Roasted Broccoli and Bacon

Roasted broccoli and bacon is going to become one of your favorite dishes to make! Roasted broccoli is always delicious, but add bacon and you've got an extra layer of flavor and deliciousness! Perfect as a side, but hearty enough to be a low-carb meal, and easy to whip up any night of the week.

I love roasted vegetables, but probably one of my favorites is roasted broccoli.

And because bacon can only make it better, and you've got a delicious combination that's perfect as a side dish or as a light meal.

Ingredients and Preparation

This recipe could not be any simpler. All you need is a head of broccoli, an onion, and a few strips of bacon. I don't worry too much about the weight of the broccoli...I just get the largest head I can get!

I cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces, making sure not to make them too small as they will shrink a bit while roasting. After washing/rinsing the broccoli, I make sure to give them a spin in my salad spinner to get as much of the water off of them. If you skip this step, you'll end up steaming the broccoli more than roasting them.

For the onion, I peel it, trim off the ends, and cut it into large chunks. I leave the chunks intact (instead of separating all the layers) for the first half of roasting so that the edges of the onion layers don't get burnt.

And the bacon...glorious bacon! I chop the bacon into small pieces so that there is good distribution with the broccoli in the dish. I use 3 strips, but if adjust by one strip more or less, depending on what you prefer.

Roasting the Broccoli and Bacon

On a large baking sheet, I spread out the broccoli and onions and drizzle some extra light olive oil over them, giving them a gentle mix with my hands. (Any neutral flavored oil will work.)

Then comes the bacon pieces which I scatter evenly over all the bacon and onions. A sprinkle of some salt and pepper over the whole thing and into a preheated 375F/190C oven it goes!

I let it roast for 20 minutes before giving everything a stir, trying my best to flip the broccoli over so they get some even roasting. This is also when I break up the onion chunks which will easily break into their layers with a bit of pressure applied to them with your spatula. I let it roast for another 10-15 minutes and we are ready to eat!

Ingredient Substitutions

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables to roast, as I have mentioned, but I have also made this with cauliflower with great success. Sweet potatoes or butternut squash would provide a really nice sweetness to balance the saltiness of the bacon. And of course, you could always jump on the potato wagon and do something like Crispy Roasted Smashed Potatoes, cooked with the bacon and maybe topped with sour cream and chives...it would be like a deconstructed baked potato, but better!

While bacon is always a good flavor choice, you could substitute it with your favorite sausages, sliced or diced! I can imagine this dish being really tasty with chicken apple sausages, a simple salt and peppered pork sausage, Polish kielbasa, or even spicy andouille!

If you prefer, you can omit the onions (something my boys wish I would do!). You can also throw in some cloves of garlic (still in their skins) because roasted garlic is always a nice touch.

Serving Ideas

Roasted broccoli and bacon makes a great side dish to your standard protein dishes like a dry-brined roast chicken, prime rib roast, or slow-roasted pork ribs. It would even go well with a plate of pasta or liven up very simple poached chicken breasts.

However, I have happily made it into a dish itself, having equal weighting on the plate with other components. Think about topping the roasted broccoli and bacon with a healthy ladle of Beefy Tomato Bolognese Sauce. You don't always need to eat bolognese with pasta!

I also love eating this with a fried eggs served on top. It's literally eggs and bacon with the broccoli component and it's like breakfast taken up a notch!

You can also throw this together with some eggs and cheese and make a roasted broccoli and bacon quiche!

Serve this with some lemon wedges for anyone who wants a fresh squirt of citrus, top it with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese, or sprinkle some dried chili flakes on top for a bit of spice.

This is literally one of my favorite dishes to make and the only thing that's disappointing is if there aren't any leftovers for me to enjoy the next day! It's so easy to make, doesn't require a whole lot of thinking or measuring, and it's really delicious. On top of that, it's gluten-free, paleo, and low-carb/keto friendly! This is one side dish that looks and tastes so good, it definitely won't get left to the side when you make it!

~ Lisa.