Air Fryer Broccolini or Baby Broccoli

Short on time for making a fun veggie to go with dinner? Give these Air Fryer Broccolini a shot! In less than 10 minutes, you’ll have a tender, crisp and delicate side dish that the whole family will love!

🍽️ Why This Works

Easy – This recipe requires just a few ingredients and there is nothing complicated here. You can even mix up the citrus vinaigrette ahead of time, so all you need to do is put the broccolini in the air fryer and wait for it to be finished.

Fast – It only takes about six minutes to cook these, and it is hands-off once you get them in the air fryer. Save yourself even more time by using a piece of air fryer liner as it will speed up your cleanup too.

🥦 Ingredients

Broccolini – This is a cross between the traditional broccoli you are familiar with and a Chinese variety that is much leafier. It is distinctive with its long, thin stems and delicate structure. You’ll find these in the refrigerated section in the produce department.

Citrus Vinaigrette – This is one of my favorite all-purpose dressings. It is tangy and sweet and the orange juice provides a refreshing citrus flavor. Keep the extra for salads or other veggies. I store mine in a mason jar in the fridge.

🍴 Equipment and Tools

Air Fryer – I used a Ninja Foodie Air Fryer, but any variety will work just fine. Recognize that each one will be slightly different and make cook at different times, so use the times in this recipe as a general guide and check your early until you are used to it’s cooking time.

Air Fryer Liner – I love these handy parchment liners! They come precut to match the size and model of your Air Fryer, and have holes to allow the air to flow freely. These make cleanup a breeze, saving you even more time!

🔥 Instructions

Step One: Add all of the vinaigrette ingredients to a bowl or a small jar. I used a small canning jar as I had a matching lid that made it easy to store in the refrigerator. Make sure to shake it well before using, as the oil will separate.

Step Two: Prepare the broccolini by cutting off any yellowing leaves and trimming the stem.

Note: The stem is typically ¼ to ½ inch thick and is edible (and delicious!) You typically have to cute broccoli stems down to a smaller size to cook, you don’t have to worry about broccolini. These are tender and crisp and don’t need much additional preparation.

Step Three: Add the Air Fryer liner to the basket and layer on the trimmed broccolini. Keep some space between them to avoid overcrowding.

Step Four: Set the Air Fryer to 330 degrees for about six minutes. Turn them over at the half way point.

Note: We made this recipe four times in two different air fryers, and here is what we learned. Increasing the temperature or the time caused the delicate florets to turn brown and they became over-crispy. The lower temperature and 4-8 minute range resulted in perfectly cooked veggies.

Step Five: Remove them from the basket and drizzle the vinaigrette over top right before serving.

❗ Expert Tips

Time – If this is your first time cooking these, check them early and often as you cook. You want the stems to remain crisp, but that is balanced with having the florets become over-done.

Make Ahead of Time – The best way to save time on this recipe is to make the vinaigrette ahead of time. It stays fresh in the refrigerator for a few days, so make a batch to last you the week. It works perfectly on fresh green salads as well.

Parchment Liners – This recipe is pretty easy to clean up already, but adding a parchment liner will save even more time. I just got in the habit of using them for almost all of my air fryer cooking and it has saved a ton of time!

Spray Oil – You don’t have to use this, but it makes it a lot easier to provide a light coating of oil. The alternative is to pour a teaspoon of the oil prior to coating, but I find that it is much easier just to use the spray.

Serving Suggestions

I love to pair this delicate veggie with Air Fryer Salmon, Oven Foil Salmon or Honey Dijon Salmon.

When serving these with kiddos, they love the baby trees with their Dino Nuggets.

When using a slow cooker or Instant Pot, it’s easy to just zap these in the Air Fryer a few minutes before serving. The Slow Cooker Pumpkin Salsa Chicken or Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken.

This is a perfect side dish for Instant Pot Pork Chops or Instant Pot Brisket.

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