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Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower

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This Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower is a delicious and easy recipe you can have on the table in just 15 minutes. Paired with delicious seasonings, these cauliflower and broccoli florets are tender with a little crisp, these will soon become your favorite air fryer side dish!

Bowl of air fryer broccoli and cauliflower seasoned and air fried on a white countertop with a blue and white kitchen towel.

Elevate your side dishes this week! Believe me, if you’ve only ever boiled your veggies, you are going to be amazed at how different and waaaay better they are crisped up in an Air Fryer!

Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower is an easy side dish, perfect to toss in the air fryer basket and pair with main dishes such as chicken, salmon, ham steaks or any other proteins you would like.

One of my favorite air fryer side dishes, it’s a healthy side dish that’s low-carb. Plus, the flavors will entice even picky eaters at the dinner table to try!

Love the idea of a low carb side dish? Try this air fryer zucchini and squash too!

Why You’ll Love Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower

  • Simple ingredients are used to make a healthy dish the whole family can enjoy.
  • A quick side dish that is perfect for busy weeknights.
  • Meal prep with the crispy broccoli and cauliflower for lunches or dinners for the week.
  • Air-fried veggies are a delicious way to serve up more flavorful vegetables.

These veggies make a perfect side dish for these perfectly seasoned 321 ribs that are so tender the meat falls right off the bone.

Or break out the grill and cook up the juiciest Grilled Ribeye while these veggies are air frying. 

More Air Fryer Side Dishes

The air fryer is a great way to create healthy vegetables that taste amazing! Here are a few more delicious recipes to try:

Air Fried Brussels Sprouts

Air Fryer Roasted Artichoke

Air Fryer Rosemary Potatoes

Kitchen Equipment

  • Large Bowl
  • Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Wooden Spoon or Spatula

Ingredients

All you need are a few simple ingredients to make the best air fryer broccoli and cauliflower recipe:

BROCCOLI: You will use a head of broccoli that you will cut into smaller pieces. Make sure to wash and prep the whole head of broccoli.

CAULIFLOWER: Cauliflower florets are going to compliment the broccoli. Wash and prep the cauliflower making sure to wash away any debris or dirt.

OIL: You only need a small amount of oil. I used extra virgin olive oil as it is going to help the veggies get a nice golden char on the veggies.

SEASONINGS: I used salt, black pepper, basil, and Italian seasoning for this recipe. It is going to help give tons of flavor to the vegetables.

GARLIC: You will use fresh garlic cloves to add to the recipe. Now, you can use jarred minced garlic.

PARMESAN CHEESE: Grate some fresh Parmesan cheese for a nice tangy twist to the side dish. If you want this to be a vegan recipe, you can omit or use a vegan Parmesan cheese.

Recipe ingredients displayed on counter top with text overlay labeling each ingredient.

 

How to Make Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower

Prep:

STEP 1: Thoroughly wash your broccoli and cauliflower.

STEP 2: Cut the head of a cauliflower in half from top to bottom straight down the center stalk. Cut away the bottom of stalk of the cauliflower. Take your clumps of cauliflower florets and begin to separate them into smaller pieces clumped together. Discard the stalk and any leaves. Set in large mixing bowl.

Cauliflower cut in half with half of it cut into cauliflower florets sitting on a wooden cutting board with a knife.

 

STEP 3: To prepare the broccoli, begin cutting away the branches of broccoli from the stalk. Cut the smaller clumps into pieces. Set the pieces of broccoli in the bowl with the cauliflower.

Cutting off stem of a broccoli floret with a knife while other already cut florets are also sitting on a wooden cutting board.

 

STEP 4: Remove the basil leaves from the stems. Stack them together and chop.

Basil leaves and chopped basil on a wooden cutting board with a knife.

 

STEP 5: Remove the skin from the garlic cloves. Then slice into thin slivers.

Fresh garlic cut into slivers on a cutting board.

 

Instructions

STEP 1: In a large bowl add cauliflower, broccoli, sliced garlic, and half of the chopped basil.

STEP 2: Drizzle with olive oil and add salt, black pepper, basil, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning

Stainless steel bowl with cut broccoli florets and cauliflower florets with oil, seasoning and Parmesan cheese poured on top.

 

STEP 3: Toss to make sure all the veggies are well coated.

