Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli Parmesan

Need some crispy, roasted broccoli in a flash? This Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli Parmesan is sure to become a staple side dish that’s easy, fast, and tasty for your hungry family. We refuse to make it any other way. 

Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli Parmesan Recipe

Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’….Shall We? ?

We have always liked broccoli as a side dish, but our air fryer has taken broccoli to an entirely new level at our house: ADDICTIVE.

Because we like our broccoli more on the crispy/crunchy side, we quickly discovered how wonderful it is when roasted in the air fryer. In about 10 minutes, we can enjoy a healthy, low-carb, low-calorie batch of broccoli that is irresistible. 

As far as broccoli goes, we also enjoy Easy Deep Dish Ham and Broccoli Quiche, Korean Pulled Pork Tacos with Broccoli Slaw, and don’t forget to make this warm and creamy Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Noodle Soup.

Are you a fan of sheet pan meals with broccoli? This Saucy Asian Chicken and Broccoli Sheet Pan Meal is a one-pan dinner that’s full of bold Asian flavors that can be served over rice. If you prefer Mexican flavors, check out Mexican Sheet Pan Quesadillas – an easy way to make quesadillas for a crowd.

Two other favorite sheet pan dinners (while we are on that topic!) are Sausage Apple and Rosemary Sheet Pan Meal and Roast Pork Tenderloin and Sweet Potato Sheet Pan Meal – don’t you just love “one and done” kind of dinners? So simple and straightforward.

How to Make 4-Ingredient Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli Parmesan

1. Begin with the Broccoli.  You’ll need fresh broccoli from the produce section of the grocer. To prepare the broccoli, you’ll trim the florets off the bunch, leaving the stems. 
   
   Cut the florets into large bite-size pieces, then slice the stems into coins – you can roast these right along with the florets and they are delicious!
2. Garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan.  Place the broccoli florets and the sliced stems into a large mixing bowl, then add the garlic and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat the broccoli well. 
   
   Add the Parmesan and toss again.  I like to use two spatulas to toss my broccoli with the other ingredients – it makes it so much easier.
3. Red pepper flakes.  This ingredient is totally optional, and will give your broccoli some zing, plus a bit of color as a garnish.  I love it on my broccoli, but my family doesn’t, so I add the red pepper flakes to my broccoli individually.
   
4. The air fryer.  We have the Cuisinart TOA-60 Air Fryer/Toaster Oven and completely love the thing!  We’ve been really surprised at how much we use it and I was super skeptical in giving more counter space to yet another small appliance. 
   
   If you’re on the fence as to whether you might actually use an air fryer (or not), read this article: 7 Reasons An Air Fryer Might Need to Gain a Spot in Your Kitchen….and Why. 

Easy Recipe Tips for Making Delicious Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli Parmesan

• Is air fryer roasted broccoli healthy? YES! Air fryer broccoli is great because roasting it in the air fryer involves using much less oil than roasting broccoli (or any other vegetable, for that matter) in the oven.
  
• Can I use any type of air fryer to roast broccoli?  You sure can. There are lots of different air fryers and you can roast vegetables in any of them. We love it that the Cuisinart air fryer has a nice flat basket so we can spread the broccoli out in a single layer to roast it.
  
• Does air fryer broccoli reheat well?  You can reheat the roasted broccoli in the microwave if you wish, but I really prefer to crisp it back up using the air fryer to reheat it.  Just place it into the air fryer basket once again and air fry at 375 degrees F. for just a few minutes. Voila!
  
• What else can I cook in an air fryer? We make lots of different roasted vegetables in our air fryer – cauliflower, green beans, chick peas, edamame, brussels sprouts, and sweet potato fries….just to name a few. 
  
  We also use our air fryer a lot to reheat things that we want to be nice and crispy once again – such as pizza and chicken fingers, and we love making Buffalo Cauliflower and  Dill Pickle Chicken Wings  in the air fryer, too. If you’re looking for a sweet and crunchy treat, try these Air Fryer Churro Stix!
  
• Don’t I need to preheat the air fryer before roasting the broccoli? Nope! This is another thing that we really like about our air fryer – no preheating required at all, and the air fryer also doesn’t heat up the house like using the oven does…..particularly nice when summer rolls into Kansas full blast.

