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Air Fryer Broccoli comes out tender and delicious, with golden crispy edges. It’s an easy, unassuming side dish that’s ready in under 10 minutes and only requires a handful of common ingredients.
This Air Fryer Broccoli recipe is the best compliment for all kinds of dinners, from chicken recipes to pork and beef. It even makes a great snack! You use basic ingredients to give this broccoli such a great flavor.
The air fryer allows you to cook the broccoli quickly and frees up your oven to make some Roasted Red Potatoes or Pan Roasted Pork Loin.
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients for Air Fryer Broccoli
You only need a few basic ingredients for this easy air fryer side dish. You will need:
- Broccoli – This is the main component of this recipe. You will need 4 cups of broccoli florets.
- Olive oil – The oil allows the spices to stick to the broccoli and it keeps it from drying out in the air fryer. Feel free to substitute canola or vegetable oil in place of olive oil, if needed.
- Lemon juice and zest – You need 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and zest. You should be able to get that much juice and zest from 1 large lemon. Grab one from the produce section the next time you’re at the grocery store!
- Salt and pepper – These are the basic spices used for this broccoli recipe. Feel free to adjust the spices to your preferences.
- Parmesan – I suggest using fresh grated Parmesan cheese here. It gives this dish so much extra flavor! Grab a wedge of Parmesan from the deli section.
How to Make Broccoli in the Air Fryer
Once you have gathered all your ingredients, it’s time to grab your air fryer to make this easy recipe!
- Prep – Wash and cut your broccoli into florets. You can decide how big you want the florets to be. Place the cut broccoli in a large bowl.
- Mix – In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Leave the Parmesan out for the next step.
- Season – Pour the olive oil mixture over the broccoli and mix to coat using your spatula. Add ¼ cup of the fresh Parmesan cheese to the mixture and stir to coat once more.
- Air fry – Place the broccoli in the air fryer, making sure to not overlap any pieces, if possible. Set the temperature to 375 degrees and cook for 4 minutes. Flip with the spatula or a spoon and cook for 4 more minutes.
- Serve – Top the broccoli with the additional Parmesan and serve immediately.
FAQs
Roasting broccoli with a little bit of olive oil helps to keep the florets nice and crispy. Follow the recipe instructions and be careful not to overcook it, because it can become soggy and mushy.
Absolutely! There is no need to thaw vegetables when you want to cook them in the air fryer. Simply prep them as normal and add a few extra minutes cook time. The circulating air from the air fryer helps to defrost and cook the vegetables to perfection.
Main Dish Suggestions
This broccoli is so good that it could be eaten alone as a snack, but I like it best paired with my favorite dinner recipes. In fact, broccoli is my go-to side dish and I always have some on hand.
Baked chicken breasts – This simple chicken recipe pairs beautifully with air fryer broccoli.
Chicken with Mustard Sauce – Broccoli is insanely delicious with the mustard sauce in this recipe.
Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs – Super simple and delicious chicken thighs with my signature technique for crispy skin.
Crock Pot Pork Roast – It doesn’t get easier than this easy slow cooker pork roast.
Grilled Steak – One of our favorite things to make during the summer!
Storage and Freezing Leftovers
Storing leftovers: If you have any leftovers, place them in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. You can keep the broccoli fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in the microwave or back in the air fryer.
Freezer storage: To freeze this broccoli, simply follow the recipe directions and allow the broccoli to cool. Flash freeze it by placing it on a cookie sheet and allowing it to harden for about an hour. Put the frozen broccoli in a resealable freezer bag and place back in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Reheating: To re-heat, place the broccoli in the refrigerator to thaw or in a bowl of warm water. Warm it in the microwave or the air fryer again.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- You can use frozen broccoli for this recipe. Add an additional 2 minutes to the cook time if you plan to use frozen broccoli.
- Don’t skip the first step! Mixing the olive oil and lemon juice will prevent you from biting into a super tart flouret.
- It is important to shuffle the broccoli halfway through cooking because the florets brown very quickly.
- You may need to spray your air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray before adding the broccoli.
Feel free to change up the spices to your tastes. Adding red pepper flakes would give it a nice spicy bite!
More Air Fryer Recipes to Try
- Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Steak
- Southwest Air Fryer Egg Rolls
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Air Fryer Broccoli
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese divided
Instructions
- Place the broccoli florets in a large mixing bowl, set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
- Pour olive oil and lemon mixture over the broccoli. Add ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
- Place the broccoli in the basket of the air fryer. Cook at 375 for 4 minutes.
- Use a spoon to move the broccoli around and continue cooking for 4 more minutes.
- Remove from the air fryer, sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Hi Kristin your air fryer broccoli recipes is great. Previously I have tried this broccoli recipes differently (using some other blogger instruction); But should I go with regular olive oil or can i use the extra virgin one?
Hi Lila, you can use whatever you have on hand.