Air Fryer Broccoli with Garlic & Parmesan

Our family can’t stop eating this easy recipe for Air Fryer Broccoli Parmesan with garlic and a fabulous roasted flavor.

Parmesan cheese pairs perfectly with broccoli and hints of garlic to make the BEST flavor combination for an easy vegetable side dish in the air fryer.

Our Air Fryer Broccoli tastes great with our Pulled Pork Quesadillas, Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders, or Chicken & Bacon Carbonara.

Air Fryer Broccoli Parmesan Recipe

This air fryer broccoli with a spritz of olive or coconut oil, hints of salt, pepper and minced garlic is amazing on its own. Using a grater to make fine slivers of fresh parmesan fall on every little tree of broccoli is absolutely delightful! A similar version of this recipe works wonderfully on Air Fryer Roasted Cauliflower too!

Broccoli pairs well with cheese. When fresh parmesan is available that’s my favorite. Cheddar, feta and mozzarella also work well to add a little flavor. We really enjoy a similar combination of flavors on our Honey Garlic Roasted Potatoes.

This air fryer broccoli Parmesan recipe makes it easier to eat more green vegetables. I’ll admit I’m not a vegetable lover, but between this recipe, our cold Broccoli, Cauliflower Salad and Parmesan Roasted Zucchini I’ve got more options for enjoying fresh vegetables every day.

Roasted Parmesan Broccoli in the Air Fryer

My preference is to cut the broccoli into small bite-size pieces before cooking. Smaller pieces are easier for all of us to eat, especially the toddler. Using a large knife to cut raw broccoli on a cutting board is faster for me than using a table knife to cut cooked broccoli at the table.

Our large Cuisinart Air Fryer & Toaster Oven can cook about 6 cups of broccoli into smaller pieces in 5 minutes at 350 degrees F. Or about 8 cuts of larger pieces of broccoli in 7 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Typically I add bacon and cheese to my vegetables like Crock Pot Loaded Cauliflower Casserole, Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower and Easy Low-Carb Loaded Cauliflower Casserole so I can eat more fiber. This air fryer broccoli tastes good with just a spritz of oil. It is even better with some light seasoning and cheese.

How To Make Frozen Broccoli in the Air Fryer

We do not have a preference in taste for fresh or frozen broccoli in the air fryer. Both work well for a great-tasting side dish that goes with many meals. Sometimes keeping frozen broccoli on hand is much more convenient than fresh broccoli.

Spread out one layer of broccoli evenly across the air fryer tray and cook on 350 degrees F for 3 – 4 minutes to warm it up. Then add a few spritzes of olive oil and additional seasonings.

Spread the broccoli out in an even layer and return to air frying for another 6 – 7 minutes at 350 degrees F for a total cook time of 10 minutes.

We’ve found that frozen broccoli doesn’t turn brown or start to burn on the edges as much as fresh broccoli. This is probably because it is frozen right away after being harvested and doesn’t have time to lose moisture or dry out in the produce section at the store or in our refrigerator.

We also like using frozen broccoli in Cheesy Broccoli Casserole, Sausage Link, Broccoli & Rice Casserole, and our Loaded Broccoli Noodle Soup.

Tips and Tricks

• Try to start with uniformly sized pieces of broccoli so they will cook evenly
• I like to get bags of pre-cut and pre-washed broccoli from Sam’s Club as I find it’s typically very fresh and it saves us time and work
• At the grocery store choose fresh broccoli that is still firm and bright green, once broccoli starts to turn yellow it loses moisture and will brown or burn more quickly in the air fryer
• Chose frozen broccoli florets as opposed to bag that include pieces and stems for best results
• We’ve used olive oil, coconut oil and avacado oil and haven’t noticed a difference in taste
• Leftover broccoli tastes great reheated in the air fryer for up to 3 – 5 days
• We use a Cuisinart Air Fryer & Toaster Oven that has a large capacity to make enough broccoli for our family of 4
• Fresh parmesan can be substituted with a sprinkling of grated parmesan
• Many air fryer recipes recommend cooking at 400 degrees F, but we have more success at 350 degrees F.
• Keep a close eye on the broccoli as it cooks so the edges don’t become too dark or burnt – note that cooking times may vary
• Cook a bit longer than recommended times for crunchy broccoli
• My husband determines the broccoli are done by the aroma – when the smell of cooked broccoli permeates from our Air Fryer Toaster Oven

How to Make Roasted Air Fryer Broccoli

1. Place air fryer tray on top of solid tray and pile broccoli in the center of the air fryer tray.
2. Spritz with oil, roll the broccoli over and spritz the other side with oil.
3. Sprinkle garlic, salt and freshly ground pepper evenly over broccoli. I like to toss the mixture together to coat all sides.
4. Spread the seasoned broccoli out in an even layer across the tray.
5. Set air fryer toaster oven to air fry at 350°F.
6. Cook small pieces for 5 minutes and medium sized pieces for 7 minutes. Frozen broccoli needs roasted for 10 minutes and the seasonings should be added mid way through roasting after the broccoli has begun to warm up.
7. Move warm broccoli back in a pile, shave fresh parmesan over the top and enjoy!

Other Easy Air Fryer Recipes:

• Air Fryer Pizza Sliders
• Bacon & Cheese Loaded French Fries
• Air Fryer Roasted Mushrooms
• Candied Bacon made in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Asian Asparagus

Printable Air Fryer Broccoli Parmesan with Garlic Recipe

Originally published March 15, 2020 with updates made on June 10, 2022.