Want a nice veggie side dish but only have frozen options on hand? Frozen broccoli in the air fryer is definitely a thing!
Ready in a few minutes and perfectly hot and tender, air fryer frozen broccoli is a versatile side dish that goes well with classic meat and potato dishes!
Recipe Tips/Substitutions
Before you make frozen broccoli in the air fryer, read through these few recipe tips for best results:
- There’s no need to defrost the frozen broccoli first – just use the frozen broccoli florets.
- Unlike fresh broccoli in the air fryer, frozen broccoli might not get super crispy. This is due to the additional moisture content in the frozen version. Keep that in mind and don’t overcook it – otherwise it might get too mushy.
- You can modify the spices you use to suit your personal taste. We like to keep it simple with some salt, pepper, and garlic powder but you can definitely add some cayenne pepper or other spices for a bit of a kick.
We use this air fryer for our recipes and it has been great.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to cook frozen broccoli in the air fryer.
You can find our process photos to follow along with if you want to see just how we did this recipe.
Otherwise, you can skip to the bottom of this post for the recipe card without visuals for how to air fry frozen broccoli.
First, preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the meantime, add the frozen broccoli florets into a bowl. Also add the oil, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
Toss everything until the broccoli is evenly coated in oil and spices.
When the air fryer is hot, add the frozen broccoli.
Gently shake the air fryer basket so that the broccoli pieces are in one even layer without much overlap.
If you have a very small air fryer, you might have to cook this amount of frozen broccoli in two batches.
Cook the frozen broccoli for 8-12 minutes until tender and slightly crispy. Shake the basket every 3 minutes to allow for even cooking.
Since every air fryer is slightly different, the cooking time may vary a bit.
Once done, remove the broccoli from the air fryer and serve it as a side dish.
Storage Tips
Any leftover air-fried broccoli can be stored in a sealed container and put in the fridge.
The broccoli will get mushier over time due to all the moisture in them but it’ll be good to eat for 3-5 days.
To reheat this frozen broccoli, you can use the air fryer if you would like it to be slightly crispy or the microwave if you like your broccoli to be soft.
Related Recipes
For more great air fryer frozen vegetables, you can check out these other creations!
- Air Fryer Frozen Cauliflower
- Air Fried Frozen Green Beans
- Air Fryer Frozen Beets
- Frozen Brussels Sprouts in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash (Frozen)
Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen broccoli florets
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In the meantime, add the frozen broccoli florets into a bowl. Also add the oil, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Toss everything until the broccoli is evenly coated in oil and spices.
- When the air fryer is hot, add the frozen broccoli. Gently shake the air fryer basket so that the broccoli pieces are in one even layer without much overlap. If you have a very small air fryer, you might have to cook this amount of frozen broccoli in two batches.
- Cook the frozen broccoli for 8-12 minutes until tender and slightly crispy. Shake the basket every 3 minutes to allow for even cooking. Since every air fryer is slightly different, the cooking time may vary a bit.
- Once done, remove the broccoli from the air fryer and serve it as a side dish.
Notes
- Since this broccoli is made from frozen, it can be hard to get it very crispy since it has quite a bit of water content. This is normal – and you’ll still end up with tasty broccoli that makes a nice side dish.
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.
