Air Fryer Broccoli
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Published Dec 12, 2023, Updated Nov 04, 2024
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Make air fryer broccoli in just 10 minutes! It’s crispy, flavorful and perfect for busy weeknights when you’re looking to make a healthy side dish.
Between my air fryer date glazed salmon (my kids fave!), air fryer chicken breast (my fave!) and this air fryer broccoli I’ve been using my air fryer at least once a day. It’s so convenient and there’s just so many good air fryer recipes to make.
This one in particular is such an easy and delicious side dish and it tastes so dang good! The broccoli comes out crispy and flavorful and is addicting. I’m not kidding, I had to refrain from eating it all before I could take the photos. It makes a great snack if you’re craving that crispy and salty combo!
Plus, the broccoli cooks up in just 6 minutes — way faster than roasting! But if you’re that roasted flavor, I’ve got you covered with my roasted broccoli recipe. Yay for easy, delicious side dishes!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Cooks quickly – This broccoli cooks up (in your air fryer) in about 6 minutes, which is less than half the time it takes to cook in the oven, making it the perfect side for busy weeknights.
- Addicting – No mushy broccoli over here. This recipe results in crispy, but tender broccoli with just enough salt to make it totally crave-worthy.
- Customizable – This is a great base recipe that you can easily add your favorite seasonings to.
Ingredients Needed
- broccoli – chop up 1 large head of broccoli or use a bag of pre chopped broccoli to keep things simple. You want about 4 cups cut into 1-inch florets.
- olive oil – avocado oil also works here.
- seasonings – you’ll need garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
- lemon – a squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a nice touch of acidity, but it’s optional and still delicious without it.
Air Fryer Broccoli Variations
This recipe is super simple and produces delicious and easy broccoli, but you can definitely have fun and mix up the seasonings. Here are some ideas:
- Spice – Add some crushed red pepper when you add the other seasonings for an extra kick.
- Parmesan – Add a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese when you take the broccoli out of the air fryer for some cheesy goodness.
- Sweet + spicy – Go for a sweet and spicy combo by drizzling with honey and sprinkling with red pepper flakes.
- Balsamic vinegar – Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar after cooking for an extra boost of flavor.
- Slivered almonds – Bump up the crunch factor and add some toasted slivered almonds to make this easy recipe feel a bit elevated.
How to Make Air Fryer Broccoli
Step 1: Wash, dry and chop your broccoli. Then, add the florets to a mixing bowl with the oil and seasonings. Toss to combine and fully coat the florets.
Step 2: Add the broccoli florets to your air fryer basket. Cook for 6-8 minutes, giving them a good toss halfway through. Remove from the basket and serve warm.
Brittany’s Tips!
- Use pre-cut broccoli: I’m all about a good shortcut, and using a bag of pre-cut and pre-washed broccoli from the store make this recipe a breeze.
- Add water: If you want your air fryer broccoli a bit more tender, add 1 Tablespoon of water to the base of your air fryer before adding the broccoli. This will help steam the broccoli while it cooks.
- Cut evenly: Be sure to cut your broccoli into similar sized florets to ensure even cooking.
- Don’t crowd: Don’t over-crowd your air fryer basket! Make sure to cook your broccoli in a single layer. You may have to cook multiple batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
How to Serve Air Fryer Broccoli
I tend to eat all of this broccoli before I can serve it with anything and I’m guessing you’ll have the same problem as me – it’s so good! However, here are some ideas to serve alongside the broccoli for an easy weeknight meal:
- Make my apple cider vinegar chicken or blackened salmon for a source of protein. Serve with a side of rice or quinoa.
- Air fryer broccoli is a great addition to salads! You could make this roasted vegetable salad with broccoli instead of cauliflower. This roasted broccoli quinoa salad is another favorite you should definitely try.
- Grill up some grilled chicken kabobs or grilled BBQ tempeh skewers and serve this broccoli as a side along with my healthy potato salad.
- Make this broccoli avocado tuna bowl or add broccoli to a buddha bowl, chicken protein bowl or roasted harvest bowl.
How to Store
One thing I don’t recommend is making a big batch of air fryer broccoli to store as meal prep. Air fryer vegetables tend to lose their crispiness after you refrigerate them, which in my opinion is a big reason to use the air fryer in the first place!
However, you can absolutely store leftovers in the fridge to enjoy later, they’ll still taste delicious they’ll just lose that crispy crunch. After cooling, place leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Air Fryer Broccoli FAQ’s
My broccoli is usually perfectly cooked around the 6-minute mark. The timing can depend on how large you cut your broccoli florets and the type of air fryer you have, so I recommend just keeping an eye on your broccoli after tossing the basket halfway through cooking.
If you notice that your broccoli easily burns in your air fryer, next time try adding 1-2 Tablespoons of water to the bottom of your air fryer before cooking. This helps to steam the broccoli a bit helping it to get tender and cook without burning or getting too crispy.
If your air fryer basket is too crowded it’s going to steam your broccoli instead of air frying it. If you have too many florets to fit in a single layer, cook your broccoli in two batches to prevent it from getting mushy.
While I definitely recommend using fresh broccoli you can also air fry frozen broccoli. You just need to cook it for a few minutes longer and it won’t end up as crispy as fresh broccoli, but it certainly works. See my video for how to air fry frozen broccoli. You can also follow my recipe for roasted frozen broccoli.
More Air Fryer Recipes
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Air Fryer Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 large head broccoli, about 4 cups of florets, cut into 1-inch florets
- 2 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
- sprinkle of crushed red, optional
- slice of lemon, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Wash and chop broccoli into 1-inch florets. Try to make all the florets about the same size so that they cook evenly.
- Add broccoli to a bowl and toss with oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper, if using.
- Preheat air fryer if required. Add broccoli to the air fryer and cook on 360°F for 6-8 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
- Serve broccoli immediately with a slice of lemon, if using.
Notes
- Storage: After cooling, place leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Too many ads. I can’t stand it any longer. Thanks and goodbye.
Sorry to hear the ads bothered you, Claudette. The ads allow me to put this content out for free and keep the blog going so I hope you understand. 🙂