This air fryer chicken and broccoli has a light Asian-inspired sauce that adds a delightful flavor to a light meal that’s easy to make in the air fryer.
» You might also like this Perfect Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin.
When you’re in a hurry, but want a delicious and satisfying meal, this is the dish to turn to. It’s super easy to make this chicken and broccoli dish in the air fryer. It gets just the right amount of crispy, while cooking the broccoli to perfection.
The only thing you have to do here is cut the chicken and the broccoli into pieces, mix with the sauce, and toss them in the air fryer basket. Super simple, yet so flavorful. I find this meal to be perfect for the family because it can be served with or without rice to suit different diets.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The sauce on this dish is very tasty and adds a little more pizzazz to your meal, but you can leave it off, if you like, for a lower-calorie option, or you can use a bottled sauce that you like.
Here are the things you’ll need:
- Chicken – Mix it up by using breast or thigh meat.
- Broccoli – A head of broccoli is perfect for 4 servings. You could also use different types of broccoli, like purple sprouting broccoli.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
For the sauce:
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Sriracha – I prefer Huy Fung Foods Sriracha with the rooster on the bottle. Another brand that’s good is Flying Goose Sriracha with the goose on the bottle.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken & Broccoli
When you’re chopping your chicken and broccoli, try to make them roughly the same size pieces so they cook at the same rate. If you cut one smaller than the other, it could lead to one being done before the other.
Combine the chicken and broccoli in a bowl. Sprinkle with the garlic powder and salt. In another bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients. There is no sugar in this sauce, but if you feel that it needs a bit of sweetness, you could add a small amount of honey to reach your desired sweetness level.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli in the bowl and toss to coat. You don’t need to spray the basket with oil. If you want to use a parchment paper liner, that can make clean up quite a bit easier.
Add the chicken and broccoli to the air fryer. Cook on 370°F (185°C) for 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking.
Serve when done. You can add some sesame seeds, green onions, or more sauce to spice it up a bit, if you want.
Variations & Substitutions
- Different proteins: Feel free to use chicken thighs, or any other type of meat you like – beef, pork, shrimp.
- Spice it up: Sprinkle on some red pepper flakes or drizzle on additional Sriracha to spice it up a bit more.
- More veggies: You can also add other veggies like red, green, orange, or yellow bell pepper, carrots, or whatever you like.
- Season it: Use Cajun seasoning or Montreal Steak Seasoning to add more flavor – any seasoning goes!
Why Use an Air Fryer
An air fryer is an incredibly easy way to cook just about anything. You place the food in a fryer-style basket and hot air rapidly circulates all around the food, making the food crisp – much like deep-frying, but without the oil. You can cook anything you’d make in the oven.
- I use a Ninja MaxXL air fryer (pictured left). If you don’t have an air fryer yet, check out these options to find one that fits your needs.
- See reviews and prices for air fryers on Amazon.
- Here’s a printable Air Fryer Cooking Times Cheat Sheet to get you started.
- Click to find more recipes to make in your Air Fryer.
- Learn how to make fun things in the air fryer, like potato wedges, pork belly bites, and chicken wings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cook meat and vegetables together in the air fryer?
Yes. The air fryer is a great tool for cooking full meals. You can add your veggies and meat at the same time. Follow the recipe directions so that you don’t overcook one or the other.
Can I use other types of meat in this dish?
Yes, you can use beef, shrimp, pork, even tofu in this dish. Whatever type of protein you like can be added to the broccoli. For the most part, they will all cook in about the same time, though shrimp will take slightly less time to cook.
Do I have to preheat my air fryer?
It’s not necessary to preheat the air fryer before cooking. If you do, it could change the cook time of your recipe. Only preheat if the recipe you’re following says to do so.
Tips and Notes
- You can leave off the marinade if you wish and just season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Use chicken breast or thigh meat.
- If you cut the chicken into larger pieces, they may need more time to cook through.
- Chicken should reach internal temp of 175 °F.
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Air Fryer Chicken & Broccoli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
For the sauce:
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons sriracha
Instructions
- Cut the chicken and broccoli in roughly the same sized pieces and combine them together in a bowl. Toss them with the olive oil and sprinkle them with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sriracha. Stir well.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli and toss to coat.
- Add the chicken and broccoli to the air fryer. Cook on 370°F (185°C) for 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking.
Notes
- You can leave off the marinade if you wish and just season with salt and pepper.
- Use chicken breast or thigh meat.
- If you cut the chicken into larger pieces, they may need more time to cook through.
- Chicken should reach internal temp of 175 °F.
All air fryers have different wattage and may cook at different rates. You may need to adjust the time or temp for the best results.
Nutrition
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Laura is a passionate foodie and owner of Air Fry Anytime She is dedicated to sharing delicious recipes and helpful tips for using air fryers at home. With years of experience in the kitchen and a love for healthy, flavorful cooking, Laura has become an expert at using air fryers to create amazing meals that are both nutritious and delicious.
I just bought the toaster oven/air fryer. The basket is different. Can I still do this recipe?
Hi Lori, You can use any type of air fryer to make this recipe. I have both a basket style and a toaster oven style. You just place the chicken and broccoli in the tray and cook for the same time/temp mentioned in the recipe.
I made this for my family to ight and my kids are the pickiest eaters I have ever known and they were both in the clean plate club tonight. We all were. Thanks so much, lovey! Delicious!
So glad everyone liked it, Samantha. Thanks for the feedback!