How to Make Crispy Broccoli Parmesan in the Oven

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
   
2. Trim the broccoli florets from the head of broccoli, then cut the florets into large bite-size pieces. I also like to slice the large center stem of broccoli into coins to be roasted along with the florets – delicious.
   
3. Place the broccoli florets and the sliced stems into a large mixing bowl; add the garlic and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat. Add the Parmesan (and red pepper flakes, if using) and toss well once more. 
   
   **I like to use two spatulas to toss my broccoli with the other ingredients – it makes it so much easier.
   
4. Spread the prepared broccoli out in a single layer over a large rimmed baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven on the center rack, roasting it for 10 minutes.
   
5. Give the broccoli a toss then roast the broccoli for another 5-10 minutes or until fork-tender and golden brown on the edges. Serve at once.

What’s so Great About Fresh Broccoli Anyway??

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, which means it has cancer-fighting properties. It is in the same family as arugula, cabbage, broccoli rabe, bok choy, kale, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts. Broccoli has tons of fiber and is also low in calories.

What Should I Look for When Purchasing Fresh Broccoli?

• The broccoli heads should be dense, heavy, and firm with tight florets.
• The leaves on the broccoli should be dark green.
• If the broccoli is yellowing in color in areas or has dark spots, this is and indication that past it’s maturity window and should be avoided.

More Favorite Recipes to Enjoy –

• Nice and Spicy Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs
• Cajun Sweet Corn Medley
• 2-Minute Instant Pot Sweet Corn
• Tex Mex Cauliflower Rice with Ground Beef
• Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
• Instant Pot Honey-BBQ Chicken Wings
• Cajun Sweet Corn Medley
• Artichoke Olive Cheese Bread
• Marinated Steak Bites (Air Fryer, Skillet, Oven)

Printable Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli Parmesan Recipe

Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli Parmesan

Need some crispy, roasted broccoli in a flash? This Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli Parmesan is sure to become a staple side dish that’s easy, fast, and tasty for your hungry family. We won’t make it any other way now! 

4.64 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 152kcal

Author: Chef Alli

Ingredients

• 1 head fresh broccoli cut into florets
• 2 garlic cloves crushed
• 2-3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• red pepper flakes, if desired, optional

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, place broccoli florets with crushed garlic; drizzle with olive oil, then toss to combine. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss once more.
• Grease the air fryer basket with a bit of oil, then place the prepared broccoli onto the basket tray.
• Air fry the broccoli at 375 – 400 degrees F. for 5 minutes, then turn and air fry for 5 minutes longer, or to desired doneness.

  The broccoli should be starting to brown in some areas, which will make it turn crispy as it cools. (Keep an eye on the broccoli as you roast it since all air fryers cook differently.)
• Remove from the air fryer and garnish with red pepper flakes, if desired.

Video

Notes

 

Tips for Making Delicious Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli Parmesan

• Is air fryer roasted broccoli healthy? YES! Air fryer broccoli is great because roasting it in the air fryer involves using much less oil than roasting broccoli (or any other vegetable, for that matter) in the oven.
• Can I use any type of air fryer to roast broccoli?  You sure can. There are lots of different air fryers and you can roast vegetables in any of them. We love it that the Cuisinart air fryer has a nice flat basket so we can spread the broccoli out in a single layer to roast it.
• Does air fryer broccoli reheat well?  You can reheat the roasted broccoli in the microwave if you wish, but I really prefer to crisp it back up using the air fryer to reheat it.  Just place it into the air fryer basket once again and air fry at 375 degrees F. for just a few minutes. Voila!
• What else can I cook in an air fryer? We make lots of different roasted vegetables in our air fryer – cauliflower, green beans, chick peas, edamame, brussels sprouts, and sweet potato fries….just to name a few.  
• Don’t I need to preheat the air fryer before roasting the broccoli? Nope! This is another thing that we really like about our air fryer – no preheating required at all, and the air fryer also doesn’t heat up the house like using the oven does…..particularly nice when summer rolls into Kansas full blast.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer broccoli bites, ninja air fryer broccoli, no oil air fryer broccoli

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 178mg | Potassium: 491mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1019IU | Vitamin C: 136mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?

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Let’s Get You Cookin’,
Chef Alli

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