Ridiculously Good Air Fryer Broccoli

If I have an oven-style air fryer (not a basket), how can I make this?

Massage the water and oil into the broccoli florets in a separate bowl for a minute before placing them on the tray. I almost think of this as “marinating” the broccoli with some moisture. The broccoli will hold onto that moisture (even if it doesn’t absorb it completely) and it helps keep it tender while roasting.

How can I make something similar using the oven (without an air fryer)?

We’ll test this and update once we do! But I think you could follow the same steps as the process above regarding making it in an oven-style air fryer, but then just roast in the oven. Stay tuned!

What air fryer do you use?

My favorite air fryer is the Ninja Pro XL! (affiliate link) It works especially great for this recipe because it has a large basket size to get them in one layer.

What do you usually serve this air fryer broccoli with?

• one 12-ounce bag broccoli florets (or, one head of broccoli cut into about 3 cups of florets)
• 1–2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons water

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1. Prep The Broccoli: Add broccoli florets to the air fryer basket. Drizzle with oil. Break into bite-sized pieces and massage gently with the oil for 30 seconds or so, until the broccoli turns a slightly brighter green. (This helps it stay tender).
2. Add Water To Steam: Add a tablespoon of water to the base of the air fryer basket. (The water will fall below the grates and create steam as the broccoli is roasting.)

   

3. Cook: Air fry at 350 for 5 minutes; give it a quick shake. It should look bright green, like steamed broccoli. 
4. Crisp It Up: Air fry at 375 for another 2 minutes to get it roasty toasty (more or less to your desired level of crispness). 
5. Finish: You’re done! Yum! I love this with a dipping sauce or just sprinkled with a bit of Parmesan.

   

Every air fryer is different both in capacity and in temps. You may want to do this in smaller batches depending on the size of the air fryer you’re using. I use this air fryer.

If the broccoli overlaps in the basket a bit at first, that’s okay – it’ll reduce in size to eventually make a single layer for the last few minutes of roasting.

If you’re doing that final roast at 375 and not getting enough crisping, go up to 390!

If you don’t have a basket air fryer, that’s fine! Massage the water and oil into the broccoli florets in a separate bowl for a minute before placing them on the tray. I almost think of this as “marinating” the broccoli with some moisture. The broccoli will hold onto that moisture (even if it doesn’t absorb it completely) and it helps keep it tender while roasting.