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This quick and easy air fryer broccoli is the absolute BEST. It’s tossed with olive oil, garlic salt, and nutritional yeast. Vegan friendly!
Say Goodbye to Boring Broccoli.
Just here to let you know that your weeknight veggie side dish dilemmas have been forever resolved. This fab broccoli side dish is crunchy, garlicky, and cheesy! Sort of. Nutritional yeast is used in this recipe to add a healthy—and vegan friendly—cheesiness. But believe me when I say you’ll try this once and never look at broccoli the same way. Further to that awesomeness, the ingredients list is short and sweet (I’m talkin’ the 4 ingredient kind of short and sweet), and prep is done in a snap. You’ll also find that you can pair this beauty with pretty much any main. What doesn’t go well with garlic and cheese?
How to Cook Broccoli in the Air Fryer.
I’ve roasted broccoli in the oven for years and thought that was the be-all end-all method for achieving the best broccoli. Then I got myself an air fryer, and here we are. Cooking broccoli in an air fryer is pretty much foolproof.
- Splash some water into the bottom of the air fryer basket, then place the grate on top. The water just adds a bit of moisture to the basket to keep the broccoli from smoking and burning.
- Pop the broccoli pieces into a large mixing bowl. Give them a drizzle of olive oil, then sprinkle them with the garlic salt and nutritional yeast.
- Stir he broccoli well to coat. A little trick: I just cover the bowl with tin foil and give the bowl a good shake to get things mixed up well, then I remove the tin foil and give the broccoli one last stir with a spoon.
- Transfer the broccoli to the air fryer basket and shake it a bit to spread the florets out evenly. Avoid having them toppled over one another or they won’t cook evenly.
- Close up the air fryer and cook the broccoli at 400º F for 7 minutes.
- When they’re done, remove the basket and serve immediately.
You Only Need 4 Ingredients for This.
- Fresh broccoli florets
- Olive oil
- Garlic salt
- Nutritional yeast
Why You’ll Love This Recipe.
- It’s super quick and easy.
- You get cheesy goodness with your broccoli but with the health benefits of nutritional yeast. If you’re lactose intolerant or count calories, you’ll especially love this for that very reason.
- The air fryer results in the perfect tender crunch.
- No burned bits! I love oven-roasted broccoli but you do get some burned bits every once in a while. I love that you can add moisture by putting a bit of water in the bottom of the basket to prevent this.
- It doesn’t require babysitting, and it doesn’t tie up your oven!
What Are the Benefits of Nutritional Yeast?
If you’re wondering why I choose nutritional yeast over cheese when it comes to broccoli, it’s simple: nutritional yeast gives your broccoli a cheesy flavor with all health benefits and no fat. Seems like a good trade off to me! (And trust me, I’m a cheese fiend. So if I say this works, you can trust me.) Here are some of the health benefits of nutritional yeast:
- It contains all nine essential amino acids, which makes it a complete protein.
- It’s rich in B vitamins, and when fortified, it has an extra punch of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, niacin, thiamine, and riboflavin.
- It has trace minerals like selenium, zinc, manganese, and molybdenum, all which aid with metabolism, growth, and immunity.
Useful Equipment for This Recipe:
Recipe Tips + Tricks:
- Add a bit of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket (just enough to cover the bottom) to prevent burning or smoking
- For best coverage, place your broccoli florets in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the olive oil on top, then add the garlic salt and nutritional yeast. Cover the bowl with a lid or sheet of tin foil, and shake the bowl vigorously. This method coats the florets much better than simply mixing with a spoon.
More Side Dishes to Try:
- Simple Instant Pot Rice Pilaf
- Herb and Garlic Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp with Chilies
- Hot Honey Roasted Carrots
Have You Made This Recipe?
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Easy Air Fryer Broccoli
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets (about two large broccoli crowns)
- 1.5 TBSP olive oil
- 2 TBSP nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp garlic salt, more to taste if needed
Instructions
- Add about a tablespoon of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket, then place the grate on top. This will add a bit of moisture and prevent the broccoli from burning or smoking.
- Place the broccoli florets into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the broccoli, then sprinkle the nutritional yeast and garlic salt on top. Secure a lid or sheet of tin foil over the bowl and give the bowl a good shake—this is the best way to ensure even coverage.
- Dump the broccoli into to the air fryer basket and give it a little shake to spread the florets out evenly.
- Close the air fryer, then cook the broccoli at 400º F for 7 minutes. When done, carefully remove the basket and serve the broccoli immediately.
I made this with broccoli raab and it came out great! It was crispy and soft. Yum! Thanks for the recipe!
My youngest who is veggie averse LOVES this! The nutritional yeast gives a nice cheesy flavor with extra healthy points :)
Yes! Love to hear this. If only my veggie-averse 5 year old was willing to give it a shot, haha. The nutritional yeast does wonders! So glad to hear this Miche! Also, my mom’s name is Miche. Not a common name! Cool to see :)
I love making broccoli as a side dish and this recipe makes it so much easier! Thank you so much!
You’re so welcome!
The best way to cook broccoli! I love the little bit of crispiness is gets and the savory flavor from the nutritional yeast
Such a yummy recipe! The broccoli cooks up perfectly in the air fryer, and that sprinkle of nutritional yeast adds so much great flavor. Another winner from Killing Thyme!
I love using nutritional yeast as a substitution for cheese, but I never thought of using it for broccoli. The air fryer just crisps up the broccoli so well and it is done a fraction of the time.