Easy Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli

Seasoned broccoli made in the air fryer—a simple way to make this classic side dish from frozen to crispy and delicious.

At Northern Yum, we’re all about simplicity and convenience when it comes to dinner prep, especially on busy weeknights. If you can relate and you are looking for a simple side dish, it’s hard to beat roasting frozen vegetables in the air fryer!

We particularly love air frying frozen broccoli—it’s so tasty and couldn’t be easier to make. Just a few minutes of prep time and air frying frozen broccoli results in a perfectly roasted veggie side. Plus, it’s healthy, so you can feel good about serving it up any time.

Give this easy air fryer recipe a try for a simple and delicious side dish—you might just find it’s your new favorite way to cook broccoli!

How to Cook Frozen Broccoli in the Air Fryer

Follow these simple steps for a tasty side dish with very little prep.

Step 1 | add frozen broccoli to a bowl

Add 16 ounces of frozen broccoli to a large bowl. Do not defrost the broccoli—be sure to cook it from frozen—otherwise, it may get mushy.

Step 2 | drizzle with oil

Drizzle the frozen broccoli with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil. Add more or less if you’d like—I usually eyeball it! Alternatively, you can use an oil spray or an oil mister.

Step 3 | season to taste

Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt (feel free to add more or less to taste).

If you don’t have Lawry’s, you can use any other brand of seasoned salt or any other seasonings you like (See below for a list of variations to try!). Good old salt and black pepper work great too.

Step 4 | toss to coat

Toss to coat the broccoli in the oil and seasonings. Feel free to add more olive oil if you’d like.

Step 5 | add broccoli to air fryer basket

Place the seasoned frozen broccoli in the air fryer basket or tray.

Step 6 | air fry for 8 minutes or until done to liking

Set the air fryer temperate to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for about 8 minutes. At this point, the broccoli should be firm but cooked through (note that larger broccoli florets may require more cook time).

If you prefer your broccoli with an al dente texture, you’ll want to stop here and serve.

If you want crispy broccoli with more of a roasted flavor (and all of the tasty browned bits!), first stir or toss and then continue to air fry in 3-5 minute increments until it is cooked to your desired level of doneness. Be sure to stir or toss in between.

The overall cook time will depend on your air fryer model, the size of the broccoli florets you use, and how you like your broccoli cooked.

The images above are examples of varying levels of crispiness when roasting broccoli in the air fryer. Here are the approximate cook times for each (keep in mind the exact times may differ for larger broccoli florets and your particular air fryer model):

#1 – Broccoli cooked for 8 minutes total

#2 – Broccoli cooked for an initial 8 minutes, tossed + cooked for 5 additional minutes = 13 total minutes of cooking time

#3 – Broccoli cooked for an initial 8 minutes, tossed + cooked 5 additional minutes, tossed again + cooked 5 more minutes = 18 total minutes of cooking time (this is my favorite—the extra-browned bits have amazing flavor!)

Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli: Tips & Tricks

• Do not thaw the frozen broccoli before you cook it. Doing so may result in a mushy texture.
• Make sure to use frozen broccoli florets, not cuts. You can also use frozen broccoli spears.
• We recommend that you always use some sort of oil when roasting frozen vegetables in the air fryer. You won’t get a roasted flavor without the oil. If you want to minimize calories, oil spray is a great alternative.
• For fewer dishes, use a zip lock bag to coat the broccoli with oil and seasoning before adding it to the air fryer basket.
• To make clean-up easier, you can line the air fryer basket with parchment paper or aluminum foil (read more about using foil in an air fryer).
• Air-fried frozen broccoli is best when eaten immediately after cooking, but you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days after—just be sure to use an airtight container.
• You can air fry more or less broccoli than the 16 ounces in our recipe, but you will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• All air fryers are different, so cook time may vary depending on the model you have.

Other Ways to Season Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli

We love using seasoning salt to give flavor to air fryer broccoli, but there are endless ways to customize the seasonings to your taste. Here are some variations:

• Classic salt and black pepper
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder
• Sprinkle with some red pepper flakes to add a bit of heat
• Lemon pepper seasoning
• Italian seasoning
• Everything but the bagel seasoning
• Other seasoning mixes like Johnny’s, Old Bay Seasoning
• Lemon zest, garlic, and fresh herbs
• Add some parmesan cheese after it’s cooked
• Squeeze a bit of lemon juice for a fresh citrus taste and serve with lemon wedges
• Make it Asian-style: replace the olive oil with sesame oil and toss with minced garlic, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes
• Drizzle with cheese sauce before serving

What to Serve With Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli

Air-fried broccoli is a versatile side dish that can be served with a variety of entrees. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Grilled chicken or fish
• Homemade air fried chicken nuggets
• Bacon-wrapped shrimp skewers
• Gorgonzola steak
• Grilled flank steak
• Add to a pasta dish for added color + flavor
• Brown rice or rice pilaf

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Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for an easy, healthy side dish to make in your air fryer, look no further than this air-fried frozen broccoli recipe. It cooks up quickly and is a great way to add some veggies to your meal!

Other Air Fryer Recipes + Tips

• Air fryer corn on the cob
• Can I use tin foil in the air fryer?

More Cooking Tips

• The best substitutes for shallots
• How much minced garlic should I use per garlic clove?

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Easy Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli Recipe