Homemade Batter Fried Broccoli with Creamy Sauce

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I really hope you enjoy this Homemade Batter Fried Broccoli with Creamy Sauce recipe. If you do, please let me know in the comments below. I LOVE reading your comments ❤

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Broccoli is such a wonderful, WONDERFUL vegetable! And it’s so healthy too.

If you love broccoli as much as we do here, you’ll already know how delicious it is and how amazing it tastes in literally every single way. Raw? Delish. Steamed? Delish. Boiled? Delish. Sautéed? Delish.

And now we have a crispy fried version of it. Guess what? It’s still delish!

You have no idea how amazing broccoli tastes all crispy fried and coated with the amazing thick cheesy garlic sauce we have here. It tastes… divine.

I’ve seen people go speechless for a few seconds after trying this dish for the very first time. I really hope you try your broccoli this way and love it too ❤.

This recipe is a different take on broccoli. If you’ve always had your broccoli the same old way (nothing wrong with that!), you can try having it fried too to widen your perspective and taste buds when it comes to broccoli.

There are so many more reasons to love this recipe, and here are just a few…

• It’s something new and out of the ordinary. Experimenting with new tastes and discovering something different is so much fun, and that’s exactly what you’ll be doing by frying your broccoli and coating it in some thick cheesy sauce!
• The ingredients are few and pretty common. You probably already have them at home right now!
• When you have some fresh, out-of-the-pan crispy fried broccoli in front of you, you look at it in a whole new way. If you already love broccoli, you just NEED to try the crispy fried version of it. You’ll fall deeper in love.
• Know someone who isn’t into broccoli? This recipe may just make them warm up to it! That’s just how amazing this dish is! The broccoli transforms once you fry it and that already amazing broccoli flavor that exists becomes so much better once it’s fried and crispy!
• This is such a scrumptious vegetarian dish too. If you aren’t a vegetarian or happen to dislike veggies, go ahead and give this dish a try. You’ll love it to bits and pieces because it just tastes that good.
• Frying may scare some people, but trust me guys, it’s not difficult at all! This recipe originally had a wet batter, but I’ve changed it and made it simpler for you guys! I’ve also made sure frying the broccoli is as simple as possible. I’ve also, as always, gone into great detail in the instructions to explain how to fry the broccoli in a way that’s easy and quick too! This is for everyone learning to cook 😊 I’ve got your back.
• This homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce recipe is surprisingly quick to put together too. Once you’re done with the frying part, preparing the cheesy sauce takes maybe 15 minutes at most? And there you have it! The best little meal ever.
• This dish is so comforting. You can make a bowl of this crispy broccoli in cheesy sauce for yourself after a difficult day or on a cold night (or both), and it’ll warm you up and leave you feeling full and content. It just does something special like that… ✨
• Is your diet preference meat-based (non-vegetarian), dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or vegan? You can still make this delicious butter chicken! Check out our Variations Section below to see how you can make this recipe according to your diet preference!

Where the heck would we be without our beloved greens 💚? Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Vegetarian, Appetizers and Gluten-Free recipes.

WHAT IS HOMEMADE BATTER FRIED BROCCOLI WITH CREAMY SAUCE AND HOW DID IT COME INTO EXISTENCE?

Homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce is basically delicious deep-fried crispy broccoli tossed in creamy, cheesy garlic sauce.

Let me tell you guys how we came up with this recipe. Personal story time because that’s what The Buttery Fairytale is about, our personal memories with our favorite recipes 😊.

You can share your stories with this recipe in the comments below too whether this is the first time you’re trying this recipe or if you’ve already had it multiple times before, I would love to hear all about it!

Zee (my husband) and I have always loved broccoli. It’s one of our most favorite vegetables. We’ve always thought of broccoli as cute little trees. I feel like a giant eating tiny trees when I eat them.

Zee still thinks out loud how awesome it’d be if broccoli had brown stems like actual tree trunks… It also tastes so good! I guess you can see how much we love it here.

On a really cold winter night a few years ago, Zee and I were craving something fried and crispy. It was pretty late and no place was open. The only fry-able thing we had in the fridge was some broccoli.

