Cutting broccoli is one of those kitchen tasks that seems straightforward — until you’re left staring at the thick stem wondering what to do with it. In this quick real food kitchen tip, Krista shows you how to break down a broccoli crown into perfect bite-sized florets, what to do with the stem (hint: don’t throw it away!), and the one trick that makes roasted broccoli cook evenly every time.
What You’ll Need
A chef’s knife
A cutting board
Is the Broccoli Stem Edible?
Yes! The stem is completely edible and tastes great roasted. If it isn’t too tough, simply chop it into pieces the same size as your florets and roast it right alongside them. Nothing wasted!
How to Cut Broccoli Step by Step
- Trim the stem — cut right where the crown meets the thick lower stalk. Set the stem aside.
- Separate the florets — cut the crown apart at its natural branching points, breaking it into individual florets
- Size them evenly — cut any large florets in half so everything is roughly the same size
- Prep the stem — if the stem isn’t too tough, chop it into bite-sized pieces and add to your roasting pan
🔑 The Key Tip for Roasting Broccoli
Always cut your florets to roughly equal sizes before roasting. Uneven pieces mean some burn while others are still underdone. Equal sizing = perfectly roasted broccoli every time.
Video Transcript
“Now, when you’re buying broccoli crowns, what I typically do is cut it right here. Now, this is edible. You can eat this. And if you wanted to, and if it’s not too tough, then just chop it up in pieces and roast it with your broccoli crowns. But then here, I normally just cut them apart like this and cut them in bite-sized pieces, trimming the florets to as big as you want. And remember, for roasting, you want everything to be kind of in equal sizes. But there you go. Stem and all.”