Perfect Air Fryer Broccolini

Name: Perfect Air Fryer Broccolini
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 8 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 bunches of broccolini, stems trimmed; 3 Tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp garlic powder; Salt pepper to taste; Zest of one small lemon

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If you’re looking for the best broccolini recipe, make air fryer broccolini!

When it comes to how to cook broccolini, we used to just make a roasted broccolini recipe.

However, after cooking broccolini in an air fryer, we’ll never oven roast it again.

Air fryer broccolini has the perfect texture. It has the nice char that you achieve from roasted broccolini, but it is crisper in texture in the stalk.

Air fryer broccolini truly is the best of both worlds!

What is broccolini?

Many think that broccolini is simply baby broccoli.

While it is cute, it actually isn’t as simple as being immature broccoli.

The broccolini plant is a hybrid plant from broccoli and Chinese broccoli and a member of the brassica family, just like broccoli.

Broccolini is milder in flavor than broccoli, and the entire plant, including the leaves, is edible.

It can be eaten raw, but most prefer to cook it.

Less prep is needed to eat broccolini. There’s no thick stem to contend with, or chopping off florets.

Simply cut off the bottom inch or so, like you would with asparagus, and rinse well. Now you’re ready to add flavor and enjoy!

Broccolini vs. broccoli

Both plants are of the brassica family, meaning cabbage.

They are definitely similar in that regard, meaning that all parts are edible.

Both will work well in a stir fry, and the bonus of using broccolini is the lack of prep. You can simply cut it into 1-inch sections and toss it in.

Both veggies will benefit from a blanch to keep their green color.

Broccolini doesn’t require it though, as it is already very tender in bite.

Broccoli is often bitter, especially to children, so you might try broccolini. And while it isn’t baby broccoli, you can still call it that to make it a fun-sounding food!

Broccoli rabe vs. broccolini

While both are leafy, long, and lean, that’s where the similarities end.

Broccoli rabe, despite its name, is actually in the turnip family. This means it is very similar to other bitter greens.

While broccoli and broccolini don’t have to be blanched, broccoli rabe almost always is.

It is often found in Italian dishes where it can be sauteed and in a dish with a long cook time to cut the bitterness as well as soften it up.

How to cook broccolini in an air fryer

As with all fresh produce, wash your broccolini well.

Either do this ahead of time and lay it out on tea towels to dry, or go ahead and gently pat dry with a tea towel or paper towel.

To benefit from the air fryer, we don’t want any excess water. This would cause it to steam versus crisping up well.

If your broccolini is too long for your air fryer basket, you might want to trim a bit extra off the stem.

You can either cut it in half and have half with florets and half not, or just trim what you need to and save the small ends for another use such as a stir fry.

Depending on thickness and how your air fryer cooks, you’ll average about 7 minutes on cook time. Watch that it doesn’t burn.

Once done, zest some fresh lemon overtop. Parmesan is also a good option!

Air Fryer Broccolini Recipe:

Prep time: 1 Minute

Cook time: 7 Minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 bunches of broccolini, stems trimmed
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic powder
Salt pepper to taste
Zest of one small lemon

Directions:

Preheat your air fryer to 375 Fahrenheit.
In a shallow dish combine with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Toss the broccolini in seasoned oil then spread out on your air fryer tray or basket. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook them in two batches.
Cook the broccolini in the air fryer for 7 minutes, depending on your preferred crispness.
Use a microplane to finish with lemon zest.

NOTE: Air fryer times may vary.

Perfect Air Fryer Broccolini

Yield: Serves 2-4

Prep Time: 1 minute

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

Air fryer broccolini is our latest obsession. It's the perfect texture, full of flavor, and it's also super healthy!

Ingredients

2 bunches of broccolini, stems trimmed
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic powder
Salt pepper to taste
Zest of one small lemon

Instructions

Preheat your air fryer to 375 Fahrenheit.
In a shallow dish combine with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Toss the broccolini in seasoned oil then spread out on your air fryer tray or basket. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook them in two batches.
Cook the broccolini in the air fryer for 7 minutes, depending on your preferred crispness.
Use a microplane to finish with lemon zest.