That was pretty questionable; I hadn’t ever fried broccoli before. I didn’t know if frying broccoli was even possible (!).

Zee asked me to give it a try though. “What’s the worst that can happen?” he asked. Well, something amazing happened instead and that was this recipe! We got the best-ever fried crispy broccoli that tasted the absolute best. Best best best!

We then thought about how well the crispy broccoli would go with a nice cheesy garlicky dip. It did, and here we are today!

Over the years, the dip turned into a sauce to coat the fried broccoli instead, and oh man, it tastes awesomesauce! It’s amazing how it all came to be.

I’m not going to lie to you. I think we all know why this recipe tastes so good. It’s fried broccoli. Broccoli is amazing on its own and when you go ahead and fry it, it becomes… yes 💖.

And then that crispy broccoli tossed in some cheesy garlicky sauce? The result is some pretty dang good broccoli. It’s so strange how there aren’t more fried broccoli recipes out there!

This is a deliciously indulgent meal, and you can have it as an appetizer or maybe as a small main dish in itself.

You can have these beautiful crispy cheesy broccoli cuties as a side dish too. You’d think not because the recipe is so rich. But it actually does work well alongside a simple main dish.

It’s all a matter of preference though, so you can have this dish however and whenever you want!

Every method of cooking broccoli is scrumptious. This is just one of them, and if you’re a broccoli fan, go ahead and try it. If you’re not a broccoli fan, go ahead and try it anyway! Maybe you’ll discover and fall in love with flavors you never knew even existed!

Oh and hey, have you got some interesting memories with broccoli too? I’ll be so happy to read all about it in the comments below (only if you’re comfortable sharing ❤).

INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE BATTER FRIED BROCCOLI WITH CREAMY SAUCE

For exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

For the broccoli:

• Broccoli- Ah, broccoli. One of the best vegetables ever. It’s no surprise this recipe revolves around it. Make sure you wash and cut your broccoli into florets!
• Egg whites- We are using egg whites here instead of whole eggs because I feel it helps the cornstarch stick better to our broccoli. It also leads to crispier broccoli after frying!
• Cornstarch- Cornstarch is the best here. It gives us a crispy crust that’s light and not heavy at all. It also gives a very beautiful golden color to our broccoli’s crust once it’s fried.
• Baking powder- We add just a little baking powder to the cornstarch here to make the broccoli lighter and crispier after frying!
• Cooking oil- This is to fry our broccoli in. The best oil to use here would be a neutral cooking oil.

For the creamy sauce:

• Oil- We use just a bit of cooking oil to make sure our butter doesn’t burn by handling things all on its own. Make sure you use a neutral cooking oil here.
• Butter- Butter will lend a lush, rich taste to our sauce. And hey, the taste of butter garlic is one of the best things in the entire world!
• Garlic- Make sure you use fresh garlic here. The garlic needs to be smashed and minced. It’ll merge with our butter and oil to give the most amazing taste ever!
• Light cream or heavy cream- What can even be better than creamy goodness? Cream gives our sauce a beautifully smooth and creamy texture. We’ve used light cream here with a fat percentage of 25%. You can use heavy cream too, if you prefer. You can use half and half as well if you would like a lower fat percentage.
• Mozzarella cheese- Freshly grated mozzarella cheese makes this sauce thick and cheesy! The result? Beautiful oozy cheesy, creamy goodness!
• Salt and pepper- Add in some salt and freshly ground pepper to the sauce according to your preference.
• Fresh green onions- For garnishing. Use both the white and green parts. Please don’t skip out on the green onions here. They work so well with the garlicky cheesiness of the sauce, the crispiness of the broccoli and add the most amazing slight oniony flavor!

Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

Where the heck would we be without our beloved greens 💚? Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Sides, Stovetop and Winter recipes.

RECIPE & DIET VARIATIONS YOU CAN TRY

This is a pretty interesting recipe, and so much can be done with it!

If you love experimenting with different ingredients and trying new things in a recipe, you can try these interesting variations. Maybe you’ll discover something new! 

