Need a last-minute veggie side for dinner? Our quick and easy Air Fried Garlic Broccoli is the answer. You only need 6 minutes + prep time for addictively crispy and crunchy broccoli florets.
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Ingredient Notes
A few important notes on some of the ingredients used in this Air Fryer Garlic Broccoli recipe:
Broccoli: This recipe works best with fresh broccoli, which will crisp up nicely and won’t get too soggy. Cut your broccoli into bite-sized florets. For more ways to use your broccoli, check out our Haddock En Papillote or Lap Cheong Fried Rice recipe.
Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil if you can swing it! Otherwise, any cooking oil will do in a pinch.
Seasonings: We’re keeping it pretty simple with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. We also like to add a tiny dash of MSG—just a little bit makes this broccoli incredibly delicious. Kevin isn't the biggest fan of broccoli, but even he will clean his plate when it's made this way.
See recipe card for quantities.
Directions
Step 1. Add olive oil and spices to a mixing bowl. Swirl it around to mix together the seasonings.
Step 2. Add the broccoli florets to the bowl, and toss until thoroughly coated in oil.
Step 3. Air fry the garlic broccoli at 400 °F for 6 minutes, shaking halfway through.
Tip: Mixing spices with the olive oil first ensures that it gets distributed evenly through the broccoli florets.
Equipment
An air fryer that is at least 6 quarts or more works best—otherwise you will have to scale down the recipe or air fry the broccoli in batches. (They should not be overlapping when cooking.)
I've tested this recipe using the Ninja Foodi and Gourmia air fryers.
Storage Tips
Fridge: Store leftover air fried broccoli in an airtight container for up five days.
Freezer: Garlic broccoli can be frozen for up to three months.
Reheat: Throw it back into your air fryer at 300 °F for a few minutes. (If your air fryer has the Reheat setting, you can use that.)
Other Air Fryer Side Dishes
Looking for more sides you can make in the air fryer? Try these:
What to Serve with Air Fryer Broccoli
These are my favorite main dishes to serve with garlic broccoli:
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating or comment below to give me feedback and help out other readers.
Recipe Card
Air Fryer Garlic Broccoli
Equipment
- Air fryer we recommend 6 quarts or larger, such as the Ninja Foodi or Gourmia Air Fryer; see Note 1
Ingredients
- 8 ounces broccoli florets bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or any cooking oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon MSG *optional
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400 °F.
- Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon fine salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ⅛ teaspoon MSG to a mixing bowl and swirl to mix. Mixing the spices with the olive oil first ensures that the broccoli gets seasoned evenly.
- Add 8 ounces broccoli florets and toss until thoroughly coated in oil.
- Air fry garlic broccoli at 400 °F for 6 minutes, shaking halfway through.
Notes
- Exact air frying time will depend on how spaced out the florets are. You can tell from my process photo above that in my air fryer (Gourmia 6 quart), the broccoli florets are nestled close together but not on top of each other. If you have a larger air fryer, your broccoli will be more spaced out and they will cook much faster—even less than 6 minutes. If your air fryer is smaller, air fry the broccoli in batches so they don’t overlap each other. Otherwise your broccoli will end up steaming before they crisp up.
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