Air Fryer Chicken and Broccoli
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Our air fryer chicken and broccoli recipe is an easy Asian inspired stir fry. Ready in under 30 minutes this healthy dish is a simple weeknight dinner or a quick meal prep option.
This recipe is perfect when you’re craving take out but refuse to leave the house. Not to mention it’s just as good for leftovers as it was the day you cooked it.
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We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.
Because we’re cooking the chicken and broccoli separately, you’ve got two different options for cooking the broccoli. If you cook the broccoli in the air fryer, it turns out more like roasted broccoli. But if you go with the cooking it in the microwave, you’ll get a steamed texture on the broccoli.
If you enjoy meals like this, you’ll love my copycat Panda Express orange chicken. It tastes just like the real thing, and is also made in the air fryer.
New to air frying? Get the low down on maximizing your usage of this amazing small appliance, including easy clean up tips, with our best air fryer tips for beginners.
Easy Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
Ingredients Needed
- fresh broccoli – you’ll need one large head
- boneless skinless chicken breasts – can also dice up chicken tenders
- cornstarch
- salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- hoisin sauce
- honey
- minced ginger
- apple cider vinegar
- soy sauce
- sesame seeds for garnish – optional
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken and Broccoli
Chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces and cook in the air fryer (lightly misted with oil) for 5-6 minutes at 400 degrees F. Or cook in the microwave for 3 minutes (with a tablespoon of water added to the bowl).
Dice the chicken and set aside.
Combine the cornstarch, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl or gallon sized bag and shake/stir.
Add the chicken to the mixture in thirds and turn to coat evenly. Transfer the breaded pieces to a second bowl and repeat with remaining chicken.
Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil (we use an oil mister), add the chicken, and mist with additional oil.
Air fry for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees F until it’s golden brown and has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Combine the honey, ginger, hoisin, vinegar, and soy in a small saucepan and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Let it boil for 1 minute then remove from the heat.
Once the chicken has finished cooking add it to the broccoli and pour the sauce over. Toss until evenly coated and garnish with sesame seeds if using. Serve over rice.
Tips for Making
- Try to dice the chicken in small, similarly sized pieces so it cooks evenly.
- If you choose to steam the broccoli in the microwave you can use frozen broccoli.
- We prefer cooking the broccoli and chicken separately so the broccoli doesn’t get over cooked.
- If desired use parchment paper liners instead of oiling the basket. Wait until the air fryer has preheated and you’re ready to add the food before placing paper liners in the air fryer.
- When meal prepping, it’s really easy to use frozen veggies and steam them in the microwave. Then all you have to do is wait for the chicken to cook.
Variations
Protein: use this same recipe and swap the chicken for pork, shrimp, or beef.
More veggies: any kind of veggies can be used, even a medley.
Add heat: For those who love spicy, sprinkle with red pepper flakes or mix in some sriracha to the sauce.
Different marinade: If you have a store bought sauce you would rather use, that’s totally fine, too.
What to Serve with Air Fried Chicken and Broccoli
In keeping with the Asian flavors of this dish, I like to serve it with air fryer crab rangoon or pork and cabbage dumplings. And this bok choy salad is a great way to get your greens in.
How to Store
Keep leftover chicken and broccoli in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
OUR Favorite EASY
Air Fryer Chicken Recipes
**Save Air Fryer Chicken and Broccoli Recipe for Later**
Air Fryer Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 large fresh broccoli stalk
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 pound)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Sesame seeds for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces, place in a bowl and set aside.
- Cook the Broccoli (2 options):Option #1 – Air fryer before you cook the chicken: lightly spray the air fryer basket, add broccoli and mist with oil. Cook for 5-6 minutes at 400 degrees F. Remove from air fryer, place in a large bowl and set aside.Option #2 – Microwave while the chicken is cooking: place the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water, cover, and microwave for 3 minutes until slightly tender and brightly colored. Drain broccoli, place in a large bowl and set aside.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F.
- Cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces.
- Place the cornstarch, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a gallon-sized storage bag and shake to mix.
- Gradually add a third of the chicken to the cornstarch mixture and shake to coat the chicken. Remove chicken pieces to a bowl and repeat steps with remaining chicken.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil, add the coated chicken and spray the chicken pieces with oil.
- Cook at 400° F for 12-15 minutes, until the chicken is crispy and golden and has reached 165 degrees internal temperature.
- While chicken is cooking, add the hoisin, honey, ginger, vinegar, and soy sauce to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Let it boil for 1 minute and then remove the sauce from heat. Set aside.
- After the chicken has cooked, remove from the air fryer and add it to the bowl of broccoli. Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve with rice and garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
Notes
- We prefer to cook the broccoli and chicken separately with this recipe, to achieve a better cook on the broccoli
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