• First of all, the vegetable. I love this recipe with broccoli, so much. But maybe you don’t like broccoli. Maybe you like broccoli but don’t have it at home. Or maybe you just want a break from broccoli right at this moment? So yes, you can try this recipe with cauliflower as well! It tastes absolutely scrumptious with it. You can try this recipe with any other vegetable you think may go well with it too.
• You can also go ahead and deep fry different vegetables. You don’t need to use only one vegetable here! You can fry some chopped potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini… or any other veggies you like following this recipe… then toss it in the cheesy sauce, and oh yes ❤!!!
• You can also cook your broccoli another way. You can pan-fry it, steam it, boil it, sauté it in some butter, or even air-fry it or bake it in the oven. Make sure you adjust the cooking time according to the cooking method used. Crispy deep fried broccoli tastes wonderful with the creamy cheesy sauce in our opinion but broccoli cooked in all these other ways tastes really good with the sauce too.
• Half and half can be used instead of just cream here in the sauce for a lighter taste and finish. A cream with a higher fat content can be used too to make this sauce richer and lush.
• If you feel a different cheese can work well with this sauce, you can change this up and use different cheeses alongside mozzarella or replace mozzarella with your favorite cheese/s and see how it works with the sauce.

Continue reading if you would like to read about meat-based (non-vegetarian), dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free or vegan adaptations of this recipe.

Note- If you think you have an ingredient that you feel is suitable as a substitute for a certain ingredient in this recipe, according to your dietary preference, you can use it and let us know how it works as a substitute in the comments below. I’ll then add it in as an adaptation suggestion here. This will help so many others with the same diet preference as yours.

Meat Adaptation (Non-Vegetarian):

Adding in some meat to your homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce is super easy…

If you love meat or just aren’t into eating vegetables today, this recipe tastes 💖 with meat such as chicken.

You can fry the chicken the same way as given in this recipe (changing the cooking time accordingly) and oh my goodness, crispy fried chicken covered in creamy cheesy garlicky sauce tastes absolutely AMAZING.

You can have it on its own OR batter fry the broccoli too, mix the crispy chicken and crispy broccoli together in the cheesy sauce and…I have no words.

Try this dish with some shrimp too, and fry it the same way.

You can also use any other meat you prefer as well.

Dairy-Free Adaptation:

To make dairy-free homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce…

• You can go ahead and fry the broccoli as given in this recipe as the ingredients in this part are dairy-free.
• Coming to the sauce, skip out on the butter in the beginning and just use a little extra oil instead.
• You can also add in some coconut milk or coconut cream instead of regular cream.
• When it comes to mozzarella cheese, you can skip out on it. The creamy garlic sauce tastes wonderful on its own with the crispy fried broccoli. You can also try using dairy-free cheese if you feel it will work here.

Please always read through the ingredient list of all the ingredients in the recipe to make sure they are dairy-free. That’s because hidden dairy may be present in some ingredients.

Gluten-Free Adaptation:

This recipe is gluten-free but there are some things you need to keep in mind.

To make gluten-free homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce…

• When it comes to frying broccoli, cornstarch is gluten-free, but it may not have been manufactured in a gluten-free factory, which can lead to cross-contamination. Please always make sure you buy a brand of cornstarch that comes from a gluten-free factory.
• Most brands of baking powder are gluten-free, but make sure yours is too, just in case!
• Many dairy products in their natural form are gluten-free BUT some dairy products may have additives that contain gluten. The same goes for light cream/heavy cream too. Please go through the ingredient list on the food label of the cream you buy to make sure no additional ingredients that may potentially contain gluten are added to it.
• Butter is gluten-free but sometimes, it may be seasoned and these extra ingredients added to it for seasoning may contain gluten, so please make sure your butter is not flavored and does not contain any suspicious additional ingredients. Always check the ingredients given on the food label of the butter you buy.
• When it comes to frying the broccoli and cooking your sauce, please make sure your cooking oil does not contain any additives that contain gluten.

Please keep in mind to read through the ingredient list of all the ingredients in the recipe to make sure they are gluten-free. Hidden gluten may be present in some ingredients.

Nut-Free Adaptation:

To make nut-free homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce…

• Please make sure your corn starch and baking powder come from nut-free factories.
• Please make sure your cooking oil does not contain nuts or is not derived from any nuts.
• Black pepper may also cause issues for people who are allergic to tree nuts. You can skip out on this.

