This healthy sautéed Asian broccolini takes less than 15 minutes and it’s crisp tender with lots of flavor. It makes a perfect quick and easy side dish!
I’ve been a huge fan of broccolini for years now, and I might love it even more than the better-known broccoli. When cooked right, they are perfectly crunchy and delicious, soaking up any sauce that they are cooked in. While you can cook them in various ways, my go-to easiest method is this sautéed broccolini and garlic recipe which comes together in no time!
What is Broccolini?
If you’ve never cooked with broccolini, I highly recommend you try them out! So what is broccolini? Broccolini is a a cross-breed of broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It has florets like broccoli, but with longer, thinner stems that are more tender, delicate, and less fibrous. When cooked right, the stems have a delicious crunch to them. The flavor is also milder than broccoli and slightly sweet, in my opinion, and you’ll love how it tastes in this Asian garlic broccolini recipe!
Asian Broccolini Recipe
I truly feel that this is the perfect broccolini recipe that’s easy, flavorful, and QUICK! Raw broccolini is sautéed in sesame oil, seasoned with garlic and spices, then steamed quickly in a coconut aminos and rice vinegar mixture to finish cooking. All the flavors meld together and are infused into the sautéed broccolini and garlic for a delicious and satisfying side dish.
Here’s a Short Video of This Recipe
How to Cut Broccolini to Make Healthy Sautéed Broccolini Recipe
To get perfect broccolini that’s crisp-crunchy and tender with even texture, you want to make sure the stems are similar in size. You also want to trim away any tough bits. Here’s how to prepare broccolini for this recipe:
- Trim away the bottom 1/2 inch of the stems.
- If there are any stems that are thicker than the others, slice them in half lengthwise they are are all even in size.
Ingredients in This Vegan & Paleo Broccolini
- broccolini: Baby broccoli, which is very similar to broccolini, will also work for this recipe.
- extra virgin olive oil: You can use this or any of your favorite cooking oil like ghee or avocado oil.
- sesame oil
- garlic
- sea salt
- red pepper flakes
- coconut aminos: Coconut aminos is a grain and soy-free alternative to soy sauce. If you only have soy sauce, that’s fine too, but it won’t be paleo or Whole30.
- rice vinegar: Apple cider vinegar will also work in a pinch if you don’t have rice vinegar on hand.
- sesame seeds and ground black pepper
How to Sauté Broccolini
- Prepare and trim raw broccolini. For details, read the above section, “How to Cut Broccolini to Make Healthy Sautéed Broccolini Recipe”
- How to stir fry broccolini: Heat olive oil and sesame oil over medium high heat in a large skillet with a lid.
- Add broccolini to the skillet and cook flipping and stirring until bright green in color and some of edges are charred, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes, and stir until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in water, coconut aminos, and rice vinegar over garlic broccolini mixture, and cover. Cook until the broccolini is crisp tender.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and ground black pepper, then serve warm.
Frequently Asked Questions About Asian Broccolini
You can usually find broccolini at grocery stores in the produce section. If you have a hard time finding it, you can go to an Asian grocery store and use Chinese broccoli instead. Trader Joe’s also has baby broccoli that you can use for this recipe as well.
This Whole30 and paleo broccoli recipe goes well with any kind of protein, like steak, chicken, fish, or even tofu and rice if you are vegan.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. To reheat, you can lightly sauté them in the skillet with a little bit of olive oil for a few minutes. You can also microwave them for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
If you enjoyed this paleo Asian broccolini recipe, you might also like…
- Quick & Healthy Broccoli Slaw (Paleo, Whole30, Vegan-Option)
- “Roasted” Garlic Lemon Paleo Instant Pot Broccoli
- Sautéed Asian Zucchini and Onions (Paleo, Whole30, Low Carb, AIP Option)
- Paleo Asian Coleslaw
- Sheet Pan Shrimp and Broccoli with “Soy” Garlic Sauce (Paleo, Whole30, AIP Option)
Asian Sautéed Broccolini Recipe (Paleo, Whole30, Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 lb broccolini
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- Sesame seeds and ground black pepper for garnish
Instructions
- Trim the bottom 1/2 inch of the broccolini and halve any stems that are thick.
- Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium high heat.
- Add broccolini to the skillet and cook flipping and stirring until bright green in color and some of edges are charred, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes, and stir for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in water, coconut aminos, and rice vinegar, and cover. Cook until the broccolini is crisp tender, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve warm, sprinkled with sesame seeds and ground black pepper.
Video
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I love broccolini more than broccoli too! THanks for the recipe, I really liked the slightly charred, crunchy edges!
Thank you! It’s just the perfect texture.
Ah, this is the ultimate side dish! Just the right amount of char! Quick to make and so good with everything! So delicious! I could eat the whole pan!
I could eat this every day! The red pepper flakes with the garlic addso much flavor.