Sauteed Broccolini - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this sauteed broccolini recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

Fresh broccolini: You can find it in the vegetable aisle, usually next to the broccoli. It's sometimes labeled as "baby broccoli."

Unsalted butter: I love using creamy European butter, but any butter will be great. Olive oil works, too, but I prefer butter.

To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.

An excellent way to vary the basic recipe is to use different fats. For example, you could use olive oil or ghee. Having said that, I prefer butter. I think it gives this dish the best flavor.

You can also use fresh minced garlic instead of garlic powder and experiment with adding more spices if you'd like - ½ teaspoon of thyme is good, in my experience, and I also sometimes like to sprinkle the finished dish with red pepper flakes and/ or grated parmesan.

The detailed instructions for making this recipe are listed in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:

You start by melting the butter in a large saucepan. When the butter starts foaming, add the broccolini and season it with kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.

Cook the broccolini until it has absorbed the butter, 2-3 minutes per side, over medium-high heat.

Check to see if the stems are fork-tender. If they are, you're done! If they're still tough (this happens with relatively thick stalks), add a bit of water to the skillet, cover, and steam until the stems are tender-crisp, 1-2 minutes.

See Also

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Expert Tip

As shown in the photo below, broccolini comes in different sizes. The stalks can be very thin or fairly thick.

How long you'll need to saute (and then steam) the broccolini will depend on how thick the stems are. As you can see in the photos and video on this page, the broccolini I used today had thin stalks, so it was ready fast. Thicker stalks will require a slightly longer cooking time.

In fact, if the stems are very thin, you can skip steaming altogether and simply saute the broccolini for 2-3 minutes on each side. So check the stems after the first stage of sauteing. If they're fork-tender, they're ready to serve.

What's the difference between broccoli and broccolini?

Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It has small florets and long, thin stalks. It is sweeter and milder than broccoli and cooks faster.

Should I remove the leaves and stems?

Should I blanch the broccolini before cooking it?

Serving Suggestions

Anything goes with sauteed broccolini! It makes an excellent side dish to practically any meat or seafood.

I often serve it with baked pork chops,pork medallions, parmesan chicken tenders, or reverse-seared steak. In the photo below, you can see that I served it for dinner one evening with salmon steak:

You can also serve it alongside fried or poached eggs for a delicious meatless dinner.

I don't like to keep the leftovers. They tend to become a bit limp and soggy in the fridge. So I try to make just as much as we can eat immediately.

But if you end up withleftovers, you can keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.You can reheat them in the microwave.

I sometimes chop them up and add them cold to a salad the next day for lunch or mix them into egg muffins or an omelet (such as this egg white omelette) the next morning.

Sautéed Broccolini Recipe

In this easy recipe forsauteed broccolini, the broccolini is sauteed in butter with garlic until tender-crisp.

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 151kcal

Add Your Own Notes

Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 0.5recipe | Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 317mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g