Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli is super simple to make! You can put frozen broccoli in the air fryer for a simple and fast side dish in minutes.
Overview
Air Fryer broccoli is crisp, slightly browned, and super yummy. This is the best and only way I make frozen broccoli now, and I think you’ll agree.
Other ways to prepare frozen broccoli include microwaving it, steaming it, or boiling it. I know that you’ve had frozen broccoli one of these ways before, and it comes out soft and mushy. Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli is browned and crispy!
You can make fresh broccoli in the air fryer as well. To learn how to cook all sorts of frozen foods in the air fryer be sure to check out our recipe archives!
list of ingredients
- Frozen Broccoli Florets: The brand of frozen broccoli you choose is not important, but I do suggest that you look for broccoli florets rather than frozen chopped broccoli. You’ll get better quality pieces that way.
- Olive Oil: To help the frozen broccoli get crispy in the air fryer, a small amount of oil does the trick.
- Salt and Pepper: Simple, easy seasonings make this frozen broccoli delicious! Adjust the seasonings to your own preferences, or leave them out if you like.
how to air fryer frozen broccolli
- Add broccoli, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Toss to evenly distribute the oil and seasoning.
- Place the broccoli in the air fryer basket in an even layer.
- Air fry at 380F/193C for 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
- Serve immediately.
Tips and tricks
- Don’t Thaw the Broccoli: If you thaw the frozen broccoli before cooking it will turn out mushy. Throw it in still frozen.
- Add Seasonings: If there are certain spices or seasonings you enjoy on broccoli, add them in! This recipe uses just salt and pepper to season the broccoli. You can also omit the seasonings if you want.
- Don’t Skip the Oil: While you can cook frozen broccoli in the air fryer without oil, it won’t be as good. A small amount of oil helps to replicate roasting and will give you delicious browned bits.
- Look for Florets: You can use this method to cook frozen broccoli pieces in the air fryer, but frozen broccoli florets are generally tastier with more of the tops of the broccoli rather than the stems.
- Watch Your Food: As always, keep an eye on your food while it’s cooking. If you choose to cook less than the whole bag of broccoli, you may need a bit less time.
how to serve this broccoli
Broccoli as a side dish goes well with just about anything! Serve this broccoli with seafood dishes like Air Fryer Scallops or Air Fryer Shrimp.
For a kid-friendly dinner, make Air Fryer Tofu cubes or Air Fryer Grilled Cheese.
Go classic with a homestyle Air Fryer Meatloaf dinner with broccoli and mashed potatoes.
If you’re a big broccoli fan, you might like this recipe for Air Fryer Bacon Broccoli Quiche.
Variations to try
You can use any seasonings you like on your frozen broccoli.
Try adding garlic powder and Italian seasoning. A sprinkle of parmesan cheese can finish off your Italian air fryer broccoli side.
Make a homemade cheese sauce to serve over the broccoli after it’s done cooking in the air fryer. Yum!
Mix it up by cooking both frozen broccoli and frozen cauliflower together. Other frozen vegetables can be mixed in too like green beans or carrots.
want extra crispy broccoli?
To get broccoli that is really extra brown and crispy, I suggest putting less of it in the basket at one time. You’ll get more heat on each bit of the florets and more browning.
FAQs
You should eat the frozen broccoli from the air fryer right away. Once cooked, it’s best eaten immediately. Leftovers can be reheated, but they won’t be quite as good.
No, you should not thaw frozen vegetables before air frying. Thawing them will make them too mushy. The heat from the air fryer will cook your broccoli directly from the freezer.
I suggest using oil to get crispy and delicious air fryer frozen broccoli.
I don’t find that it’s necessary to preheat the air fryer to cook frozen broccoli. This may vary by air fryer model. Preheating isn’t needed because the air fryer gets up to temperature much more quickly than a traditional oven.
Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Frozen Broccoli Florets
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Add broccoli, olive oil, salt and pepper to a bowl. Toss to evenly distribute the oil and seasoning.
- Place the broccoli in the air fryer basket in an even layer.
- Air fry at 380F/193C for 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Do not let the broccoli thaw before cooking. Cook it straight from frozen.
- If you do not want spices on the broccoli, you can omit them from the recipe. Just toss the broccoli with olive oil and proceed with cooking.
- You can change up the spices or add additional spices as you wish.
- Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven. If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the “Air Fry” function.
- Pro Tip: Check your food as it cooks. Each air fryer runs a bit differently. Sometimes air frying is a trial and error process. Check your food as it cooks to learn your air fryer better! When cooking a new recipe or food items be sure to check your food often to help avoid over/under cooking.
Nutrition
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
I’m so happy to have stumbled across your site! This broccoli is amazing (I sprinkled some parmesan over mine when I turned the air fryer off and let it sit in the closed basket for a minute or so). I’ll definitely be making it again – THANK YOU!!!
That is a great idea to add in the parmesan! We love that too! If you have everything bagel seasoning that works great too!