Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli

bowl of air fryer broccoli shot front overhead

4.89 from 9 ratings

I love easy air fryer recipes, and this Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli has become my new favorite way to cook broccoli! In just a few easy steps you can have a healthy side dish on your table, thanks to the trusty air fryer.

Prep Time0

Cook Time20

Total Time20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer, broccoli, Snack

Servings: person

Calories: 22kcal

Author: Becca Ludlum

Equipment

Instant Pot 6 qt
Ninja Foodi
Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

6 oz broccoli frozen
coconut oil spray or olive oil spray
seasonings

Instructions

First, pour half of a bag (about 6 ounces) of frozen broccoli florets into a large mixing bowl. 6 oz broccoli
Then spray olive oil or avocado oil on the broccoli. When using frozen broccoli, you'll want to do this quickly because it can freeze and clump up. coconut oil spray
Next add salt and pepper, and any other toppings you prefer. Then toss and mix well in the large bowl. seasonings
Now you'll add the broccoli into your air fryer basket in a single layer.
Finally, cook the frozen broccoli in the air fryer at 400 degrees f for 20 minutes of cook time, opening to toss every few minutes.

Notes

Tips on how to make the best crispy broccoli

Nutritional yeast is one of my favorite seasonings to add to frozen vegetables because it makes for a great bread-like coating, has a buttery-nutty flavor, and adds a little protein.
To get the crispy texture, it's important that the broccoli cooks at a high temperature and in a single layer–it allows the heat to circulate better and cook more evenly. If you have a small air fryer you might not be able to make the whole batch in a single time.
If you’d rather not spray oil on the vegetables, that’s fine, but watch for them to become dry.
Remember that you might lose some seasoning at the bottom of the air fryer. Plan for that and add a little extra at the end of your cook time if you’d like.
Think outside the box! Frozen vegetables in the air fryer can be the best way to get those veggies in in a low carb way.
Sometimes I have leftover broccoli from a veggie platter, and air frying is a great way to use it up in even less time. If you're cooking fresh broccoli the temperature stays the same but the total cook time goes down to just 6 minutes.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix

Nutritional yeast is free if you’re using one serving, but 1/2 cup will count for about 1/2 red container (this is an educated guess on my part, as nutritional yeast is not on the food list).

If you’d rather not use nutritional yeast, you can use whole wheat panko and count 1 yellow container for 1/2 cup, or use 6 Triscuts, crunched up, for 1 yellow container.

Weight Watchers

Most vegetables are free on Weight Watchers, depending on the WW plan you’re on. The breading and fats are where your points will come in.

1/2 cup of Nutritional Yeast is 1 2025 Point | 1 2023 Point | 2 points on Purple, Green, or Blue plans

1 tbsp of butter is 6 2025 Points | 6 2023 Points | 5 points on Purple, Green, or Blue plans (new 2022/2023 points plan is 6)

1/2 cup of panko whole wheat breadcrumbs is 2 2025 Points | 2 2023 Points | 5 points on Purple, Green, or Blue Plans

1/4 cup of Frank’s Original Red Hot is zero points

1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar is 1 point on 2025, 2023, and colored plans

Nutrition