This air fryer broccoli is about to become your new favorite side dish! Whether you are feeding a crowd or it’s a simple dinner for two, air fried broccoli is the perfect easy recipe. Crispy roasted vegetables are perfectly seasoned in cook up in just a few minutes while you focus on the main dish.
Not only is this air fryer broccoli recipe super easy – it’s also super versatile. Low-carb, keto, gluten-free, Whole30, vegan, vegetarian, and even Paleo eating plans call all enjoy the robust flavors that crispy air fried broccoli has to offer.
Broccoli, like many greens out there is a seriously healthy vegetable. It is a great source of vitamins C and K and provides some much-needed folate, potassium, and fiber. To be sure you include this vegetable in your diet, check out these other broccoli recipes: instant pot broccoli, broccoli cauliflower salad, crustless broccoli quiche, and oven-roasted broccoli.
An air fryer is certainly a useful tool in any kitchen! We love using ours to create a variety of vegetable side dishes including air fryer Brussel sprouts, air fryer sweet potatoes, and air-fried mushrooms.
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Broccoli in Air Fryer
Brocolli happens to be one of our family’s favorite vegetables. Whether we are serving it up raw with a dip or cooking it up using one of the amazing dished below, you can count on broccoli being served at least once or twice a week.
And as well as it works inside a variety of dishes, sometimes it’s just nice to enjoy the simplicity of the vegetable itself. Cooking broccoli in an air fryer allows you to do just that. With just some oil, a dash of garlic salt and pepper, and a few minutes of cook time, the air fryer brings out the robust flavor of the broccoli and serves it up crisp on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside.
For my husband, he really enjoyed being able to taste test this recipe for me in the test kitchen. He may have even requested multiple tastings, just to be sure the flavor was spot on. 😉
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple and quick, air fryer broccoli is a side dish you can create even on the busiest of nights.
- Using the air fryer, the veggie takes on a texture that is unable to be recreated using traditional cooking and roasting methods.
- Garlic salt and pepper combine with oil to create a vegetable side that is perfect for a quick dinner for two or a large gathering.
Ingredients for Broccoli in the Air Fryer
One of the benefits of using your air fryer to create your vegetable sides is the unique texture they get. Crisp outsides and soft centers are just about the best way to enjoy any veggie in my opinion. Yet, the quality of the final dish all depends on the ingredients you start with. Be sure your broccoli is fresh and prep it beforehand by cutting and washing the pieces.
- 1 head of broccoli (about 1.5 lb)
- 1-2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
If you prefer, you can also substitute a bag of prewashed and trimmed broccoli. Just note, they are usually around 12 ounces.
How to Make Air Fried Broccoli
Prepare your broccoli by washing it and cutting the head into bite-sized spears. You can use as much of the veggie as your air fryer will hold! With our toaster oven style air fryer, we could easily hold an entire head of broccoli.
In a pinch, using pre-washed bagged broccoli is super helpful! The standard bag size is 12 oz, which is pretty close to the head of broccoli once you cut off most of the stalk.
Preheat air fryer to 400F for 3-5 minutes.
In a medium-sized bowl, add the bite-size broccoli pieces, the olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Evenly spread the broccoli in the air fryer basket, scraping down the bowl with a spatula so you don’t leave any oil or seasoning behind. Sprinkle with additional seasoning if desired.
Cook the broccoli in the air fryer for 6 minutes, flip the veggies to the other side, and then continue roasting for 5-7 more minutes, until their crispy and roasted to perfection.
Roasted vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts taste the best when they’re cooked to the point of being slightly charred and caramelized. This makes them extra crisp, more flavorful, and it brings out their natural sweetness. If you want to get your kids to eat their roasted vegetables, cook them to the point of being partially brown. 😉
If you have a basket style air fryer, you’ll want to layer the broccoli on top of each other and instead of flipping at the halfway point like an oven style air fryer, you’ll want to shake the broccoli every 3-4 minutes to ensure even crisping.
Our air fryer broccoli was perfect at 12 minutes, but depending on your make and model, or desired degree of doneness, the vegetables could take up to 14 minutes to cook. And by all means, if you don’t like dark roasted broccoli, they’re technically cooked through after 10 minutes in an air fryer.
This recipe serves 4, with a 1 cup serving size.
Roasted Broccoli Air Fryer Recipe Tips
- To create a low-fat version of this roasted broccoli simply forgo the oil.
- You can use a mix of broccoli and cauliflower since both vegetables have the same cook-time.
- Top your air fryer roasted broccoli with parmesan cheese, a squirt of lemon juice, your choice of herbs, or even red pepper flakes for a simple variation.
Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower
If you’re wanting to make air fryer broccoli and cauliflower, the process is identical to just cooking broccoli on its own. Since broccoli and cauliflower are in the same family and they’re about the same size, it’s easy to swap some of the broccoli with cauliflower.
Making this is even easier when you just buy a bag of pre-washed and cut mix from the grocery store! There’s no need to buy two separate heads (unless you want to of course!) Changing things up by preparing mixed vegetables in your air fryer like broccoli and cauliflower is a great idea alongside any dinner recipe.
Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes to Try
Other Broccoli Recipes You’ll Love
- Oven-roasted broccoli
- Broccoli cakes
- How to make riced broccoli
- Chicken divan casserole
- Crustless broccoli quiche
- Pressure cooker broccoli
- Instant pot Broccoli cheese soup
- Broccoli cauliflower salad
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Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli with Garlic
Easy crispy broccoli in air fryer makes perfectly roasted broccoli in just 12 mins!
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli (about 1.5 lb)
- 1-2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
Prep the broccoli by washing it and cutting the head into bite sized spears. You can use as much broccoli as your air fryer will hold! With our toaster oven style air fryer we could easily hold an entire head of broccoli.Â
In a pinch, using pre-washed bagged broccoli is super helpful! The standard bag size is 12 oz, which is pretty close to the head of broccoli once you cut off most of the stalk.
Preheat air fryer to 400F for 3-5 minutes.
In a medium sized bowl add the bite size broccoli pieces, the olive oil, garlic salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Evenly spread the broccoli in the air fryer basket, scaping down the bowl with a spatula so you don't leave any oil or seasoning behind. Sprinkle with more seasoning if desired.Â
Cook the broccoli in air fryer for 6 minutes, flip the veggies to the other side, and then continue roasting for 5-7 more minutes, until their crispy and roasted to perfection. If you're a garlic lover, feel free to add 1-2 minced garlic cloves to the pan after you flip them.
Roasted vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts taste the best when they're cooked to the point of being slightly charred and caramelized. This makes them extra crisp, more flavorful, and it brings out their natural sweetness. If you want to get your kids to eat their roasted vegetables, cook them to the point of being partially brown.
If you have a basket style air fryer, you'll want to layer the broccoli on top of each other and instead of flipping at the halfway point like an oven style air fryer, you'll want to shake the broccoli every 3-4 minutes to ensure even crisping.
Our air fryer broccoli was perfect at 12 minutes, but depending on your make and model, or desired degree of doneness, the vegetables could take up to 14 minutes to cook. And by all means, if you don't like dark roasted broccoli, they're technically cooked through after 10 minutes in an air fryer.
Serves 4, yields a 1 cup serving size
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