As always, please make sure you thoroughly read through the ingredient list of all the spice blends and other ingredients that have been mentioned in this recipe. Hidden nuts may be present in some ingredients.

Vegan Adaptation:

To make vegan homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce…

• Skip out on the egg. Instead, make a flour and water mixture. Mix equal parts of both flour and water together until smooth. A 1:1 ratio is good, but if you would like to make it crispier, add a little more water. You can use rice flour or cornstarch too. Dip your broccoli in this mixture and then coat it with some breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs. Leave it aside for 5 to 10 minutes for the coating to set, and then go ahead and fry some delicious vegan crispy fried broccoli.
• Coming to the sauce, skip out on the butter in the beginning and just use a little extra oil instead.
• You can also add in some coconut milk or coconut cream instead of regular cream.
• When it comes to mozzarella cheese, you can skip out on it. The creamy garlic sauce tastes wonderful on its own with the crispy fried broccoli. You can also try using vegan dairy-free cheese if you think it’ll go well here.

And as always, please read through the ingredient list of all the given ingredients in the recipe to make sure everything is vegan.

Disclaimer– I’ve done research to make things easier for you guys, but please make sure you do your own research too if you are allergic to something or have a specific diet preference. The suggestions given above for dietary preferences are only suggestions and NOT medical advice. These are suggestions given just after a little research on the said dietary preferences. We are NOT trained medical professionals or nutritionists. You are responsible for yourself, so please ask your physician if you have any questions and make sure you always completely read through the ingredient list of any ingredients you use.

HOW TO COOK HOMEMADE BATTER FRIED BROCCOLI WITH CREAMY SAUCE [Step-by-Step Instructions With Photos]

For exact ingredient measurements and instructions without photos, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

Please keep in mind that I go into lots of detail in all my recipes so you get to know all the super important tips and tricks when it comes to making a particular recipe. I always want you to make the BEST of whatever you’re cooking ❤.

STEP 1: STEAM THE BROCCOLI

Wash and cut your broccoli into florets.

Take a skillet and pour in about 6 tablespoons of water.

Raise the heat to high and bring the water to a boil.

Then, add your broccoli to the water once it starts to bubble up and boil, and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet.

Leave the broccoli alone for 4 minutes.

Once 4 minutes are up, lift the lid of the skillet. Make sure you hold the lid like a shield over the pan so you don’t hurt yourself with the sudden heat and hot water droplets.

Now, check the doneness of the broccoli.

If you’re able to slide a knife or fork into the stem of the broccoli floret without much difficulty, your broccoli is done. That’s what we want here!

Strain the broccoli in case there’s some water remaining and keep it aside.

Keep in mind that we want to steam our broccoli to the point of tenderness but not mushiness. That’s because we’ll be frying it too, so there’s more cooking happening with it later.

You can adjust the steaming time according to your preference if you prefer your broccoli a certain way.

STEP 2: DRY YOUR BROCCOLI

Wait for your broccoli florets to cool.

We need to remove as much moisture as we can from the broccoli.

Dab the florets dry with paper towels, tissues or a kitchen towel.

After that, you can also lay them on some tissues or paper towels and leave them for 5 to 10 minutes to make sure they’re nice and dry.

Broccoli has way too many nooks and crannies, so drying takes a bit of time, but please do the best you can! 😊

Why is this important? It’s important because wet broccoli can make it difficult for the cornstarch to stick to it. It can also lead to soggy broccoli after we fry it.

STEP 3: ADD THE EGG WHITES TO YOUR BROCCOLI FLORETS AND PREPARE THE CORNSTARCH MIXTURE

Once your broccoli florets are dry, move them to a bowl and add in the egg whites.

Mix well to make sure your broccoli florets are covered with egg whites.

In another bowl, add the cornstarch and baking powder. Mix them well together.

STEP 4: COAT THE BROCCOLI

Now, individually take each broccoli floret and coat it with the cornstarch mixture.

Set the cornstarch-coated broccoli florets aside for 5 to 10 minutes on a large plate lightly dusted with cornstarch.

Waiting is important because it’ll make sure the cornstarch sticks well to the broccoli florets.

You can fry the broccoli immediately too, but waiting is always better.

During this time, if you feel any of your broccoli florets don’t have enough cornstarch, coat them once again with the cornstarch mixture and lightly dust the excess off.

STEP 5: FRY THE BROCCOLI (YAY!)

Now, in a wok, Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed deep skillet, pour in enough cooking oil to make sure half the broccoli is covered while frying it (this may be a few cups of oil).

Let the oil heat up over medium heat.

Drop in a tiny bit of coated broccoli into the oil to check if it’s ready.

If the oil is hot enough, the broccoli bit will immediately bubble up and rise to the top. Once this happens, your broccoli is ready for fry time!

Add in your coated broccoli florets one by one.

The number of broccoli florets that can fit in your cooking pan depends on the size of the cooking utensil you’re using. Just make sure not to overcrowd the pan!

Don’t move your broccoli florets around too much. Let them fry on one side until they form a golden brown crust. This may take about 3 to 4 minutes.

Then, turn the broccoli florets over and cook them on the other side until they form a golden brown crust too. This may take lesser time, about 2 to 3 minutes.

You can fry your broccoli florets upside down too, to get more crisp and goldening on top.

You can remove your broccoli at this point, or you can also flip the broccoli florets again and cook them until you get just the right color and texture you prefer. Frying them a little extra will make them crunchier too.

The frying time will depend on how many broccoli florets you’re frying at a time, the cooking utensil you’re using and your stove.

As your broccoli florets crisp up and the time comes to remove them from the oil, here are the next few steps you should follow to keep them nice and crispy for a long time. You can follow these steps whenever you fry anything, really. They’re pretty handy tips.

• Once you’re done frying your broccoli florets and want to remove them, please don’t reduce or switch the heat off until you remove all of the florets from the pan. If you reduce or switch off the heat, the oil will be absorbed by the broccoli florets, making them a soggy mess 😱.
• As you’re removing the broccoli, make sure you first put them in a strainer (holding the strainer over the pan). Then give them a little shake. This way, the excess oil will fall back right into the pan.
• Once you strain your broccoli florets, place them on a cooling rack. Keep some tissues or paper towels under the cooling rack. This is so much better than placing your broccoli florets directly on tissues or paper towels because it’ll make them soggy. If you do not have a cooling rack, strain the pieces of your crispy fried broccoli in a strainer over the pan. Give the strainer a little shake and then transfer the pieces of fried broccoli to a plate without any kitchen towels or tissues on it. Make sure the pieces of fried broccoli are not too close to each other or they may get soggy.

And there you have it, crispy, delicious golden brown broccoli florets 😍!

Fry the rest of the batch if you have some left the same way and set them aside on the cooling rack.

STEP 6: MAKE THE CREAMY CHEESY GARLIC SAUCE

Take a skillet and on medium-low heat, add the oil and butter to it. Wait for the butter to melt.

Then, add in the smashed minced garlic.

Sauté the garlic until you get those amazing butter garlic aromas out and until it turns a very beautiful golden.

STEP 7:

Now, reduce the heat to low and pour in the cream.

Stir it well with the butter and garlic in the pan.

Let it simmer till it thickens a bit, for about 5 minutes on low heat.

STEP 8:

Add in the mozzarella cheese to the creamy garlic sauce.

Stir it well until it melts completely.

Let the sauce cook for a few minutes on low heat until it turns nice and thick. Keep stirring gently here.

If your sauce doesn’t thicken enough even after a few minutes, you can add in some extra mozzarella and let it cook a little more until it reaches your desired consistency.

Once it’s thick enough to your liking, it’s ready! Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.

STEP 9: ADD YOUR CRISPY FRIED BROCCOLI TO THE CREAMY SAUCE

Now’s the best part.

Add your crispy fried broccoli to the cheesy creamy garlic sauce and toss for about a minute or two until the fried broccoli florets are coated in the sauce.

Remove and garnish with loads of chopped scrumptious green onions and serve immediately!

