For a great, simple side dish, air fryer broccoli is the way to go.
With a little bit of cut-up broccoli, some simple spices, and a bit of avocado oil, it’s a relatively easy air fryer recipe that pleases even the vegetable critics!
Recipe Tips/Substitutions
Before making this recipe, here are a few tips you’ll want to consider:
- Be sure to cut the broccoli into even pieces – including the thickness of the stems – because then the broccoli will roast evenly in the air fryer.
- Make sure to pat the broccoli dry after washing it. This way you can avoid extra moisture getting into your air fryer.
- You can change up the spices to suit your personal preferences. Just keep in mind that a little goes a long way with broccoli – you can always add more, but you can’t take it away.
- Relatedly, if your head of broccoli is very small, use less of the spices. If it’s bigger, feel free to add a bit more salt, pepper and/or garlic powder.
- Shake the broccoli frequently. Broccoli is one of the more delicate vegetables that you can air fry so keep an eye on them.
- If you like the idea of air frying broccoli, you might want to check out our recipe for frozen broccoli in the air fryer or air fryer broccolini – some call it “baby broccoli”!
We use this air fryer for our recipes and it has been great.
Step by Step Instructions
For those looking to see visuals for how to make air fryer broccoli, have a look at the process photos in this section.
First, cut the broccoli into small, even pieces.
Wash it and then pat the pieces dry. This is important since you don’t want extra moisture in the air fryer.
Add the broccoli, oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder to a mixing bowl and toss.
Set your air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit. Let your air fryer preheat if it has that setting (this way it is easier to gauge the exact cooking time).
If your air fryer doesn’t preheat, you can add the food right away – just add a minute or two to the cook time indicated.
Once it’s time to add the food, evenly spread the broccoli pieces out on the air fryer tray. The pieces should only be one layer deep and not sitting on top of one another.
Fry the broccoli for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Shake every two minutes.
Since every air fryer is slightly different, your broccoli might be done after 5 minutes or need a little bit longer. Ours is usually done at the 6 minute mark.
Remove the broccoli from the air fryer and sprinkle with more salt and/or pepper if desired.
What to Serve Air Fryer Broccoli With
Air fried broccoli makes a really nice side to a classic meat or fish dish served with potatoes or rice.
For example, we like this broccoli as a side for oven roast beef or chicken.
Related Recipes
Looking for more great air fryer vegetables? Check out these classic recipes:
Air Fryer Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
- 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, more or less to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cut the broccoli into small, even pieces. Wash it and pat the pieces dry.
- Then add the broccoli, oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder to a mixing bowl and toss.
- Set your air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit. Let your air fryer preheat if it has that setting (this way it is easier to gauge the exact cooking time). If your air fryer doesn’t preheat, you can add the food right away – just add a minute or two to the cook time indicated.
- Once it’s time to add the food, evenly spread the broccoli pieces out on the air fryer tray. The pieces should only be one layer deep and not sitting on top of one another.
- Cook the broccoli for 5-7 minutes or until tender and slightly crispy. Shake every two minutes. Since every air fryer is different, your broccoli might be done after 5 minutes or need a little bit longer. Ours is usually done at the 6 minute mark.
Video
Notes
- If your head of broccoli is very small, use less of the spices. If it’s bigger, feel free to add a bit more salt, pepper and/or garlic powder. However, keep in mind that a little goes quite far when adding spices to broccoli!
- We don’t recommend using (extra) virgin olive oil in an air fryer – it has quite a low smoke point and could start smoking in your air fryer. Instead, we recommend avocado oil, sesame oil, or canola oil since they have a higher smoke point. If you really want to use olive oil, make sure to use light olive oil instead of virgin olive oil.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
