This easy air fryer broccoli is healthy, crispy yet tender on the inside, packed full of flavour, and delicious. Broccoli florets lovingly coated in everyday spices, lemon juice, and olive oil. It is bursting with freshness and definitely a worthy side dish to any meal. It is simply the best!
Let me show you how to make it in easy steps including tips on how to cook frozen broccoli in the air fryer.
Roasted Broccoli
The majority of the vegetable recipes shared on this blog is broccoli because, for some reason best known to my children, it is the only vegetable in the whole world. Well, I do not blame them! Apart from the fact that it is obviously healthy and packed with nutrients that are good for the body, broccoli steamed, fried grilled, or roasted is perfect in every way.
This vegetable is a beginner-friendly level if you are still trying to figure out how your air fryer works. It is an easy recipe and quick too. I have made this recipe using basic ingredients, but it can be customized to taste as it is versatile.
That said, I believe when cooking vegetables, less is more. You want the vegetable to shine through on its own, with just enough seasoning to enhance its natural flavor.
Related post: learn how to cook oven-roasted frozen broccoli to perfection in easy steps. You may also love this oven-roasted broccoli and cauliflower.
Blanched broccoli for roasting
broccoli can be blanched before roasting, it is especially done to preserve the vegetable just before freezing.
Personally, I blanch broccoli for about 30 seconds in hot water then run it under cold water before air frying it. The first time I roasted this vegetable in the air fryer, it took longer to cook and burned a little.
Since then, I decided to give it a quick blanch and I haven’t looked back since. More importantly, this method stops the air fryer from smoking. This step is optional, but I recommend it as it perfectly works all times.
Ingredients
Broccoli
Lemon juice
Honey: This is optional but recommended to aid caramelisation when cooking in the air fryer. Sub with maple syrup
Garlic powder
Olive oil
Red pepper flakes: just a little for the kick
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
How to make air fryer broccoli
Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil (this step is optional, only do this if you would prefer to blanch the broccoli)
Cut the broccoli in florets, if possible, try and keep them, the same sizes and transfer into a bowl. Submerge the broccoli with the hot boiling water and leave for about 30 seconds. Carefully drain the broccoli and run it under water to stop it from cooking.
Pat the broccoli dry with a kitchen towel or leave to cool and air dry slightly if time is not of the essence.
Place the vegetable in a bowl and season with garlic powder, lemon juice, honey, red pepper flakes salt, black pepper, olive oil and mix to combine and broccoli is well coated.
Transfer the vegetable to the air fryer basket (no need to spray the basket with oil) and cook at 180C/360F and cook for 6 to 10 minutes shaking the basket halfway through for even cooking. Serve immediately with main meal of choice.
Frozen broccoli: if cooking from frozen, transfer into the air fryer basket and cook for 1 to 2 minutes just until the veg is thawed. Sprinkle the seasoning on the veggie and mix to combine, spray with cooking oil, stir and spray again so it’s well coated. Cook at 190C/390F for 10 to 15 minutes or until crispy around the edges and fork tender. Serve and enjoy!
Tips
Add about ⅓ cup of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket to prevent smoking if you would not be blanching the vegetable. This is highly unlikely but if it does then add the water.
Do not overfill the basket when cooking this vegetable otherwise it wouldn’t cook evenly or take longer to cook.
The brand and size of the air fryer you own may affect cooking time. Please adjust accordingly, one of the beauties of an air fryer is that you can easily open it while it is cooking to check for doneness without losing much heat unlike a conventional oven.
Add about 1 teaspoon of this homemade peri peri seasoning to your broccoli. it is mild and would not overpower the vegetable.
More beginner friendly air fryer recipe
How to cook crispy bacon perfectly in air fryer
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Air Fryer Broccoli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tablespoon honey Sub with maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil (this step is optional, only do this if you would prefer to blanch the broccoli)
- Cut the broccoli in florets, if possible, try and keep them, the same sizes, and transfer them into a bowl. Submerge the broccoli with the hot boiling water and leave for about 30 seconds. Carefully drain the broccoli and run it under cold tap to stop it from cooking.
- Pat the broccoli dry with a kitchen towel or leave to cool and air dry slightly if time is not of the essence.
- Place the vegetable in a bowl and season with garlic powder, lemon juice, honey, red pepper flakes salt, black pepper, olive oil, and mix to combine and broccoli is well coated.
- Transfer the vegetable to the air fryer basket (no need to spray the basket with oil) and cook at 180C/360F and cook for 6 to 10 minutes shaking the basket halfway through for even cooking. Serve immediately with any main meal of choice.
Frozen broccoli
- if cooking from frozen, transfer into the air fryer basket and cook for 1 to 2 minutes just until the veg is thawed. Sprinkle the seasoning on the veggie and mix to combine, spray with cooking oil, stir and spray again so it’s well coated. Cook at 190C/390F for 10 to 15 minutes or until crispy around the edges and fork-tender. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
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