Please remember that once your crispy broccoli is coated in the cheesy garlic sauce, it needs to be eaten immediately because the crispiness of the broccoli may start to soften a little bit. It’ll still taste amazing though!

To solve this problem, you can save some fried broccoli florets and keep them aside, then serve them along with the crispy broccoli florets coated in the cheesy sauce. You can dip these broccoli florets in the cheese and have them 💖

Hey you, I really hope you love this homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce recipe as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

Also, if you have any questions about this recipe, make sure to check out our FAQs section below to maybe find your answer there, or leave a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible, I promise 😊.

TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST HOMEMADE BATTER FRIED BROCCOLI WITH CREAMY SAUCE

I think I’ve covered almost everything in the instructions, but here are a few more tips to make the best homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce EVERY single time!

Some tips have been repeated in case you’ve missed them while going through the instructions!

• We steam our broccoli in this recipe before frying it. We suggest you do this too, to have a more tender and flavorful bite of broccoli. Steaming is also quicker and uses less water. Some people prefer boiling their broccoli, but steaming helps preserve a few more nutrients in the broccoli. You can go ahead and do whatever you prefer though, as long as you get those yummy veggies in your tummy. I know we’re frying our broccoli here, so it doesn’t matter much because this is an indulgent meal anyway, but you can keep this in mind for the next time you have your broccoli  😉.
• Please keep an eye on how long you steam your broccoli for! Variate based on your preference for how you like the texture and consistency of your broccoli. Especially in this recipe, because we will be frying it after steaming, we need to keep that bite otherwise it may turn mushy after frying. The broccoli should be crispy on the outside and just right and tender on the inside once we’re done frying it! We’ve found 4 minutes of steaming time is best for this.
• There are different ways to steam your broccoli too. You can steam it in a pan, as we do in this recipe. You can steam your broccoli in the microwave as well. Just put the florets in a microwave-safe bowl, pour in a few tablespoons of water, cover it with a microwave-safe plate, and microwave it till it’s tender and vibrant. You can also use a steamer basket to steam your vegetables if you have one and steam accordingly.
• When you lift the lid of your pan after you’re done steaming your broccoli or just to check on it, hold it against the steam and over the pan so you don’t injure yourself with the sudden heat and hot water droplets ❤. Hold it up like a shield. Makes me feel pretty cool 😎.
• After steaming the broccoli, let it cool down and then pat it dry. This is so the batter can coat it properly and the extra moisture in it is removed. You can leave it for 5 to 10 minutes to dry up as much as possible too.
• Try to wait at least 10 minutes once you coat the broccoli. This is so the cornstarch coating can set nicely. You can fry the broccoli immediately too, but it’s just best to wait a bit.
• Make sure the temperature of the oil is hot enough before frying the broccoli. This is super important. You can check this by dropping a small piece of broccoli in the oil. If the oil is hot enough, the small piece of broccoli will bubble and rise to the surface immediately.
• Don’t ever overcrowd the pan when frying. Ever. That’s because the oil’s temperature falls which then leads to soggy, sad broccoli :(.
• Once you’re done frying your broccoli florets and want to remove them, please don’t reduce or switch the heat off until you remove all of the florets from the pan. If you reduce or switch off the heat, the oil will be absorbed by the broccoli florets, making them a soggy mess 😱.
• As you’re removing the broccoli, make sure you first put them in a strainer (holding the strainer over the pan). Then give them a little shake. This way, the excess oil will fall back right into the pan through the strainer.
• Once you strain your broccoli florets, place them on a cooling rack with some tissues or paper towels under them. This is so much better than placing your broccoli florets directly on tissues or paper towels because it’ll make them soggy.
• If you do not have a cooling rack, strain the pieces of your crispy fried broccoli in a strainer over the pan. Give the strainer a little shake and then transfer the pieces of fried broccoli to a plate without any kitchen towels or tissues on it. Make sure the pieces of fried broccoli are not too close to each other or they may get soggy.
• In the sauce, you can go ahead and use cream with higher fat content if you prefer. This will make the sauce creamier and richer. If you want a lighter alternative, you can use half and half as well.
• Mozzarella can add some salt to the sauce. Do not add any salt to your sauce until you add your mozzarella cheese and reach the consistency you prefer. Taste it and then add salt if needed.
• Make sure you serve this dish immediately. Sooner or later, the broccoli’s crust will soften up once you coat it with the cheesy garlic sauce. And it tastes wonderful like that too! BUT it’s just something else when it’s nice and crispy and mixed in with the cheesy creamy garlic sauce. Have this dish as soon as you cook it!
• To save some time, you can fry the broccoli and cook the sauce at the same time. Please stay safe and be careful though because both the broccoli and sauce will need your constant attention while you cook them.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR HOMEMADE BATTER FRIED BROCCOLI WITH CREAMY SAUCE

