Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli

Make a delicious and healthy side dish with ease! This Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli only takes a few minutes to make and tastes like an addicting, salty snack. Tender and sweet but with a crispy texture on the florets, garnish with shaved parmesan cheese for a nutty finish.

air fryer broccoli on platter with spoon

Why You’ll Love This Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli

What could be easier than dumping a bag of frozen broccoli in an air fryer and having a delicious vegetable side dish in less than 10 minutes? Once you try this Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli, you may never go back to oven roasting.

Not that we don’t love delicious, sweet Oven Roasted Broccoli, but sometimes we just don’t have the time. Washing and cutting down heads of broccoli, preheating an oven and then cooking for 25-30 minutes, takes a little bit of time. Certainly delicious, but we don’t always have them time…am I right?

For everyday meals where you just need to get a delicious vegetable on the table that you know everyone (including the kids) is going to love, this air fryer broccoli is the way to go.

How To Make Frozen Broccoli In The Air Fryer

Honestly, it’s as easy as opening a bag of frozen broccoli, seasoning it with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and getting it into your air fryer.

  • STEP 1 – PREHEAT: Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees if needed.
  • STEP 2 – SEASON THE BROCCOLI: Empty the bag of frozen broccoli into a large bowl or sheet pan. Season the broccoli with salt, garlic powder and pepper and then spray with olive oil cooking spray.
  • STEP 3 – Air Fry: Place the broccoli florets (leaving any small bits of broccoli behind) in the basket of an air fryer in an even layer. Cook for 5 minutes and then toss and cook another 3-4 minutes until tender and crispy.

Tips For Success!

Buy baby frozen broccoli like we did here for the crispiest florets. Regular frozen broccoli can have some really large florets that will take longer to cook and get crispy. Unless you don’t love the crispy texture, then you can buy regular frozen broccoli.

Try to get the broccoli in as much of a single layer as you can. Our air fryer holds a 12 ounce bag of frozen broccoli pretty much in one layer so we can get it all done in one round.

Get in there and toss the broccoli after 5 minutes, just to ensure a good browning on all sides, and if any broccoli is tucked underneath.

Finish with parmesan cheese, a squeeze of fresh lemon or your seasoning of choice. Other flavor options could include any dried herb like oregano or thyme, or even just a pat of butter.

air fryer broccoli on platter with parmesan cheese

What Main Courses Go Well With Broccoli?

If you’re not eating this crispy broccoli right from the bowl, it’ll also go with just about any main course you decide to serve with it.

Also to note, this air fryer broccoli is super tasty used as an ingredient in other recipes like salmon bowls or stir fry recipes. Toss it into a pasta dish or even use leftovers to make our popular Italian Broccoli Soup!

crispy broccoli florets with parmesan cheese

Storing Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli

Storing this broccoli is as easy as placing it into an air tight container in the refrigerator. The broccoli will loose a little of it’s crispy texture as it sits in the fridge, but a quick minute or two back in the air fryer will help crisp it back up.

Do make sure that you’re using an air tight container for ultimate freshness – and to make sure that your refrigerator doesn’t end up smelling like broccoli.

Looking For More Easy Vegetable Sides?

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crispy broccoli florets with parmesan cheese

Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli

  • Author: Dan
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 minutes
  • Total Time: 13 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli cooks right from frozen, so it’s ready in just minutes! Tender, sweet broccoli with crispy florets and nutty parmesan cheese. A delicious and healthy side dish that everyone will love!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce bag frozen baby broccoli
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • Olive oil or canola oil cooking spray
  • 1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees if needed.
  2. Empty the bag of frozen broccoli into a large bowl or onto a sheet pan. Season the broccoli with salt, garlic powder and pepper and then spray with olive oil cooking spray.
  3. Grab the broccoli florets (leaving any small bits of broccoli behind as they will burn) and place them in the basket of an air fryer in an even layer. Cook for 5 minutes and then toss and cook another 3-4 minutes until tender and crispy.
  4. Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. (optional)

Recipe Notes

Store: After the broccoli has cooled, store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheat: This broccoli reheats very well in the microwave, or in the air fryer to revive some of the crispy texture.

  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Air Fryer
  • Cuisine: American

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