Easy Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe

This easy air fryer broccoli recipe makes a flavorful vegetable side dish the whole family will love in 10 minutes or less.

I will be completely honest and admit that I didn't understand the air fryer craze at first. Obviouslty this is because I hadn't bought one yet.

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables and one I know I can consistently get every member of my family to eat without complaint - or at least not much.

This easy air fryer broccoli recipe is wildly flavorful, simple to prep and it cooks up in 10 minutes or less - with minimal clean up. What's not to love?!

Why We Love Air Fryer Broccoli

Knowing how to cook broccoli is one thing, but knowing how to cook perfect broccoli? That's another feat. It's so easy for it to end up mushy, especially if you only know how to cook broccoli on the stove and it cooks too long.

Until I figured out how to cook broccoli in an air fryer, my favorite way to cook broccoli was to cook broccoli in the oven by roasting it until it was crisp.

Easier yet? Figuring out how to cook broccoli in a toaster oven! But the air fryer is, by far, the best way to cook broccoli. It's so much quicker than roasting.

This air fryer broccoli recipe is such a cinch to make, requires just a few very simple ingredients and can be easily dressed up with toppings to suit your taste.

If you love broccoli, this is the broccoli recipe you need in your life. It's great for quick, easy dinners and genius for meal prep for meals throughout the week.

Easy Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe

To make this simple, satisfying air frying broccoli recipe, you will need:

Ingredients

• Fresh broccoli - Get the freshest broccoli you can and cut it up into florets to the size you prefer - I personally like to keep the stalks a little longer for extra crunch and texture.
• Olive oil - Tossing the broccoli in olive oil adds flavor, helps keep things from sticking to the air fryer and allows the seasoning to stick. 
• Garlic powder - Most of the time I prefer to use fresh, minced garlic but in the air fryer garlic powder is a huge win. It sticks to the broccoli thanks to the olive oil and helps reduce the chances of burning under the high heat.
• Seasoning - Salt and pepper, to taste, adds a ton of flavor to your air fryer broccoli simply and easily.

Kitchen Gear

• Mixing bowl
• Air fryer
• Tongs

How To Cook Broccoli in an Air Fryer

This air fryer broccoli recipe is about to become your new favorite way to cook broccoli! The best part is how easy it is to make it your own with the flavors, spices and seasonings of your choice.

Step 1. Preheat your air fryer, then cut your broccoli into medium sized florets. I like the texture of leaving the stems a little bit longer, but you can cut your broccoli to whatever size you prefer.

Step 2. Add the prepared broccoli to a large mixing bowl. Add the oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper and toss to combine. I usually find it easiest to use my hands to work the oil and seasoning evenly over all of the broccoli.

Step 3. Add broccoli in a single layer in the basket of your air fryer. Depending on the size of your heads of broccoli, this will likely take a few batches.

Step 4. Air fry the broccoli for 4 minutes, then use tongs to carefully flip the broccoli being careful not to get burned as the basket will be hot. Air fry for another 4 to 6 minutes until the broccoli is as done as you'd like it to be - I personally like it when the edges are a bit crispy.

Toppings

This recipe is super flavorful and tasty without any additional toppings, but I like kicking things up a notch! A few ideas for toppings include:

• Fresh lemon zest
• Fresh lemon juice
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Balsamic glaze
• A drizzle of our copycat Cafe Rio dressing
• Pesto (our kale pesto recipe is incredible)
• Bacon crumbles

If you give this broccoli a try, let us know! I guarantee you will quickly find yourself making it again and again. Swich it up with new toppings and enjoy!

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While it may not be quite as healthy, we also recommend making garlic bread in the air fryer for a delicious accompaniment to this dish!