This easy air fryer broccoli recipe is made using broccoli florets (fresh or frozen), olive oil, a little parmesan cheese, some spices, and a fresh squeeze of lemon juice. Everything is tossed together then added to the air fryer to cook for about 10 minutes.
Easy Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe
I love cooking broccoli in the air fryer, but I'll admit that the first time I did it wasn't a success. If you've ever tried it yourself, you might have noticed that its really easy to burn broccoli if you don't cook it at the right temperature.
There's a simple trick that will give you broccoli that's tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, without burning the edges. First, I always start air frying my broccoli at a lower temperature until it's tender-crisp. Then I turn the heat up for just a couple minutes to crispen the outside.
Parmesan cheese is another secret ingredient that will make your broccoli go from good to great. You don't need a lot of it. Just about 2 tablespoon of freshly grated parmesan will give the perfect crispy pieces that complement the flavor of the broccoli perfectly.
And once the broccoli is cooked, squeeze fresh lemon juice over top. It takes the flavor to the next level every time.
Recipe Ingredients
- 12 oz small broccoli florets - fresh or frozen broccoli will work but the frozen broccoli needs to be thawed before mixing with the seasonings.
- 3 Tbsp olive oil - or vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese - optional
- ½ Tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ fresh lemon - juiced and drizzled over top
How To Make Air Fryer Broccoli
Full ingredients and instructions are also in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.
STEP 1 Prep the broccoli: Cut into same-size florets, wash and dry with a towel. Frozen broccoli needs to be thawed before mixing with spices.
STEP 2: Add 12 oz of broccoli florets to a large bowl along with 3 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese, ½ tablespoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss the broccoli with the seasonings until it's evenly coated.
STEP 3: Preheat the air fryer to 320°F for 2 minutes. Once heated, add in the broccoli and place in a single layer. Cook for 8 minutes. Poke the broccoli with a fork, it should be crisp-tender. If it isn't, cook another 1-2 mins or until it can be poked with a fork but is still firm. See below for step 4.
STEP FOUR: Increase the temperature to 400°F. Toss the broccoli in the air fryer basket. Bake for another 2-4 minutes, or until broccoli reaches your desired crispy edges. (Keep an eye on it during this step as it can start to burn easily!)
STEP FIVE: Add the broccoli to a serving plate and drizzle with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Cut the broccoli florets small and even. You don't want big and small pieces because they will cook unevenly. Smaller florets will cook faster.
- To save time, buy a bag of pre-cut frozen broccoli florets, and they'll be ready to cook!
- Pat the broccoli dry with a paper towel after washing it to remove any excess moisture.
- Always toss the air fryer basket halfway through cooking. This will ensure more evenly cooked results.
- Check in the last couple of minutes to make sure the broccoli isn't overcooking. Every air fryer is different so it might take a little bit of practice to get used to your temperature and how it works.
- Broccoli is done when it's crispy on the outside and tender when poked with a fork.
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Leftover broccoli can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days.
- To Reheat – Preheat the air fryer for 2 minutes at 350°F. Add the broccoli and cook for another 2-4 minutes until it is heated through. The temperature needs to be lower so it won't burn the broccoli edges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes absolutely. The broccoli will take longer to cook. Let it cook longer at 320°F so that it has had time to thaw.
Broccoli tends to burn easier than other vegetables in the air fryer. This is why I recommend cooking at a lower temperature for longer, then increasing to a higher temperature just for a few quick minutes.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links) - Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Vortex Plus 6 Qt Air Fryer – This is the air fryer that I used in the photos. It has a large basket for more food in larger batches. It automatically preheats before adding food and reminds you to flip halfway through.
- Silicone Spatula – A must-have for scraping all the seasonings into the air fryer from the mixing bowl.
- Mixing Bowls – Stackable mixing bowls keep the cupboards more organized and make it easy to toss ingredients together quickly.
- Magnetic Measuring Spoons – I love these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized together when storing them
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Easy Air Fryer Broccoli
Ingredients
- 12 oz small broccoli florets - fresh or frozen broccoli - see notes
- 3 tablespoon olive oil - or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese - optional
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ fresh lemon - juiced drizzled overtop
Instructions
- Prep the broccoli: Cut into same-size florets, wash and dry with towel. Frozen broccoli needs to be thawed before mixing with spices (see notes section below).
- Add 12 oz of broccoli florets to a large bowl along with 3 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese, ½ tablespoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss the broccoli with the seasonings until it's evenly coated.
- Preheat the air fryer to 320°F for 2 minutes. Once heated, add in the broccoli and place in a single layer. Cook for 8 minutes. Poke the broccoli with a fork, it should be crisp-tender. If it isn't, cook another 1-2 mins or until it can be poked with a fork but is still firm.
- Increase the temperature to 400°F. Toss the broccoli in the air fryer basket. Bake for another 2-4 minutes, or until broccoli reaches your desired crispy edges. (Keep an eye on it during this step as it can start to burn easily!)
- Add the broccoli to a serving plate and drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
- Cut your broccoli florets small and even. You don’t want big and small pieces because they will cook unevenly. Smaller florets will cook faster.
- Preheat your air fryer first. This will give you the best crispy broccoli.
- Pat the broccoli dry with a paper towel after washing to remove any excess moisture.
- Always toss the air fryer basket halfway through cooking. This will ensure more evenly cooked results.
- Cooking at 320°F will result in more tender broccoli. If you heat it too fast, the outside will get crispy edges too quickly.
- Check in the last couple of minutes to make sure it’s not overcooking. Every air fryer is different so it might take a little bit of practice to get used to your temperature and how it works.
- Broccoli is done when it’s crispy on the outside and tender when poked with a fork.
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
