Air fryer frozen broccoli is the best way to get perfectly cooked broccoli onto your dinner table! Not only is this side dish a simple cook, it’s done in less than 30-minutes and the broccoli comes out super flavorful. Top with optional items such as parmesan cheese or lemon, or serve as-is, either way, this roasted side dish is a WHOLE LOTTA YUM!
Can Frozen Broccoli go in the Air Fryer?
First things first, you might be wondering if you can even cook frozen broccoli in an air fryer. It’s pretty common for many people to microwave broccoli when it’s coming from the freezer but cooking broccoli in an air fryer is honestly the BEST way to cook it!
Not only is it soft in the center from the extra moisture, but air fried frozen broccoli turns out nice and crisp on the outside too. Seriously…no will ever guess you roasted frozen broccoli instead of starting with fresh.
Frozen Broccoli in Air Fryer
Air frying is the best way to create a quick and easy side that is bursting with flavor for your dinner table!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- There’s is no need to thaw or defrost before air frying.
- A simple seasoning of oil, sea salt, and ground black pepper help pull out all of the flavor that broccoli florets naturally have.
- Take your roasted broccoli up a notch by adding either parmesan or lemon to your dish just prior to serving.
- Keto, low carb, gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, and Whole30!
Air fryer vegetable recipes are the best! Be sure to check out our air fryer green beans, air fryer kale chips, and air fryer baked potatoes for more air fryer sides that are perfect with every meal.
On Keto? Grab our FREE keto foods list here OR Snag our Keto Binder HERE
Ingredient Notes
- Frozen Broccoli – we use florets
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
Variations
Broccoli – Feel free to use broccoli cuts instead of florets. You could also use both frozen broccoli and frozen cauliflower.
Equipment
An Air Fryer– We have an Omni Plus oven style air fryer and a small 3.2L Farberware basket style air fryer.
Step by Step Instructions
Air fryer frozen broccoli is a super easy side dish for your dinner table! Preheat the air fryer, season the broccoli, and let the air fryer work it’s magic.
Frozen broccoli in the air fryer temperature
Preheat to 380F. If your air fryer doesn’t automatically do this for you just manually turn your model on for 3-5 minutes before cooking.
Prep
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the frozen broccoli florets, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and 1/8 tsp each sea salt and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
Frozen broccoli cooking time
Spread the vegetable mix out in the air fryer basket, making sure to leave room on all sides for the air to move around.
Total cooking time for your frozen broccoli is 13-15 minutes, but be sure to flip the broccoli after the first 8 minutes of cook time.
Stir the broccoli around, then continue cooking for an additional 5-7 minutes until the broccoli is cooked through and starting to brown.
Keep an eye on your roasted broccoli starting around 12 minutes of total cook time. You know your florets are done when they are starting to brown.
We found that our broccoli needed 14-15 minutes to achieve the color we were looking for. Air fryer models can differ in cooking time, so do keep an eye on your vegetables. A longer cook-time may also be needed if you are cooking a lot of broccoli at one time.
If you have a basket style air fryer, we recommend shaking the broccoli every 5 minutes.
Serve with lemon wedges and parmesan if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Do not defrost the broccoli before cooking.
- If you have a larger air fryer, you can cook up to 1lb or more of frozen broccoli at one time.
- Frozen broccoli is partially cooked before it is frozen, so it cooks in about the same time as fresh broccoli does.
- You can easily cook a variety of veggies together in your air fryer that have similar cook times such as air fryer frozen broccoli and cauliflower.
Common Questions
Yes, you can cook your frozen broccoli in air fryer recipe with no oil and seasoning. Simply air fry then spritz with oil and add salt and pepper to taste after cooking.
Broccoli is generally served as a side dish as it works well with a variety of main dishes. Pair the broccoli with air fryer pork chops, keto parmesan chicken casserole, or air fryer frozen chicken breast.
You will get the best results if you lay your broccoli in a single layer with space around each piece. If you stack, they might not get as crispy or browned. If you are stacking your broccoli, shake the basket every 5 minutes.
More Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables
Looking for more air fryer frozen vegetable recipes?
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Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli
An easy and healthy air fryer frozen broccoli recipe. Cooking frozen broccoli in the air fryer is even easier than raw and cooks in almost the same cook time.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb frozen broccoli florets
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 380F.
- In a medium-sized bowl combine the frozen broccoli, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Spread the vegetable mix out in the air fryer basket, making sure to leave room on all sides.
- Air fry the frozen broccoli for 8 minutes and then continue cooking for 5-7 more minutes until it's cooked through and browned in places.
- Serve with lemon wedges and parmesan if desired.
Notes
Do not defrost the broccoli before cooking.
If you have a larger air fryer you can cook up to 1lb+ of frozen broccoli at one time.
Frozen broccoli is partially cooked and cooks in about the same time as making fresh broccoli, which makes it an easy addition to the dinner table when you're out of fresh veggies in the fridge.
It's easy to cook a variety of veggies together that have a similar cook time, like air fryer frozen broccoli and cauliflower.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 2 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 54Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 0mgSodium 225mgCarbohydrates 6gNet Carbohydrates 3gFiber 3gSugar 1gProtein 2g
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