There are a few ways you can serve this cheesy goodness. Every single way is delish!

• Have this dish as it is, as a snack, an appetizer or a small main dish in itself. That basically is with your crispy fried broccoli florets coated nice and good with creamy cheesy garlicky sauce and garnished with some fresh green onions. Perfection!
• You can also have this delicious broccoli dish poured over some spaghetti or any other pasta you prefer. If you’ve already made your cheese sauce and feel it’s a bit too thick to have with spaghetti, pour in just a little vegetable or chicken broth and cook for a few minutes to loosen it up. If you are making this recipe mainly to have it with spaghetti, make sure you add in some vegetable or chicken broth to the butter and garlic, let it simmer for about 5 minutes, and then add in your cream. Make sure you add less mozzarella cheese too, because that will thicken your sauce.
• You can have a nice crispy fried broccoli coated in cheesy sauce rice bowl too. Just pour it over some rice and enjoy. You can use any other grain as well. Once again, If you’ve already made your cheese sauce and feel it’s a bit too thick to have with rice, pour in just a little vegetable or chicken broth and cook for a few minutes to loosen it up. If you are making this recipe mainly to have it with rice, make sure you add in some vegetable or chicken broth to the butter and garlic, let it simmer for about 5 minutes, and then add in your cream. Make sure you add less mozzarella cheese too because that will thicken your sauce.
• You can have your homemade batter fried broccoli coated in cheesy sauce with some steamed vegetables on the side too. The fresh crunch of steamed vegetables in between crispy broccoli cheese bites is scrumptious! You can have your vegetables however you prefer them with the crispy cheesy broccoli. It’ll taste amazing in every single way.
• You can also have your easy deep fried broccoli with garlic cheesy sauce along with some thick bread. You can dip the bread in the cheesy garlic sauce in between bites or have it topped with the crispy cheesy broccoli. It tastes wonderful! You can also have this dish alongside some nice cheesy buttery garlic bread on the side to make it even more indulgent!
• Sometimes, I choose not to mix the crispy broccoli with the cheesy sauce and have the cheesy sauce on the side to dip my crispy broccoli in instead. If you are afraid of your broccoli losing its crispiness or if you aren’t having this dish immediately, you can have it this way too.
• If you’d like to add an extra crunch, go ahead and sprinkle some croutons on top of your crispy broccoli coated in cheesy garlic sauce. You can also have this dish alongside some crackers. Sort of strange sounding, yes, but tastes amazinggg 😍.

How do you keep broccoli crispy?

Nothing can be worse than soggy broccoli when you’re trying hard to get that nice crispy texture.

How do you make broccoli crispy? And how do you keep that broccoli crispy?

To make sure you come up with the best crispy fried broccoli every single time you cook this recipe (and keep that crispiness too!), here are a few tips you need to follow:

• Make sure you dry your broccoli super well once it’s steamed. Leave it be for 5 to 10 minutes if you can, just so it can get nice and dry. And then go ahead and coat it!
• Once it’s coated with cornstarch, leave it be for 5 to 10 minutes again so the coating sets in. Broccoli is a tricky vegetable to fry because of all its nooks and crannies. It’s best to leave it alone to set for some time. You can cover it in cornstarch again and dust off the excess if you find some parts of the broccoli getting wet.
• Make sure your oil is hot enough! Check on it by dropping a tiny piece of coated broccoli in it and if it immediately bubbles and rises to the top of the oil, the oil is ready.
• Don’t ever overcrowd the pan when you’re frying the broccoli. Ever!
• Once you’re done frying your broccoli, please don’t reduce or switch the heat off until you remove all of it from the oil.
• As you’re removing the broccoli, make sure you first place them in a strainer (keeping the strainer over the pan) as you remove them. Give the strainer a shake. This way, the excess oil will fall back right into the pan.
• Once you strain your broccoli florets, place them on a cooling rack. Keep some tissues or paper towels under it. This is so much better than placing your broccoli florets directly on tissues or paper towels because it’ll make them soggy.

