My guide for How to Simply Air Fry Broccoli shows you how to make perfectly tender and tasty roasted florets. The trick to not ending up with bitter broccoli crisps is to lightly boil the broccoli first. Try my method and I’m convinced you’ll be converted like I was!
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Am I the world’s biggest fan of roasted broccoli? No I am not! But it turns out that if you lightly part boil the florets first and then give them a blast in the air fryer, I am in fact a really big fan. This recipe has totally changed how I eat broccoli, this really is the only way for me.
The boil a little first then toss in oil and seasonings before air frying really is the trick to perfectly air frying most vegetables and potatoes. From air fried cauliflower to air fried whole baby potatoes this method is pretty foolproof and quite adaptable for many other vegetables too.
How to Serve
The way that I most often serve any kind of broccoli is with Asian meals. I like the contrast of the slightly (only slightly mind!) bitter broccoli with the creamy rice and often a slightly sweet sauces. Try making a mix and match rice bowl with any of my Asian inspired recipes.
Although I’ve served this roasted broccoli in these images as part of a roast dinner, this is actually probably the least regular way I serve it. But if you do want to check out all my roast dinner recipes, you can find them all collected together in the post below. What is Christmas Dinner if not simply a roast dinner of extra abundance!
Air Fryer Christmas Dinner Recipes: Turkey, Trimmings & More
For more air fried recipes to make the perfect Christmas dinner (or any roast dinner for that matter), check out this handy post where I’ve collected all my recipe in one easy place.
Everything is included from three different cuts of turkey – breast, crown and whole leg, three types of stuffing – regular packet stuffing, packet stuffing balls and balls with added sausage meat and vegetables like carrots, parsnips, carrots and parsnips(!) and of course sprouts to two types of pigs in blankets – chipolata sized and with cocktail sausages, roast potatoes and a few alternative ideas like bacon wrapped sprouts and roast pork loin.
Ingredients
Broccoli
I don’t think there is an awful lot of variety in the broccoli that you can buy anywhere, it’s really quite standard wherever you are. Saying that, it is important to note that the cooking times etc given in this recipe aren’t necessarily suitable for tenderstem broccoli (broccolini) which cooks at a different rate.
I feel like it is very rare to be able to buy heads of broccoli that have any leaves attached at all but if you do, simply remove before cooking.
You can find bags of pre-prepared and ready to cook broccoli florets, these are fine to use if you prefer. But I have included detailed instructions of how to break a whole head down into smaller florets without making a mess or wasting any.
Oil
I’ve just used neutral vegetable oil for this recipe. You can choose what oil or even melted butter you wish to use. As always, I recommend that you only use an oil with a distinct flavour if that flavour will complement the rest of your meal.
Please don’t be tempted to skip or scrimp on the oil. It is essential to creating a quick char on the broccoli and for preventing it from drying out.
Seasonings
I quite often add different seasonings to my air fried broccoli – especially something similar to what I use in my sesame tenderstem broccoli. But the base recipe is to simply use salt.
Whatever seasonings you ultimately plan to use, you will need to salt your boiling water. I use cheap fine table salt for this and save my more expensive Maldon sea salt flakes for actually doing the seasoning.
Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, dairy, gluten and nuts.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Broccoli Florets
Cooking this broccoli is a two step process. First the florets are boiling for 5 to 10 minutes until just tender. Then they have their turn in a pre-heated air fryer for about 10 minutes.
The exact timings will depend on just how small you cut your florets and how brown you want to roast them. I like them to be a little browned rather than heavily charred as this seems to make broccoli bitter.
How to Air Fry Broccoli From Frozen
Unlike with cauliflower which I find comes out the freezer overly mushy to roast or air fry, I find that broccoli holds up much better. It does still have a much softer texture than fresh broccoli but it defrosts to a similar texture to where I boil it.
So you can air fry frozen broccoli but I think it is best to defrost it and dry it well before adding the oil and seasoning then air frying. You can do this by putting it in a pan of boiling water for a couple of minutes or simply microwaving it.
Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for several days. It will air fry back to piping hot in only a couple of minutes. You do want to be careful not to over reheat like this as it could easily catch and burn.
You can freeze leftovers but I don’t find that they hold up terribly well texture wise. If you do need to do this, I’d consider using it to add into a casserole or soup rather than serving as a vegetable side in it’s own right.
Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
The Air Fried Feast Community
Come on over to Facebook and join my community discussing all things air fryer. Get involved in sharing your experiences and trials, help out others and find out what wonderful things everyone is cooking in their air fryers!
What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.
What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.
Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you try making this recipe – I want to know what you think and if you made any substitutions, how did it turn out?
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.
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The Recipe
How to Simply Air Fry Broccoli (Parboiled Recipe)
Equipment
- Microwave Steamer Plate or saucepan
Ingredients
- 450 g Broccoli
- 2 tsp Fine Salt
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes
Instructions
Prepare The Broccoli
- Prepare a roughly 450g Broccoli by using a sharp knife to slice off the majority of the stalk. Remove any outer leaves as you go if there are any.
- Use the tip of the knife to start cutting the large chunks of florets away from each other.
- Start to break down the larger chunks into smaller florets. Use the knife to cut down the stalk…
- …before finishing tearing the floret apart with your hands. This will prevent you from losing lots of the flowers.
- Stop once all of the florets are small and roughly of equal size. You should have ended up with around 350g Prepared Broccoli.
To Boil on the Stove
- Boil a kettle of water.
- Put the florets in a medium saucepan along with 2 tsp Fine Salt and cover with boiling water from the kettle.
- Put the pan on the heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until the broccoli is just tender all the way through. Test this with a sharp knife.
- Once cooked, drain the water from the pan and allow the broccoli to sit and steam dry in the pan.
To Microwave
- Put the broccoli florets into a microwaveable tray or bowl with lid. Add a little water.
- Microwave for 3 minutes. Check that the florets are just tender all the way through by prodding with a sharp knife. Microwave for a further minute or two if needed.
- Drain the water well and allow the broccoli to sit without a lid so they can steam a little dry.
Air Fry
- If your air fryer has a preheat setting, start this now.
- Drizzle over 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil and add 1 tsp Sea Salt Flakes. Toss to fully coat the florets.
- Carefully move the broccoli into the air fryer basket. I use silicone tongs.
- Air fry at 200c/390f for 10 minutes. You can turn them after 7 minutes for the most even browning.
- If you want browner or crispier, you can always air fry a little longer – I like a nice mix of soft and lightly browned so it doesn't turn too bitter.
Notes
- Portion Size – The portion size given assumes that the broccoli is being served as a main side. If wanting to serve as part of a larger meal like a roast dinner with multiple side options, Halve the recipe (or consider the portion number doubled).
- This recipe is tested in a Cosori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- For this recipe, I managed to fit in 350g of prepared broccoli with enough room for air flow. It would be a struggle to cook too much more in this size air fryer so larger quantities would be best cooked in batches.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Karen says
Great recipe with just the right amount of char on the broccoli. I’ll be cooking it like this again.
Cat says
I’m a big fan of broccoli and this turned out perfectly!
Janice says
I’ve always been disappointed with roasted broccoli, but your method worked perfectly and I’ve definitely been converted.
Sisley says
I loved this recipe so much. I can’t wait to have them again next Sunday!