Asian Roasted Vegetables with Toasted Sesame Oil

Name: Asian Roasted Vegetables with Toasted Sesame Oil
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 23 min
Cuisine: Asian Inspired
Ingredients: 20 mini sweet rainbow peppers, seeded and halved; 5 cups bite-size broccoli florets; 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil; ¼ teaspoon salt; ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

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With just four ingredients, these quick and easy Asian Roasted Vegetables are the perfect side dish of peppers, broccoli and toasted sesame.

I am always looking for new, quick and easy side dishes to make at dinnertime. I love my vegetables, but sometimes you can get into a flavor rut cooking them, you know? But this Asian Roasted Vegetables recipe is helping to mix things up a bit in my house.

We always have mini sweet rainbow peppers and broccoli on hand because they are two of my daughter’s favorite vegetables. While she loves to eat them raw, roasting them with a little toasted sesame oil turns them into something really special.

What is Toasted Sesame Oil?

If you’ve never cooked with toasted sesame oil before, I bet you’ve tasted it if you’ve eaten Asian food. It’s a common ingredient in East Asian cooking such as Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cuisines. Toasted sesame oil adds a rich, nutty flavor which really complements the vegetables, and they get sweeter and slightly caramelized as they roast in the oven.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Aside from having awesome flavor, this recipe also has two other major selling points: 1) it comes together in under 30 minutes (closer to 20 really, with most of that time being hands off, in-oven cooking time), and 2) If you line the sheet pan with parchment paper (or aluminum foil), clean up is minimal or even none (score!).

Finally, you know that saying “you eat with your eyes first?” Asian Roasted Vegetables is one of those dishes that just looks BEAUTIFUL. The vibrant colors of red, orange, yellow, and green scream “eat me!”

So, if you are in need of a new side dish to try, or looking for the perfect vegetable compliment for your next Asian inspired meal or rice bowl, please give this one a try!

A bowl of broccoli, a pile of mini peppers sits near by, sesame seeds sit on a small dish, a small dish of sesame oil is nearby.

Asian Roasted Vegetables Ingredients

Mini Sweet Rainbow Peppers: When roasted, these peppers get even sweeter and add an amazing pop of color to the dish. I can find mini sweet rainbow peppers sold in bags in the produce section of my grocery store.

Broccoli: If you are not a huge broccoli fan, I urge you to give this dish a try. Roasting adds so much more flavor than other cooking methods, and the end result is a slightly sweet and toasted broccoli.

Toasted Sesame Oil: Made from toasted and crushed sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil is what makes these roasted veggies special. Toasted sesame oil is potent though, so a small amount adds a ton of flavor. Make sure you use “toasted” sesame oil and not regular sesame oil. If you can’t find it near the other oils in your grocery store, check where they sell Asian foods.

Sesame Seeds: A few sprinkles of sesame seeds add some visual appeal and make it clear that this dish contains sesame.

A close up shot of a sheet pan with uncooked mini peppers and broccoli covered in toasted sesame oil.

How to Make Asian Roasted Vegetables

This one sheet pan side dish is so incredible easy to make:

Toss peppers and broccoli with the sesame oil, salt and pepper and spread them evenly on the prepared sheet pan
ROAST!
Sprinkle with sesame seeds,
EAT!

A close up shot of a sheet pan with roasted mini peppers and broccoli topped with sesame seeds.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use a different oil instead of sesame oil?

The sesame flavor of the dish really comes from the toasted sesame oil, so it’s highly recommended you use it. But if you want to use this recipe as a template for roasting these vegetables with another oil, feel free.

Can I use large bell peppers instead of the mini peppers?

Yep! I would suggest using red, orange or yellow peppers because they tend to be sweeter than green. Also, cut them down to a similar size as a mini pepper (about 1-2 inch wide strips) so they cook evenly.

Can I substitute other vegetables in this recipe?

I’ve also made this dish by swapping the broccoli for cauliflower with great success.

A close up image of a black bowl with roasted mini peppers and broccoli covered in sesame with some brown rice.

What to serve with Asian Roasted Vegetables

I always make these Asian Roasted Vegetables whenever I prepare my Instant Pot Ginger Chicken. If you are looking to use them as part of a rice bowl, definitely check out my Easy Stovetop Brown Rice recipe.