can the extras be frozen when completely cooled?
Used Bacofoil non stick baking paper and it came away just fine. Peeled off straight from the oven.
OMG, absolutely divine!✨✨✨✨✨
Hi Jacqui, glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for the rating!
This recipe looks great, but if your nutrition info is per serving the sodium of 1136 mg is too high for me to maintain my low blood pressure. This has to be due to the cheese and salt/ powders used? Any suggestions?
Perhaps look for a recipe that doesn’t require seasonings and cheese, if these are dietary concerns for you.