Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower

Name: Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 5 ounces broccoli; 5 ounces cauliflower; 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 clove garlic (small); ¼ teaspoon thyme leaves (fresh); kosher salt (to salt)

If you love crisp and tender roasted broccoli and cauliflower but don't have the time to preheat the oven, this Air Fryer Broccoli and Cauliflower offers an easy, delicious alternative. Dressed with olive oil, lemon, garlic, and thyme, this quick, versatile side dish goes with everything from steak to pasta to omelets.

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Roasted broccoli and cauliflower sit on a white plate with a decorative silver fork and a dusty pink linen on a white marble counter with a bunch of fresh thyme.

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What You'll Need
How to Prepare
Variations
How to Store
FAQ
Expert Tips
How to Serve
More Recipes You'll Love
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💬 Comments

The best part about this side dish, other than how incredibly simple it is to make, is its adaptability. See the How to Serve section below for more ideas for use.

Labelled ingredients are shown in white dishes on a marble countertop. Ingredients shown are lemon, garlic, thyme, cut broccoli and cauliflower, salt, and olive oil.

What You'll Need

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Broccoli You can purchase either a whole head of broccoli and cut into 1-inch pieces, or purchase pre-cut broccoli florets, and cut or break apart to create relatively even 1-inch pieces. Some smaller pieces are fine.
Cauliflower The same note above applies to the cauliflower. Be sure your broccoli and cauliflower are also similarly sized.
Lemon I prefer the taste of fresh lemons, but if you don't have access to them, try using some bottled lemon juice.
Garlic I like to grate the garlic on a microplane or finely mince it.
Olive Oil A high-quality olive oil is always nice when your recipe has so few ingredients, but use whatever you have on hand.
Fresh Thyme You can also use fresh rosemary that's chopped very fine.
Kosher Salt My recommendation is to use the brand Diamond Crystal because it allows you to easily adjust without oversalting. It is a flake shape as opposed to a compact grain, which means it has a less concentrated salty flavor by volume.

How to Prepare

Step One Cut your broccoli and cauliflower into approximately uniform 1-inch pieces.

Cut broccoli and cauliflower cut into one inch florets sit on a wooden cutting board with a kitchen knife on a marble counter.

Step Two Mince or grate your garlic.

Finely minced garlic with a kitchen knife are shown on a wooden cutting board.

Step Three Create your dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, and salt in a dish or jar and whisking or shaking to combine.

A small clear glass jar with a silver lid containing lemon, garlic, thyme vinaigrette sits on a marble counter top.

Step Four Dress the broccoli and cauliflower. You can mix with a spoon, your hands, or drizzle the dressing over the vegetables and lightly toss in a bowl.

Broccoli and cauliflower coated in lemon garlic thyme vinaigrette are shown in a metal bowl with a fork on a marble counter top.

Step Five Place the dressed vegetables in the basket of your air fryer and roast at 400°F or 7 to 8 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.

Broccoli and cauliflower are shown in the basket of an air fryer.

Step Six Serve right away, or cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for later use.

Air fryer broccoli and cauliflower on a white plate with a silver fork and a pink linen on a white marble counter.

Variations

Traditional You can omit the lemon and herbs for a more traditional roasted broccoli and cauliflower.

Spicy Add some grated jalapeño or other hot pepper to your dressing for some added kick.

Rosemary In place of fresh thyme, try finely chopped fresh rosemary in your vinaigrette.

Shallot Instead of garlic, try adding some finely minced shallot to your dressing.

How to Store

Cool and then store in an airtight container, making sure to transfer to the fridge within 2 hours of cooking for food safety reasons.

FAQ

How long does this last in the fridge?

This will last for 3 to 5 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Absolutely. This is a great addition to work or school lunches, macaroni and cheese, salads, or as a side for any meal.

Can I freeze this?

You can store cooled broccoli and cauliflower in freezer bags for 2 to 3 months. The vegetables will last longer if cooked without garlic or lemon.

How do I reheat this dish?

From fridge You can reheat this in the oven for a few minutes at 350°F, in a skillet over medium heat with a bit of olive oil, or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.

From frozen Place the frozen broccoli and cauliflower in the fridge overnight to thaw. Then follow the directions above.

Can I make this with just broccoli or cauliflower?

Of course! Nothing about the recipe needs to be changed in order to cook just one or the other.

Expert Tips

To ensure even cooking, be sure to cut your vegetables as uniformly as possible. If you buy pre-cut vegetables, make a few alterations once you open the bag to cut larger pieces into similar, smaller shapes.
Avoid crowding the air fryer basket if you like crispy edges. You can work in batches to give everyone enough room to brown evenly.
If you are concerned about your first batch getting cold, heat your regular oven to its lowest setting, usually 170 to 200°F, and place your veggies in the preheated oven in an oven-safe dish.

How to Serve

This air fryer broccoli and cauliflower are incredibly adaptable. Below are just a few of its countless uses:

Side Dish - Serve these alongside grilled steak, Italian Chicken Cutlets, Furikake Salmon, pork chops, baked tofu... the list goes on and on. An easy complementary side dish are these Sautéed Sweet Potatoes.

Mixed into Pasta - This is a great addition to pasta dishes for an extra serving of veggies. Try adding into a simple, somewhat spicy Pasta Aglio Olio e Peperoncino or any pasta with Almond Pesto.

Omelettes and Scrambles - Adding leftover roasted vegetables to omelettes or scrambles is something I absolutely love to do. Reheat the veggies in the pan and serve over top or in the center of your omelette or scramble.

Salad Topping - Add leftover roasted broccoli and cauliflower to your lunchtime salad, like this Spinach Quinoa Salad with Feta and Pine Nuts or this Warm Farro Salad.

Grain Bowls - This broccoli is a beautiful addition to a variety of grain bowls, like this Roasted Radish Greens Bowl or this Warm Grain Bowl with Goat Cheese and Greens.

More Recipes You'll Love

If you're in the mood for more veggie sides, try these recipes:

Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine

Garlicky Sautéed Cruciferous Crunch

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