This is how to cook parmesan air fryer broccolini in Ninja Foodi, Cosori or any other brand is here! Tender florets with a bit of crisp on the edges and shredded cheese on top. Add garlic like our broccoli in air fryer to make this healthy side dish.
Ready to cook broccolini today? I know, this is one of my favorite green vegetables too!! Pairs perfectly with any main dish for dinner, and so good I could eat it on it’s own in between meals. A bit different than broccoli, if this is new to you you’re in for an easy air fryer recipe treat.
Ninja Air Fryer Broccolini
There are a lot of different brands of machines out there. If you have the multi cooker called a Ninja Foodi you’re going to use the air crisp button and the lid that is attached to make this.
AirWave or making this as a Cosori air fryer recipe would just use air fry. Obviously. If you didn’t think you could get something like this tender, we will show you the trick.
There is a trick to it all too y’all. 😉 You need a tad bit of water in your basket first. That is right, you know the area in between the basket and the drawer under it? You will pour a bit of liquid in there to steam. You use the same method to cook broccoli this way too!
You can follow the same instructions on how to boil broccoli in a pot of hot water but that is my last choice since boiling will suck a lot of nutrients out in the process. Good old fashioned method though that works well if all you have is a stove when traveling.
As opposed to steamed broccoli in the oven, this will get a bit more crispy but takes much longer and will heat up your whole house. Needless to say I like this one best after exploring all of the others.
How Long to Cook Broccolini in Air Fryer
You are going to need about 7 minutes to cook these perfectly. With this being said it will vary depending on how large the pieces are, thickness, and how much they are overlapping. Flipping over is highly recommended for the ideal texture.
Optional: Sprinkle parmesan crumbs and parmesan flakes over the top of your air fryer broccolini recipe if desired and bake for an additional 2 minutes or until they are as tender as you’d like.
Frozen Broccolini in Air Fryer
If you can only find this in the freezer section you can still totally cook it well. You can follow our Instant Pot frozen broccoli or air fryer frozen broccoli instructions. You’ll want to add 1-2 more minutes typically since the pieces are left more whole and larger.
Honestly when you are cooking air fryer frozen vegetables you really can’t tell the difference when done. That is right because the moisture when they defrost drains away since there are holes at the bottom of the basket so they don’t get soggy. The hot circulating air fryer cooks and stiffens up the outside so they aren’t so weird and ehhhhh.
Ingredient Notes
You can cook a few bunches of broccolini cut into smaller pieces with the ends removed at a time depending on how large your air fryer basket is of course.
A bunch of finely minced garlic we like for flavor, on like everything so this is no exception, and great for your heart too.
You will want to drizzle and toss with 2 tbsp olive oil to keep moist and help seasonings to stick
Adding Parmesan
To season add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste + shredded and/or grated parmesan cheese is optional of course but a wonderful add in. You will want to sprinkle this on the last few minutes so it melts.
If you don’t care about the cheese at the end and just want super simple with olive oil salt and black pepper then you can skip the last step and just continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Even with my dairy free husband I still add it as hard cheeses are lower in lactose and doesn’t seem to bother his tummy.
Cooking Tips
There are two things to remember. To make the outside a bit crispy you need to remove as much moisture on the outside as possible. Before you preheat you will want to add some liquid to the bottom of the basket. This will create a hot steam which helps tenderize the stems and florets better.
FAQ
Well like many other dark green vegetables it is a great source of fiber for sure. It is known for being an anti inflammatory food with antioxidants and vitamins of course. It’s kinda’ like baby broccoli with longer stems that aren’t as thick and firm.
Did you know this is actually most similar to air fryer cabbage, same family of produce??!! I guess that is why I love it so much as an adult because I have a new love for all things green. Broccoli florets actually have a much thicker and woodier stem that isn’t super appetizing. Alternatively these ends are more appetizing.
It is very similar to broccoli, but with longer stems. “Doneness” is subjective depending on whom you ask. Some prefer it to be much softer while others would rather it be tender but still a bit al dente. You should test with a fork. When it slides in and out easily it should be served immediately for best results.
As with most vegetables you will likely want a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Beyond that you can season with things like garlic powder, cayenne pepper to make spicy or I recommend a sprinkle of Old Bay and garlic salt.
Air Fryer Broccolini Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb broccolini
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp parmesan, optional
Instructions
- Rinse the bunches of broccolini and trim the stems from the bottom a bit. Wrap in paper towels to remove the moisture on the outside. Put in a bowl, toss with olive oil and then add salt, pepper and whatever other seasonings you love.
- Pour 1/4 c water under the air fryer basket. Put the tenders in the air fryer basket. Sprinkle chopped garlic on top. Bake in a preheated air fryer at 400 degrees F for 5 minutes. Then flip all pcs over.
- Sprinkle parmesan crumbs and parmesan flakes over the top if desired and bake for an additional 2 minutes or until they are as tender as you'd like.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to Serve with
I mean there isn’t anything that doesn’t go well with this easy side dish for a meal, seriously. If you have a Ninja Foodi Dual Zone with two drawers you could cook this in one and frozen fish in air fryer or air fryer squash and zucchini in the other.
