Name: Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 11 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 oz. broccoli florets (trimmed so they are the same size) (about 4 cups); 1 Tbsp. olive oil; 1/8 tsp. sea salt

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If I was going to try to talk you into an air fryer, this recipe would be my reasoning. Yes, buy one for the broccoli. It’s what we use our air fryer for most often and it’s the quickest way to make roasted broccoli in less than 10 minutes!

While I have a few tips to share if you’re new to air frying, learning how to cook veggies in your air fryer will be a game changer – it’s good for so much more than chicken bites (though I do love those).

Once you become as obsessed with veggies in the air fryer as I am, be sure to try my buffalo cauliflower bites next time and air fryer mahi mahi if you need a main.

Table of Contents

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

What You’ll Love About Air Fryer Broccoli

Seriously the best way to eat broccoli
Perfectly tender broccoli
Cooks in just 6-8 minutes
Crunchy bits in half the time
Made with just 3 simple ingredients
Nutritious and healthy side dish to your favorite protein

Ingredients

Broccoli florets – You can buy a bag of fresh broccoli florets or a small broccoli head. If you use the bag, just be sure to trim the broccoli as there is often a big range of sizes. The bags are convenient as some of the prep is done, but they also tend to be not as fresh so a whole head of broccoli is my first choice.
Olive oil – The olive oil gives the broccoli a great flavor, but you could also use a different oil if you prefer. Avocado, canola, or sesame would all work well.
Sea salt and black pepper – For a really simple and basic broccoli, season with sea salt and pepper. But this recipe is really flexible, so you can season it however you like. I also have a few seasoning ideas below in the recipe card.

Emily’s Tip for Perfectly Roasted Broccoli

The cooking time will vary a bit on your broccoli floret size, your air fryer, and how roasted you want them. I recommend trimming the broccoli to about 1 inch pieces and start checking at 6 minutes. In the air fryer I have (which is a traditional one), after 6 minutes of cooking, the broccoli will be lightly roasted with a tender texture, without much charring. After 8 minutes of cooking, the broccoli will be a bit crunchy with lots of charring.

How to Make Broccoli in the Air Fryer

This is an overview, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

Preheat air fryer. Preheat for a few minutes at 400 degrees F.
Trim broccoli. Cut the broccoli florets so they are the same size.

Drizzling broccoli with olive oil for air fryer broccoli recipe

Season broccoli. In a large bowl drizzle oil over broccoli florets and sprinkle with seasonings (see list below for ideas). Toss to coat and transfer broccoli to the air fryer basket in a single layer.
Air fry broccoli. Roast broccoli to your desired doneness, shaking the air fryer basket halfway through.

FAQs

Emily’s Tip for Feeding Kids

When it comes to veggies, your job is to provide the opportunities and keep the exposures coming! Switch up how you are serving your veggies, how you are seasoning veggies, and how you are preparing veggies. I always roasted broccoli until charred as I think it’s delicious that way, but was shocked when my kids had (mushy) steamed broccoli and LOVED it. Moral of the story is…switch it up and you may not love the same things.

Storage

Store air fryer broccoli leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

How to reheat

Reheat broccoli in the microwave or oven, or throw it back into the air fryer.

Can you freeze roasted broccoli in the air fryer?

Yes, you could freeze leftover broccoli for 2-3 months in a freezer container, but I wouldn’t, just eat it! 🙂

How to prep ahead

This is a minimal prep recipe, but if I wanted to get it ready for the air fryer, I would trim the broccoli ahead.

Air fryer broccoli recipe in a white bowl

Tips for the Best Air Fryer Broccoli

Here are my best tips to ensure your broccoli turns out perfectly roasted each time:

Preheat air fryer. Preheat for a few minutes to help speed up the cooking.
Trim broccoli. You’ll want all of the broccoli florets to be approximately the same size so they cook evenly.
Coat the broccoli evenly and don’t be shy with the oil. The olive oil imparts great flavor to the broccoli, so give it a good coating.
Don’t overcrowd air fryer. Cook broccoli in batches if you need to so that it roasts and doesn’t “steam.”

More Broccoli Recipes

I can’t lie, we love broccoli and enjoy eating it in many forms. Here are a few more of our favorites:

Want More?

Read more about my nutrition philosophy here and follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.