Easy Air Fryer Broccoli
This quick and easy air fryer broccoli is the absolute BEST. It’s tossed with olive oil, garlic salt, and nutritional yeast. Vegan friendly!
Bored with your usual sides? Let this easy air fryer broccoli shake things up!
Just here to let you know that your weeknight veggie side dish dilemmas have been forever resolved. This fab broccoli side dish is crunchy, garlicky, and cheesy! Sort of. Nutritional yeast is used in this recipe to add a healthy—and vegan friendly—cheesiness. But believe me when I say you’ll try this once and never look at broccoli the same way. Further to that awesomeness, the ingredients list is short and sweet (I’m talkin’ the 4 ingredient kind of short and sweet), and prep is done in a snap. You’ll also find that you can pair this beauty with pretty much any main. What doesn’t go well with garlic and cheese?
Here’s the gist on how to cook broccoli in an air fryer.
I’ve roasted broccoli in the oven for years and thought that was the be-all end-all method for achieving the best broccoli. Then I got myself an air fryer, and here we are. Cooking broccoli in an air fryer is pretty much foolproof. I like to add a bit of water into the bottom of the air frying basket to have some moisture in there to prevent the broccoli from burning. Then, rinse and season the broccoli florets and transfer them to the air frying basket; give it a shake to make sure the florets are spread out evenly. Close the air fryer up, then cook the broccoli at 400º F for 7 minutes. When done, carefully remove the basket and serve the broccoli immediately.
The awesomely short 4-ingredient list.
- Fresh broccoli
- Olive oil
- Garlic salt
- Nutritional yeast
Ok so wait—no cheese? What are the benefits of nutritional yeast?
If you’re wondering why I choose nutritional yeast over cheese when it comes to broccoli, it’s simple: nutritional yeast gives your broccoli a cheesy flavor with all health benefits and no fat. Seems like a good trade off to me! (And trust me, I’m a cheese fiend. So if I say this works, you can trust me.) Here are some of the health benefits of nutritional yeast:
- It contains all nine essential amino acids, which makes it a complete protein.
- It’s rich in B vitamins, and when fortified, it has an extra punch of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, niacin, thiamine, and riboflavin.
- It has trace minerals like selenium, zinc, manganese, and molybdenum, all which aid with metabolism, growth, and immunity.
Equipment you’ll need:
Recipe tips + tricks:
- Add a bit of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket (just enough to cover the bottom) to prevent burning or smoking
- For best coverage, place your broccoli florets in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the olive oil on top, then add the garlic salt and nutritional yeast. Cover the bowl with a lid or sheet of tin foil, and shake the bowl vigorously. This method coats the florets much better than simply mixing with a spoon.
More side dishes to try:
- Simple Instant Pot Rice Pilaf
- Herb and Garlic Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp with Chilies
- Hot Honey Roasted Carrots
Hope you enjoy!
If you plan on making this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag us on Insta! @killing__thyme.
Get the Recipe:
Easy Air Fryer Broccoli
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets (about two large broccoli crowns)
- 1.5 TBSP olive oil
- 2 TBSP nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp garlic salt, more to taste if needed
Instructions
- Add about a tablespoon of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket, then place the grate on top. This will add a bit of moisture and prevent the broccoli from burning or smoking.
- Place the broccoli florets into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the broccoli, then sprinkle the nutritional yeast and garlic salt on top. Secure a lid or sheet of tin foil over the bowl and give the bowl a good shake—this is the best way to ensure even coverage.
- Dump the broccoli into to the air fryer basket and give it a little shake to spread the florets out evenly.
- Close the air fryer, then cook the broccoli at 400º F for 7 minutes. When done, carefully remove the basket and serve the broccoli immediately.
6 Comments on “Easy Air Fryer Broccoli”
The best way to eat broccoli!!
This came out absolutely perfectly! Thank you!
We love roasted broccoli but I have never tried making it in the air fryer. Such an easy and delicious recipe this is. Thank you for sharing this amazing dish.
I love cooking vegetables with my air fryer! The best way to make them taste crunchy but still healthy enough to eat!
This is the best quick and easy broccoli side recipe, love it!
Yum!