Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli (Fresh or Frozen)
You can make the best crispy broccoli in the air fryer!
What’s the best way to cook broccoli? If you ask me, it’s any way that makes it nice and crispy. For years this meant roasting it in the oven with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Now that we have air fryers, I almost always cook broccoli and other veggies that way. You simply must try these Crispy Artichoke Hearts. If you love broccoli, you have to try this creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup next.
Why This Recipe Works
Air fryers work by circulating air around the food while it cooks, much like a convection oven. This means that the food gets evenly cooked and crisps up on all sides beautifully.
This is a very simple recipe and a great one to start with if you’re just getting used to cooking with an air fryer.
What You’ll Need
Air fryer broccoli is about as simple as it gets, really not much more complicated than cooking Frozen French Fries in the air fryer.
- Air Fryer
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper or Everything Bagel Seasoning
How to Cook Crispy Broccoli in the Air Fryer
To help your broccoli crisp up in the air fryer, coat it in olive oil. I find olive oil cooking spray works best to coat the broccoli lightly and evenly, but you can also drizzle and toss.
Season simply with salt and pepper, or add a pinch of garlic and onion powder or any other seasonings you like. Cheese goes well with broccoli, so a sprinkle of grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast just after the broccoli comes out works well.
How to Cook Frozen Broccoli in the Air Fryer
Frozen veggies are a very convenient way to ensure you always have nutritious food around. Frozen broccoli isn’t as easy to crips up using conventional cooking methods. However, air fryer frozen broccoli creates crispy florets easily!
Don’t thaw your broccoli in advance. Simply coat with olive oil cooking spray, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and air fry at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, give a shake and continue to air fry for another few minutes until done.
More Air Fryer Recipes & Tips
Air Fryer Broccoli
Air fryer broccoli is the quickest, easiest way to make crispy broccoli. This simple recipe makes a healthy and tasty weeknight side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli, separated into florets (3 1/2 cups)
- Olive oil cooking spray or 1 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cut the broccoli into florets.
- Coat with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. You can always add more later. Alternatively, use everything bagel seasoning.
- Place the seasoned florets in the air fryer basket.
- Cook at 400 ˚F for 6 minutes. Remove the basket and check that the florets are tender and crispy. Cook for another minute longer if needed. I like my broccoli quite crispy and charred in spots (darker than in these photos).
- Add any additional salt and pepper or other seasonings such as Parmesan, and serve right away.
Notes
Though we most commonly eat broccoli florets, the stems are edible (and tasty) too. Simply peel the stem and slice or dice it to air fry with the florets.
You can substitute the broccoli with cauliflower.
Air fryer broccoli can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat in the air fryer for a few minutes to crisp again.
Frozen broccoli can be used but will take much longer to cook. Don't thaw the broccoli first, simply cook from frozen for 10 minutes, shake, and cook about 5 minutes longer until crisp.
Seasoning Variations
- Replace the salt and pepper with 1 tablespoon everything but the bagel seasoning (I use Trader Joe's)
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan just after the broccoli is done and comes out of the air fryer.
- Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for bright flavor.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 93Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 112mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your favorite calculator.
