Effortless & Delicious: Best Way to Cook Frozen Broccoli

I once bought frozen broccoli to save trouble, but I didn't know how to cook it to preserve its delicious taste. Until one day, I stumbled upon a wonderful method that gave frozen broccoli a new lease of life. Today, let's share the best way to cook frozen broccoli!

Ways to Cook Frozen Broccoli

Thawing and cleaning: If your frozen broccoli has ice crystals, it is recommended to slowly thaw it in the refrigerator first, or directly rinse it with cold water to thaw it, so as to maximize the taste and nutrition of the broccoli. After thawing, rinse it gently with cold water and drain the water.

Seasoning: In a large bowl, toss broccoli with salt, olive oil, and minced garlic. The olive oil not only adds flavor to the broccoli, but also helps it stay green during cooking. The minced garlic adds a rich aroma that enhances the taste of the whole dish.

Cooking: You can choose to cook broccoli in a pot or in an air fryer. If cooking in a pot, add a pinch of salt and a few drops of olive oil to the boiling water, then add the broccoli and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until it is crisp-tender. If using an air fryer, spread the broccoli evenly in the basket, set the temperature to 200°C, and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Remember to turn the broccoli over once halfway to ensure that it is evenly cooked. When the cooking is done, remove or take out the broccoli, drain slightly, and serve.

How do you cook broccoli so it stays crunchy?

There are a few secrets to keeping broccoli crispy.

First, when washing broccoli, do not soak it too much, just rinse it briefly. The next step is blanching, which is the key step. Boil a pot of water, add a small spoonful of salt and a few drops of cooking oil, and put the broccoli into the water after the water boils. Do not cook it for too long, 1-2 minutes will be enough. Because salt can help the broccoli to absorb the flavor, and the oil can form a protective film on the surface of the broccoli to lock in its crispness.

If you are using the stir-fry method, the pan should be hot and the oil should be a little more. First, sauté the garlic or ginger slices until fragrant, then quickly add the broccoli and stir-fry. The heat should be high so that the broccoli can be quickly heated in the pan. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes, add a little water, cover the pot and simmer for half a minute, so that the broccoli can be cooked through and still maintain a crispy texture.

If you like to eat cold broccoli, put it in ice water immediately after blanching to make it crispier. Then mix it with your favorite seasonings, such as vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, a little sugar and salt. You can also add some peanuts or sesame seeds to increase the taste. The broccoli made in this way is absolutely crisp and delicious!

How do you keep frozen broccoli from getting mushy?

To prevent frozen broccoli from becoming mushy, first of all, thawing is crucial. Don't let the broccoli thaw naturally for too long. It's best to thaw it slowly in the refrigerator in advance, or use the thawing function of the microwave, which is fast and can maintain the texture.

When cooking, the blanching time should not be too long. After the water is boiled, add the broccoli and cook for only 1-2 minutes. When you see the color turn green, take it out and put it in cold water for a while. This will stop the heating process and lock in the taste of the broccoli.

If you are stir-frying broccoli, you need to heat the pan with cold oil, and stir-fry quickly over high heat. Add the broccoli and stir-fry quickly to allow it to be heated evenly. It will take about 2-3 minutes to stir-fry. Do not simmer over low heat, otherwise it will easily become mushy.

Do I need to thaw frozen broccoli before steaming?

It's best to thaw frozen broccoli before steaming it. If you don't thaw it, the broccoli will not cook evenly on the outside and inside. The outside may overcook and become mushy quickly, while the inside will not have time to cook through.

However, if you are short on time, you can leave it unthawed, but you need to extend the steaming time appropriately. However, the broccoli made in this way may taste a little worse.

Thawing method:

You can thaw broccoli at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Thawing at room temperature will be faster, but be careful not to leave it for too long to prevent it from spoiling. Thawing in the refrigerator will be slower, but it can better preserve the quality of the broccoli. Steaming the thawed broccoli will heat more evenly, and the steamed broccoli will taste better, better retaining its nutrients and tender taste.

How do you defrost frozen broccoli without it getting soggy?

You can use the refrigerated thawing method. Take the frozen broccoli out of the freezer and put it directly into the refrigerator to thaw slowly. This method can preserve the texture of the broccoli to the greatest extent, because it thaws slowly, and less water seeps out of the broccoli cells, so it will not be soggy.

There is another little trick. Put the frozen broccoli in a sealed bag and then thaw it in cold water. The temperature of the water is very important. Keep it cold and change the water frequently to keep the water temperature constant. This method can also better maintain the taste of the broccoli, and the thawing speed is faster than thawing in the refrigerator.

How to get moisture out of frozen broccoli?

If you just took it out of the freezer, don't rush to cook it. You can put the broccoli in a colander or strainer and let it thaw naturally for a few minutes. At this time, some ice crystals will melt, and gently shaking the colander will allow some of the water to flow away.

If it's already thawed, the best way is to use paper towels. Place the broccoli on the paper towels in several layers and press gently to allow the paper towels to absorb any excess moisture. Be careful not to press too hard, however, or the broccoli will get crushed.

There is another little trick. If you want to cook broccoli, such as stir-frying or roasting, you can mix the broccoli with a small amount of oil first. During the heating process, the moisture will slowly evaporate. If you want to roast broccoli in the oven, mix it with salt, black pepper and olive oil in advance, then spread it on a baking sheet and roast it at high temperature for a few minutes. The moisture will also be roasted dry and the surface of the broccoli will have a layer of charred aroma.