This crispy Air Fryer Broccolini makes use of other antioxidant-rich foods to create an anti-inflammatory powerhouse you'll actually enjoy eating! In just 10 minutes you'll have a plate piled high with roasted tenderstem broccoli, charred with garlic and lemon juice, perfect for pairing with almost anything.
If you love this easy recipe, check out my air fryer broccoli & cauliflower or the spiced frozen cauliflower.
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About this recipe
Easy Broccolini Recipe: This recipe for long-stem broccoli makes use of a couple simple spices and a squeeze of lemon juice to create a delicious side in just 10 minutes. Also known as baby broccoli or broccolette, broccolini is not just immature broccoli, and actually has a much milder flavor compared to broccoli, making it even more kid-friendly.
Low Histamine Veggies: This time of year, cauliflower and broccolini are some of the only low histamine vegetables I can find in the organic section of my local supermarket. Thankfully, long-stemmed broccoli is a delicious appetizer, and this air fryer version is always a hit.
Cancer-Fighting Properties: Not only is it high in fiber and antioxidants, but this quick recipe for broccolini in the air fryer serves up heaps of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as folate and sulforaphane. All of these nutrients play a role in the body's methylation pathways (essential for proper detox), and can help prevent and fight cancer.
Ingredients
Broccolini: With smaller florets and longer, quite thin stalks, broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and gai lan, a cruciferous vegetable native to China. In this roasted broccolini recipe it combines with the healing powers of garlic and za'atar to create a healthy side dish you can get from fridge to table in just 10 minutes.
Also, fun fact— Tenderstem broccoli and broccolini are actually both registered trademarks in various parts of the world, specifically South Africa and Japan.
Olive Oil: while you can use any high-heat oil you tolerate, I recommend a milder-tatsing one like olive oil or avocado oil, to keep the garlic and other spices the starring flavors.
Garlic Powder: you can also use fresh minced garlic, but because broccolini is a Brassica, and like other cruciferous vegetables, it pairs exceptionally well with sulfurous vegetables like garlic and onions.
Za'atar: a blend of sesame seeds, cumin, coriander, sumac, oregano, and thyme (not necessarily in that order), this traditional Middle Eastern spice is easier than ever to find in stores and online, and is a great all-purpose seasoning for all sorts of veggies, including this charred broccolini recipe.
Lemon Juice: this optional addition helps to break down the cell walls of the broccolini and make it more tender while air frying.
How to make broccolini in the air fryer: step-by-step instructions
Step 1. Preheat your air fryer to 370°F (190ºC) for 3-4 minutes.
Step 2. Cut the bottoms off your tenderstem broccoli and pull off any of the leaves, if desired, then clean the and dry it well and slice it longways to increase the surface area.
Step 3. Put the broccolini slices into a dry bowl and drizzle over the olive oil, minced garlic, sea salt, and za'atar (if using), and toss everything until well-coated.
Step 4. Pour the sliced broccolini in the air fryer basket, making sure they're as spaced-apart as possible, pushing them against the sides of the basket if needed (cook in 2 batches if everything is too close together).
Cook for 5-6 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket halfway through. A smaller air fryer will take longer to cook them, so check them every minute after the 5 minute mark. While they cook, squeeze out your fresh lemon juice (if using), from about half a lemon.
Step 5. Once browned and crispy, pour your baby broccoli onto a plate and drizzle on the lemon juice and enjoy!
Recipe notes & tips
No Lemon Juice: If you can't handle or don't have lemon juice, you can either leave it off completely or add another ¼ teaspoon sumac to the broccolini seasoning blend.
Cooking broccolini with lemon and garlic creates the boldest flavors, but alternately or in addition, just use the zest of 1 lemon in place of the lemon juice. It won't add the same acidity, but it will brighten the dish and won't cause a histamine reaction like lemon juice possibly could.
Using Frozen Broccolini: If you had a heavy harvest of broccolini in your garden and want to make some in the off-season, you could certainly make this vegan broccolini side dish from frozen, but you'd likely need an extra 2-3 minutes' cooking time fo rit to properly crisp up.
What to serve with roasted tenderstem broccoli
- Savory Tahini Squash Soup
- Quick Almond Milk Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Honey Butter Chicken
- Garlic Herb Tahini Pasta
- Nigella Seed Chicken & Squash Stew
- Delicata Squash Fries in Air Fryer
- Hearty Low Histamine Lentil Stew
- Rosemary Lamb & Potatoes
- Honey Turmeric Chicken Thighs
Frequently Asked Questions
While there are a half dozen ways to cook broccolini, the fastest way to cook it is in the air fryer, where it will be done in just 5 minutes.
While cooking time for broccolini varies slightly by air fryer size, I've found that roasting broccolini takes about 5-6 minutes in the air fryer.
Yes! Baby broccoli has fully edible stems, but just like with regular broccoli, you'll want to cut any thicker stems in half so that each piece roasts evenly.
Yep! Just like the stems and broccolini with flowers, you can eat all parts of baby broccoli, and there's no need to cut off or peel anything but the very bottoms. Even flowering broccolini is still totally fine, just like eating squash blossoms.
Yes, you can freeze broccolini both before and after cooking. But if you plan to freeze cooked broccolini, I recommend undercooking it by 1-2 minutes and leaving off any finishing touches, like cheese or lemon juice, so that you can reheat it in the air fryer.
As always, if you like the recipe, I really appreciate a 5 star review or comment!
📖 Recipe
Crispy Air Fryer Broccolini (in 10 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 16 oz. broccolini ~2 heads
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon za'atar
- 2 Tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice optional
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 370°F (190ºC) for 3-4 minutes.
- Cut the bottoms off your tenderstem broccoli and pull off any of the leaves, if desired, then clean the and dry it well and slice it longways to increase the surface area.
- Put the broccolini slices into a dry bowl and drizzle over the olive oil, minced garlic, sea salt, and za'atar (if using), and toss everything until well-coated.
- Pour the sliced broccolini in the air fryer basket, making sure they're as spaced-apart as possible, pushing them against the sides of the basket if needed (cook in 2 batches if everything is too close together). Cook for 5-6 minutes, shaking the air fryer basket halfway through. A smaller air fryer will take longer to cook them, so check them every minute after the 5 minute mark. While they cook, squeeze out your fresh lemon juice (if using), from about half a lemon.
- Once browned and crispy, pour your baby broccoli onto a plate and drizzle on the lemon juice and enjoy!
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