Broccoli in Air Fryer

Air fryer broccoli seemed simple enough. I didn’t want it plain though, I’m all about the cheese when making vegetables. Try our olive oil and parmesan air fryer broccoli yourself and let us know what you think! Find this and many more instructions on our air fryer recipes page.

Did you just get a Ninja Foodi or other air fryer this year? We did and how it has changed the way I cook lately. Not only can you now cook fresh produce, but frozen broccoli in air fryer too.

You may be looking for a few air fryer vegetables recipes. We have quite a few! This is just the beginning y’all and if you live in a hot climate especially during the summertime I bet you’ll use it daily too. NO need to heat up your house for a small dish ever again and it comes out crispy like deep fried (but way less fat).

Ninja Air Fryer Broccoli

I will admit, it took me a few years to tackle this new machine but once I did I was in love! First I found it’s longer counterpart and made some air fryer broccolini. OMG if you haven’t tried this one either it is a game changer, seriously even my kids asked me to cook it the next night.

I should’ve started using this SO much sooner because air fryer vegetable recipes turn out great. With a tender feel on the inside but on the outside you get this nice slightly crispy feel, it’s like baked but way faster.

If you haven’t tried air fryer roasted broccoli, it’s different than any other. Instant Pot broccoli comes out very tender but without any crisp.

Cooking broccoli florets in an air fryer basket is kinda’ the opposite. It won’t get super soft, but it will make it quite crispy on the outside pieces.

What’s the trick to cooking broccoli in air fryer?

You need to add water to the air fryer basket! That is right, for certain foods that are low in water content, it may cause your machine to smoke. It has a hard time softening such items because there isn’t enough moisture inside the cooking compartment.

I am sure there is a more technical way to explain this, but you know what I mean by this. You could leave out the water but your vegetables will be a bit firm. Some prefer it this way so by all means do it to your preference.

You also need to ensure that there is no overlapping. In case you are new and don’t understand the concept. This works because hot air circulates around the food. If it’s in more than one layer it won’t work properly.

Move pieces around in the basket a few times during cooking time. Add salt and pepper to the top during and/or after they’re done for a low calorie broccoli recipe. Or smother in homemade Velveeta cheese saucefor a kid loving side.

Similar to our brussel sprouts in the air fryer recipe, you’ll get a nice char on the outer leaves or pieces. Increase the cooking time to brown them further, but the timing below works well for us.

How Long to Cook Broccoli in Air Fryer

You are going to want 8-10 minutes to get the florets fork tender. The variation in cook time will change depending on how large your pieces are. It is important for them all to be similar, bite sized is best.

I do not include any of the stalk because we just don’t like it. You could however cut it about half the size of your florets if you wanted too though if you hate waste. Timing wouldn’t change in this case, just the size is important.

Can you add parmesan cheese?

Yes and I suggest that you do just that. I mean in our family cheesy foods are favored and that doesn’t change with side dishes like this one. It will melt and get a bit crispy as well on the top and bake right on to each piece as you can see here below.

Broccoli is a green powerhouse of a vegetable with a ton of nutrients. This easy side dish benefits your digestion, the cardiovascular system and the immune system. It’s said to have anti-inflammatory and even cancer preventing properties. Naturally low in sodium and calories, it’s also a fat free vegetable.

I kid you not, I air fry “all the things” now because it makes everything so good! I get the crunchy crispy outsides I love without the laden calories you get with deep fried foods. Speaking of this, you should try our air fryer zucchini chips next!

Other vegetable recipes you’ll love

If you want a copy cat Carl’s Jr fried tempura zucchini chips recipe, this is it!! I actually love it better than theirs because sometimes they use dirty oil and the after taste is horrible. Our easy spinach quiche is always a winner.

Homemade is always best anyway, we all know that. Here are a few other Ninja Foodi air fryer recipes to try. You can use any brand of machine to make them though. Crispy eggplant air fryer recipe is one of our faves