Microwave broccoli is as easy as it gets, whether you use fresh or frozen broccoli. And when you add lemon garlic butter, it tastes divine!

Making dinner can become even more hectic when you need to prepare a healthy side dish. But not when you make this quick and easy 5-minute, microwave steamed broccoli with lemon garlic butter.

Steaming broccoli in the microwave is one of the quickest and easiest ways to prepare broccoli — and one of the healthiest! And steaming broccoli in the microwave is just as delicious as steaming it over the stovetop.

Whether you steam frozen or fresh broccoli, the directions are nearly the same. Except with frozen broccoli, you do no not need to add water to steam (due to ice crystals). And with fresh broccoli, you simply add two tablespoons of water before microwaving. Both go in a microwave-safe bowl that is covered with a plate or top and are microwaved for 3 minutes, or until desired doneness.

The lemon garlic butter is just as simple. With that, you simply mix together softened butter along with minced garlic, salt and lemon zest. That's it.

It's a perfect weeknight side dish when you don't have the time or energy to do something more time consuming!

Ingredients

Broccoli: You can use fresh or frozen broccoli florets in this recipe. Fresh turns out more crispy-crunchy than frozen, but frozen is still tasty. With fresh, you'll want to cut the broccoli crown into similar size bite-size chunks that aren't too small. With frozen, try to select similar size broccoli pieces from bag before microwaving.

Unsalted butter: Butter gives this broccoli flavor. You can use a tablespoon less if you're watching your saturated fat.

Fresh garlic: We love fresh minced garlic in this recipe but you could use garlic seasoning in a pinch (start with a ½ teaspoon and add more to taste).

Lemon zest: We use fresh lemon zest since it provides the most flavor. Lemon juice just isn't the same.

Salt and pepper: We always recommend salt and pepper to taste. Once you've tossed all the ingredients then sprinkle salt and pepper until your liking.

How to Microwave Fresh Broccoli

STEP 1: In a small bowl, mix softened/melted butter (we simply microwave for 30 seconds or more), minced garlic, lemon zest until thoroughly combined. Set aside

STEP 2: Put florets in medium to large microwavable bowl and add 2 tablespoons of water.

STEP 3: Cover the bowl with a plate which doesn't allow any gaps. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Check for doneness by tasting (be careful not to burn yourself when removing bowl). Microwave for 30 seconds longer or longer if needed.

STEP 4: When done, remove broccoli from bowl with tongs. Lightly squeeze broccoli with tongs to remove excess water. Place in serving bowl and dab with paper towels. Toss broccoli with lemon garlic butter until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

How to Microwave Frozen Broccoli

STEP 1: In a small bowl, mix softened/melted butter (we simply microwave for 30 seconds or more), minced garlic, lemon zest until thoroughly combined. Set aside

STEP 2: Put 8 ounces of frozen florets of similar size in medium to large microwavable bowl. DO NOT ADD WATER.

STEP 3: Cover the bowl with a plate which doesn't allow any gaps. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Check for doneness by tasting (be careful not to burn yourself when removing bowl). Microwave for 30 seconds longer or longer if needed.

STEP 4: When done, remove broccoli from bowl with tongs. Lightly squeeze broccoli with tongs to remove excess water. Place in serving bowl and dab with paper towels. Toss broccoli with lemon garlic butter until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

HOW TO ZEST A LEMON

To zest a lemon, it's best to use a microplane, zester or even a grater. When zesting, be sure to remove just the thin, outer-yellow skin of the lemon. Do not remove the white pith that lies beneath. The pith is bitter and will not give you the flavor you want. You'll zest the lemon in patches, working your way around the lemon, until all the thin yellow skin is removed and just the white pith remains.

Other Microwave Recipes

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Recipe