Air Fryer Broccolini

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 parmesan 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. (affiliate links present)

Ninja Foodi Broccolini Recipe

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!

Yes you could basically make Instant Pot broccoli but the texture is different. Timing doesn’t vary much except that I usually do adjust from 1 minute to 2 instead since the stems are longer. They will get really really tender which is nice but personally I love the bits of crisp on the ends.

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.

Ingredients

• A few bunches of broccolini
• Minced garlic we like for flavor
• 2 tbsp olive oil to keep moist and help seasonings to stick
• Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
• Shredded and/or grated parmesan cheese is optional of course but wonderful

Variations

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.

What is the difference between broccoli and broccolini?

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.

How to Air Fry Broccolini

• Rinse your bunches and trim the stems as much as you wish.
• Pat dry really well in a bunch of paper towels to remove the moisture on the outside so that they get crispy.
• Toss with olive oil in a bowl and then add add your seasonings of choice, at least salt and pepper you will want
• Pour in 1/4 cup of water or broth under the air fryer basket to create a steaming effect at the beginning to get them tender.
• Put in the air fryer basket. You can add additional flavors on top now like some chopped garlic.
• Air fry in a preheated machine but halfway thru the cook time you will want to flip pieces over for an even cook.

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.

from frozen

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.

I have a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for you. If you have a recipe book you can then keep it handy or just come back time and time again. I will miss you if you just go away (cry).

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.

FAQ