Can you deep fry broccoli? How do you fry broccoli and what’s the best breading for it?

Yes, you can deep fry broccoli.

You don’t usually see broccoli being deep fried, but that’s what we’re doing here in this recipe. Deep fried crispy broccoli has the best taste ever!

You can fry broccoli in different ways but in this recipe, we’re using eggs, cornstarch and baking powder which is the best breading for us to fry broccoli.

A few other ways can be:

• You can coat your broccoli using a mixture of different starches and flours.
• You can also use a milk or buttermilk coating.
• You can coat your broccoli in breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs as well. So many options out there!
• A wet batter or dry breading can be used.

Go ahead and experiment until you find a method you love. The way we do it in this recipe is our favorite way to fry broccoli.

To understand how to fry broccoli and how you can fry it better, you can read our detailed instructions above or go through the instructions in the Recipe Card below.

Can you fry broccoli without steaming or boiling it?

Yes, you can fry broccoli without steaming or boiling it.

I’ve tried frying it without steaming first, and it fried well. The only difference I felt was in the texture of the broccoli, really.

You can try frying your broccoli without steaming it as well and see how it goes for you.

When we steamed and then fried our broccoli, it had a better, well-rounded taste. It had just the right texture too… It just tasted better!

That’s why I suggest you guys steam your broccoli before deep frying it.

How long should broccoli be cooked for?

Steam your broccoli for 3 to 4 minutes until it’s vibrant and tender.

The longer you steam your broccoli, the mushier it’ll get.

Then bread it and fry it until it forms a beautiful golden brown crispy crust.

How do you steam broccoli without a steamer?

You don’t need a steamer to steam your broccoli.

We’ve steamed our broccoli in a pan in this recipe!

Just add in some tablespoons of water to your pan, bring it to a boil, add in your broccoli, cover it and reduce the heat to medium-low and let it steam for about 4 minutes.

The longer you wait, the softer your broccoli will get.

We’ve used 6 tablespoons of water for 1 pound of broccoli florets.

You can steam your broccoli in the microwave too.

Take a microwave-safe bowl, place your broccoli in it and pour some water over it (about four tablespoons of water for one large head of broccoli cut into florets) and microwave on high for 2 to 4 minutes.

Can you make homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce ahead of time or in advance? How can you freeze or store it?

Yep, you can make this cheesy scrumptiousness ahead of time!

There are just a few points to keep in mind-

• The star of this recipe is the crispy broccoli. If you fry the broccoli and store it, it’ll lose its crispiness. So I suggest you just coat your broccoli in the cornstarch mix and keep it in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze it. On the day you need to prepare this recipe, you can fry it fresh and crispy.
• The cheesy creamy garlic sauce can be prepared beforehand. You can store it in an airtight container in your fridge for 3 days. Do not freeze this sauce, as cream-based sauces do not freeze well usually.

How to reheat homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce?

It’s best to fry the broccoli fresh so it can be nice and crispy.

When it comes to reheating the creamy cheesy garlic sauce, you need to reheat it in a pan.

Add in some milk, water, vegetable or chicken broth to loosen the sauce and prevent it from splitting.

Heat it until it’s warmed through.

Add in the freshly fried crispy broccoli and serve.

If you’ve already cooked your broccoli, added it to the sauce and then stored it, just heat it in the same way given above. The broccoli may be soggy but still delicious.

Can I make this homemade batter fried broccoli with creamy sauce recipe according to my diet preference?

Yes, you can

Explore the Variations Section above to see our suggestions on how you can make dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan versions of this homemade broccoli with cheesy sauce recipe.

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Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Vegetarian, Stovetop and Fall recipes.