Air Fryer Broccoli
Boiled broccoli has exactly one flavour: watery. In hot air the florets dry at the edges and caramelise, and a nutty sweetness appears that water never brings out. The one thing not to skimp on is oil — dry florets will not brown, they shrivel. And cut them the same size, or the small ones burn before the large ones are done.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 110 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Half a teaspoon of salt replaces the soy sauce. It is not there for an Asian note but for the glutamate that lifts the broccoli itself.
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Break into florets
Break the broccoli into 3–4 cm florets of roughly equal size. Keep the stalk: peel off the tough skin and slice it into rounds, it air-fries just as well.
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Step 2: Dry it
If you washed it, dry it thoroughly. Wet florets steam instead of browning and come out soft and pale.
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Step 3: Toss with oil
Tip into a bowl, add the oil, soy sauce and garlic powder and toss by hand. By hand specifically: that is how the oil coats every floret instead of pooling at the bottom.
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Step 4: Space them out
Heat the air fryer to 175 °C. Lay the broccoli in one layer with gaps between the florets — the air has to get around each one.
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Step 5: Cook 10 minutes
Cook 8–10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway. It is done when bright green with dark charred edges — those edges carry the whole flavour.
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Step 6: Serve hot
Scatter chilli flakes and sesame seeds and serve at once. Five minutes on and the crisp edges soften in their own steam.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Three spoons of oil for half a kilo is not too much. With one, broccoli dries out and goes tough rather than crisp; you notice immediately.
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Swap
Half a teaspoon of salt replaces the soy sauce. It is not there for an Asian note but for the glutamate that lifts the broccoli itself.
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Variation
Cauliflower goes the same way but needs 3 minutes more — it is denser and gives up its water more slowly.
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Storage
Cold air-fried broccoli is good in a salad next day. Reheating is not worth it; it just goes soft.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 110 kcal | 440 kcal |
| Protein | 4 g | 16 g |
| Fat | 8 g | 32 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 g | 28 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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