Air Fryer Broccoli (Roasted)
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Air Fryer Broccoli is an easy veggie side dish that works for virtually any meal! Roasted broccoli is made with fresh broccoli florets and 7 simple ingredients. Get crispy and tender broccoli in the air fryer in a fraction of the time it takes in the oven. Be sure to scroll down for additional tips for cooking vegetables in the air fryer.
I love cooking with my air fryer. I use our several times a week and really appreciate the time savings and overall taste it provides. There are so many great vegetable air fryer recipes out there, including unique recipes like these viral air fryer green beans from tiktok, air fryer cauliflower tots or even air fryer okra! But there are also classic recipes to be made for every day, like this air fryer broccoli recipe.
Air Fryer Broccoli Recipe Ingredients
To make this broccoli in the air fryer, you’ll need fresh broccoli and a few simple ingredients found in most pantries.
- fresh broccoli
- olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- garlic powder
- paprika
- red pepper flakes (optional)
You can just as easily make this recipe extra simple with broccoli, olive oil and sea salt if you prefer. The best part about air fryer vegetables is the natural flavor that comes out when you use this cooking method. I especially love pairing broccoli with simple chicken recipes like dry rub chicken drumsticks and pork such as porchetta made with pork belly or bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. So good!
How to Cook Broccoli in Air Fryer
To make this broccoli in the air fryer, you’ll want to start by preheating your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. You don’t absolutely have to preheat, however, I have not tested this recipe without preheating so you may need to adjust the cooking time.
In a small bowl, stir spices together. I like to mix the seasonings together first for a more even spice distribution. Set aside. In a large bowl, add broccoli florets and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle seasoning mix over top and toss well to coat evenly. 
Place in air fryer basket and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, shaking basket or turning over halfway through cooking. Keep in mind that exact cooking times will vary based on individual air fryers. Serve immediately.
Why You Should Cook Veggies in an Air Fryer
- Less oil is required to cook veggies in the air fryer, much less than roasting them in an oven.
- Convection heat will caramelize the vegetables, making them sweeter.
- Shorter cooking times means you can get to eating your veggies sooner!
- Cooking in an air fryer will result in a crispy outside without overcooking your veggies. Say goodbye to mushy broccoli!
- Using your air fryer for veggies means you don’t have to use an oven. This is especially nice during the holidays when the oven is already packed or in summer months when you don’t want to use the oven at all.
What to put on roasted broccoli?
So many easy options for seasoning on roasted broccoli in the air fryer (or oven).
- Seasoning blends: Use your favorite seasoning blends for veggies including garlic blends, everything but the bagel seasoning, or Italian seasoning. One to two teaspoons is sufficient for this recipe.
- Keep it classic: Just use olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. You’ll still achieve flavorful broccoli!
- Add cheese: I can’t think of a reason to not enjoy cheese on broccoli. Am I right? Parmesan tastes especially good with roasted broccoli. Add a couple of tablespoons of Parmesan with the seasoning blends, in the last couple of minutes of cooking, or sprinkle over the top of your broccoli before serving.
What temp to cook broccoli in the air fryer?
When roasting vegetables I always like to roast at 4oo degrees Fahrenheit. A high heat makes your veggies crispy and caramelizes them, making them sweeter. I use this same temperature in my my oven with great results and virtually any veggies can be roasted to perfection at this temperature. High heat caramelizes veggies and makes them crispy on the outside and still tender on the inside. But every air fryer is different so if you don’t like the results at 400 degrees, you can easily drop it down to 375 degrees and see if you like that better.
Should I cook in batches with an air fryer?
A key when using an air fryer is an even layer for even cooking. (An even layer for roasting vegetables in the oven on a baking sheet is equally important.) The less packed the basket, the faster your broccoli with cook. However, I’ve found that because broccoli cooks down and shrinks, the basket isn’t packed for long. I’ve made roasted veggies in a single layer and with my basket half full as shown in this post and both turned out delicious. You may need to increase the cooking times and shake your basket more often if it isn’t a single layer, but you can still get great results. Just be sure you don’t over pack the basket. I recommend no more than half full.
How long to cook broccoli in the air fryer?
Cooking broccoli from 3 minutes to 7 minutes works well for me at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Exactly how long to cook broccoli in the air fryer will depend on a multiple factors:
- Brand and size of your air fryer. The bigger the basket, the less cooking time required. If it is a oven style air fryer, I’ve found cooking times to vary versus my smaller basket style. Keep an eye on your broccoli while cooking for the the first time until you know the cooking time that yields the best results.
- Size of your broccoli florets. The bigger the florets, the longer the cooking time. The most important thing is to make sure your broccoli is fairly evenly sized so you have even cooking. If you are using a bag of broccoli florets, you may need to break some pieces down further. If you are using a head of broccoli, you have full control over size but processing takes another minute or two.
- Amount of broccoli being cooked. The more space you have available in between pieces of broccoli, the less time it takes to cook. If you cook a half full basket of broccoli, it will take longer. If you are cooking in a single layer, less time is needed.
- Temperature used. As previously stated, I like to cook veggies at 400 degrees in the air fryer but if you use a lower temperature, it will take longer to cook.
- Personal preferences. Some people prefer their roasted vegetables to be still have a bit of crunch while other like a more tender and soft veggie. When you make broccoli in an air fryer for the first time, be careful to not over cook and test what length of time results in the perfect broccoli for you. This results in having the best roasted broccoli in the air fryer!
Air Fryer Broccoli
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets 12 oz bag of florets
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
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Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
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In a small bowl, stir spices together. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, add broccoli florets and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle seasoning mix over top and toss well to coat evenly.
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Place in air fryer basket and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, shaking basket or turning over halfway through cooking.
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Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Exact cooking times will vary based on individual air fryers.
Can cook with just olive oil, salt and pepper if preferred.
Need more Air Fryer Veggie Recipes?
We’ve got you covered! Here are some more great air fryer veggie side dishes and appetizers to up your air fryer game.
- Keep things simple with this Air Fryer Asparagus recipe using a common seasoning blend!
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips feature a crunchy coating with plenty of Parmesan cheese and taste great dipped in marinara!
- On a low-carb diet? Try swapping out these Air Fryer Radishes for your usual potatoes! Radishes lose their spicy flavor when roasted and taste amazing with sour cream.
- Speed up the cooking process and roast carrots in the air fryer versus turning on your oven!
- Can we squint and consider a pickle a vegetable? If you are a pickle lover like me, you have to try Air Fryer Fried Pickles! These are so crunchy and easy to make when you use pickle spears instead of pickle slices.