STEP 4: Place the vegetables in the a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry for a cook time of 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

After 7-8 minutes, open the air fryer basket and give it a good shake or stir with wooden spoon.

Air fryer basket with broccoli and cauliflower inside.

 

STEP 5: Check for donness. Once the veggies are fork tender, they are ready to be served.

Air fryer basket with cooked broccoli and cauliflower inside.

 

Recipe Variations

There are so many ways you can add variations to this air fryer broccoli and cauliflower recipe. Here’s a few to try:

  • Use different spices to alter the flavor. Lemon pepper, red pepper flakes, Cajun spices, onion powder, etc.
  • Whip up a cheese sauce and then drizzle over the top of the veggies once you’ve placed the on each plate.
  • Add some fresh lemon juice to the veggies once you are done air frying to brighten the flavors.
  • Add in other vegetables to the mixture like zucchini, carrots, etc.

Recipe Tips

  • When cutting the broccoli and cauliflower, try to keep the pieces the same size so they cook evenly.
  • If you are working in batches, once all your veggies are cooked, place the whole batch in the air fryer and rewarm them for 2-3 minutes before serving.
  • Shake the basket halfway through the cook time to make sure the hot air circulates around all sides of the veggies.
  • I like to make my cleanup as easy as possible! So I add a piece of air fryer parchment paper to the bottom. Not necessary, but it works great!

Can I Layer the Vegetables in the Air Fryer?

For the best results make sure to put the vegetables in a single layer. If you stack your broccoli and cauliflower you will need to make sure to stir often as it cooks. Or you will have spots that undercook.

The hot air needs to circulate around the food when air frying, as that is what creates the proper texture.

 

Make it a Meal

Broccoli and cauliflower are the perfect side dish. Here are main dishes to serve them with:

Get more veggies in your meal and add this side dish to this creamy delicious Slow Cooker Chicken Mushroom Soup.

Serve it up with these perfectly seasoned Boneless Chicken Thighs.

Or turn an appetizer into a meal with these Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders.

Have you ever thought about cauliflower as a main dish? These perfectly seasoned and flavorful Cauliflower Steaks are tasty and filling.

Storing Leftover Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower

You can store your leftover roasted vegetables in an airtight container in the fridge. You can heat up leftovers in the microwave or in the air fryer or oven. But, if you want them to really crisp up again, definitely reheat them in the air fryer!

If you are looking for more healthy sides to try out to pair with your main recipes, try out this air fryer cauliflower and broccoli recipe. This is a delicious side dish and I hope if you try it out, you will enjoy the end results.

Yield: 4

Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower

Bowl of air fryer broccoli and cauliflower seasoned and air fried on a white countertop with a blue and white kitchen towel.

This Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower is a delicious and easy recipe you can have on the table in just 15 minutes. Paired with delicious seasonings, these cauliflower and broccoli florets are tender with a little crisp, these will soon become your favorite air fryer side dish!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 large head of Cauliflower
  • 1 large head of Broccoli
  • 1 branch of Fresh Basil
  • 4-5 cloves of Garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Thoroughly wash your broccoli and cauliflower.
  2. Cut the head of a cauliflower in half from top to bottom straight down the center stalk. Cut away the bottom of stalk of the cauliflower. Take your clumps of cauliflower florets and begin to separate them into smaller pieces clumped together. Discard the stalk and any leaves. Set in large mixing bowl.
  3. To prepare the broccoli, begin cutting away the branches of broccoli from the stalk. Cut the smaller clumps into pieces. Set the pieces of broccoli in the bowl with the cauliflower.
  4. Remove basil leaves from the stems, stack them together and chop.
  5. Remove the skin from the garlic cloves and slice into thin slivers.

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl add cauliflower, broccoli, sliced garlic, and half of the chopped basil.
  2. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt, black pepper, basil, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning
  3. Toss to make sure all the veggies are well coated.
  4. Place the vegetables in the a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry for a cook time of 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. At 7-8 minutes , open the air fryer basket and give it a good shake or stir with wooden spoon.
  5. Check for donness. Once the broccoli and cauliflower are fork tender, they are ready to be served.

Notes

See recipe post for variations and tips.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 169Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 445mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 8gSugar: 5gProtein: 8g

Nutritional values are estimates and not exact.

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