This Air Fryer Broccoli recipe is a healthy side dish that’s ready in 5-6 minutes! Perfectly tender with all the flavour of oven-roasted broccoli in less than half the time! Make this dish with fresh or frozen broccoli!
If you’re a vegetable fan (we sure are!) and you love a good healthy side dish, this Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe is for you! We make this more than once a week in The Busy Baker kitchen – it’s one of our go-to favourite side dishes because it’s SO quick and easy, the whole family loves it, and it goes with just about anything.
That’s right! You don’t even have to use fresh broccoli florets for this recipe. Frozen broccoli florets work well too!
To cook frozen broccoli in the air fryer:
- Preheat your Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- Don’t thaw your frozen broccoli at all. If there’s excess ice buildup on your broccoli florets rinse them under water and dry them with paper towels.
- Add the florets to a bowl and mix with the oil and spices.
- Place in the Air Fryer basket/tray and air fry at 400 F (200 C) for 5 minutes.
- Remove and shake well. Air fry again for another 7-8 minutes.
HEALTHY WHOLE FOOD RECIPES AND COOKING TIPS
Get my healthy whole-food recipes e-cookbook!
The main kitchen item you’ll need is an air fryer! If you don’t already have one, here are some that we recommend (affiliate links):
- A great Air Fryer for space-saving (2 quart capacity)
- The perfect Air Fryer for large families with a dual basket feature
- A standard Air Fryer for everyday use (works well for a family of 2 to 4 people)
- A large Air Fryer for everyday use (works well for a family of 2 to 4 people)
To make this recipe, you’ll also need (affiliate links):
To make this recipe you’ll need:
- fresh or frozen broccoli florets
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
Time needed: 15 minutes
Follow these steps for perfectly cooked broccoli!
- Wash and dry the broccoli florets.
Cut the broccoli into florets and wash and dry them well. You can even use a salad spinner to dry the florets thoroughly.
- Toss well in the oil, spices and salt.
Add the florets to a bowl along with the other ingredients. Toss very well so the broccoli is coated in the oil, spices and salt.
- Add water to the air fryer.
Add some water to the bottom of the air fryer. This will help the broccoli become bright green and tender, with some crispy bits on the top.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer.
Overcrowding the air fryer will result in soggy broccoli. Add the broccoli to the air fryer in one layer and cook in batches if necessary. This will depend on the size of your air fryer basket.
- Cook for 5 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook for 5 minutes and then check the broccoli. If you’d like it more tender, add a couple more minutes of cook time.
How long to cook broccoli in air fryer
Cooking broccoli in the air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5-8 minutes gives you perfectly cooked broccoli. Check it after 5 minutes and give it more time, if you desire.
How to cook frozen broccoli in air fryer
The key to cooking broccoli in the air fryer is extending the cooking time by about 5-6 minutes and shaking the basket of the air fryer half way through cooking to toss the broccoli so it cooks evenly.
Why does broccoli burn in air fryer?
Broccoli browns quickly in the air fryer. We recommend cooking it on a lower temperature and adding some water to the bottom of the air fryer to prevent over-crisping or burning.
Is air fryer broccoli still healthy?
Yes! Cooking broccoli in the air fryer allows you to use less oil than oven-roasting, and it cooks much faster!
We hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite veggie side dish? We’d love to know!
Looking for more delicious recipes like this one? You’ll LOVE these:
TRY OUR MEAL PLAN BUNDLE!
Let us do the work for you with 11 WEEKS of deliciously easy family dinners, grocery lists, meal prep guides and so much MORE!
11 weeks of done-for-you family meal plans for only $9.99!
If you made this, share a photo!
Are you trying this recipe? Use the comment form below to share your take; now with support for image uploads and comment voting!
Air Fryer Broccoli
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- 1 large head of broccoli about 10-12 ounces (300-350 grams) yields approximately 4 cups of florets
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- butter for serving (optional)
Recipe: Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) while you get everything else ready.
- Cut up your broccoli head into florets and wash them thoroughly. Pat them dry with paper towels or dry them in a salad spinner.
- Add the florets to a large bowl and add the oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss very well to coat.
- Arrange your broccoli florets in a single layer in your air fryer, being careful to not over-crowd them. You might have to air fry in two batches.
- Add ½ c water at the bottom of your AF. If you don’t add the water, the broccoli will dry out and become brown and crispy. With the addition of the water, the florets will be bright green, moist in the middle and slightly browned and crisp on top.
- Air fry at 375 F (190 C) for 5-8 minutes. Please keep in mind that the timing depends on your Air Fryer, how crowded your basket/tray is and how well done you prefer your broccoli.
- Our favourite way to eat this broccoli is while it's still vibrant green, with a moist stem, a bit of a bite and a little browning on top. If you're not happy with how cooked your broccoli is after 5 minutes, shake your basket/tray and give it another minute or two.
- Serve hot with some butter on top.
Recipe: Notes
Storage:
This broccoli will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.Reheating:
Place your broccoli in your Air Fryer . Add 1/3 cup of water on the bottom of your AF and run it at 350 F (175 C) for 3-5 minutes shaking the basket/tray halfway.Cooking Frozen Broccoli in the Air Fryer:
- Preheat your Air Fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).
- Don’t thaw your frozen broccoli at all. If there’s excess ice buildup on your broccoli florets rinse them under water and dry them with paper towels.
- Add the florets to a bowl and mix with the oil and spices.
- Place in the Air Fryer basket/tray and air fry at 400 F (200 C) for 5 minutes.
- Remove and shake well. Air fry again for another 7-8 minutes.
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Just when I thought I couldn’t love my AirFryer more! Thanks for this awesome recipe it’s great for meal prep!
It sure is! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!
I love the way you create your recipes! This is so easy and so YUMMY! It made it in my meal prep rotation next to your AirFryer Salmon bites. Thank you for sharing!
Happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback!