This quick and easy air fryer broccoli is the absolute BEST. It’s tossed with olive oil, garlic salt, and nutritional yeast. Vegan friendly!

White serving bowl full of cooked air fryer broccoli florets.

Say Goodbye to Boring Broccoli.

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?

How to Cook Broccoli in the 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.

  1. Splash some water into the bottom of the air fryer basket, then place the grate on top. The water just adds a bit of moisture to the basket to keep the broccoli from smoking and burning.
  2. Pop the broccoli pieces into a large mixing bowl. Give them a drizzle of olive oil, then sprinkle them with the garlic salt and nutritional yeast.
  3. Stir he broccoli well to coat. A little trick: I just cover the bowl with tin foil and give the bowl a good shake to get things mixed up well, then I remove the tin foil and give the broccoli one last stir with a spoon.
  4. Transfer the broccoli to the air fryer basket and shake it a bit to spread the florets out evenly. Avoid having them toppled over one another or they won’t cook evenly.
  5. Close up the air fryer and cook the broccoli at 400º F for 7 minutes.
  6. When they’re done, remove the basket and serve immediately.

Colander with broccoli florets, jar of olive oil and pinch bowl of nutritional yeast and garlic salt.

Air fryer basket with seasoned broccoli florets.

You Only Need 4 Ingredients for This.

  • Fresh broccoli florets
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic salt
  • Nutritional yeast

Why You’ll Love This Recipe.

  • It’s super quick and easy.
  • You get cheesy goodness with your broccoli but with the health benefits of nutritional yeast. If you’re lactose intolerant or count calories, you’ll especially love this for that very reason.
  • The air fryer results in the perfect tender crunch.
  • No burned bits! I love oven-roasted broccoli but you do get some burned bits every once in a while. I love that you can add moisture by putting a bit of water in the bottom of the basket to prevent this.
  • It doesn’t require babysitting, and it doesn’t tie up your oven!

Close up of air fryer broccoli in white serving bowl.

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.

Useful Equipment for This Recipe:

Recipe Tips + Tricks:

  1. Add a bit of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket (just enough to cover the bottom) to prevent burning or smoking
  2. 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:

White serving bowl full of cooked broccoli florets.

Have You Made This Recipe?

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White serving bowl full of cooked broccoli florets.

Get the Recipe:

Easy Air Fryer Broccoli

Yield: 2 people
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 7 mins
Total Time: 12 mins
This quick and easy air fryer broccoli is the absolute BEST. It's tossed with olive oil, garlic salt, and nutritional yeast. Vegan friendly!
5 from 73 votes
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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.
Calories: 165kcal
Course: Side Dish