Air fryer frozen broccoli is one of my go to side dishes. Super convenient and cheap. It is easy to make and to top it all off, it tastes great!
Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli
Air frying frozen broccoli is super easy and super convenient to make. It works great as a side dish or as a healthy snack option.
Frozen broccoli is great to cook with. You can buy packets of frozen broccoli, where the broccoli is already cut up. This saves on having to spend any time or effort cutting it up which I absolutely love. I can have it sitting in the freezer, good to go, waiting until I need it.
Frozen vegetables are usually frozen at peak freshness and are affordable all year round. Buying packets of frozen broccoli also avoids the stalk, which is edible, but not everyone enjoys it.
Air frying the broccoli is a great way to cook it. It cooks quickly and the air fryer preheats quicker than most ovens.
The air fried broccoli goes great as a side dish with most proteins. I recommend serving the broccoli hot, either on its own or with a dip of your choice.
What seasoning to use with Broccoli
Seasoning is entirely based on preference, but what I always end up coming back to use paprika (smoked or sweet) and a little bit of salt and black pepper.
To season the broccoli add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil (or any oil you prefer) together with the frozen broccoli in a bowl. This will help the seasoning stick to the broccoli and also help crisp up the broccoli. Add your seasoning of choice and mix it all together until the broccoli is well coated in the seasoning.
What temperature to cook frozen broccoli in the Air Fryer
To cook frozen broccoli, set the air fryer to 350°F/180°C. It is best to preheat the air fryer before cooking. This ensures a consistent temperature throughout the whole cooking process.
350°F/180°C is a good temperature to cook the broccoli as it gives the broccoli enough time to cook through from frozen without burning the outside, yet is still hot enough to allow for the broccoli to crisp up.
How long to cook frozen broccoli in the air fryer
The total time needed to cook frozen broccoli in the air fryer is 15-20 minutes. This includes turning the broccoli at 10 minutes to allow for even cooking.
Every air fryer is slightly different so times may differ slightly. It will also take longer if you add too much broccoli into the air fryer at once. So don’t overcrowd the air fryer, place the broccoli in a single layer. If there is too much then you consider cooking in multiple batches.
Extra large pieces of broccoli may need extra time to cook all the way through. On the opposite side, really small pieces of broccoli may not need nearly as much time and may begin to burn.
As you can see in the picture below, the smaller pieces of broccoli are quite browned and the larger pieces are only slightly browned.
Storing cooked broccoli
Keep Cooked broccoli in an airtight container in the fridge. Stored properly it can last 3 to 5 days.
For more great air fryer snacks, check out:
Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli
Equipment
- Air Fryer (affiliate link)
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb / 225 g frozen broccoli
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F/180°C
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, until the broccoli is evenly coated in the oil and spices.
- Line the broccoli in a single layer in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes
- Flip the broccoli and then cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until it has reached your desired level of browning. (Note 1)
Notes
- Larger pieces of frozen broccoli will take longer to cook than smaller pieces. If you have a mixture of sizes then you may need to take out some of the smaller pieces before the large pieces finish cooking, in order to prevent burning them.
