Comparison
Air Fry vs Roast: Broccoli
Side-by-side cook times, temperatures, and tips so you can decide which method works best.
Quick Answer
Air Fry is faster for broccoli (about 8 min vs 16 min). Shake halfway. Light oil coat.
Air fry for speed, roast for volume. 8 to 12 minutes against 16 to 28, and both give you the charred, crispy florets that make broccoli worth eating. The basket is faster because the heat is closer and moving. The sheet pan handles far more at once, which matters because broccoli shrinks hard and a pound cooks down to less than you'd expect. Either way the rule is the same: don't crowd it. Crowded broccoli steams, goes army green, and turns soft, and no amount of extra time undoes that. Oil it, spread it out, let the edges catch.
Head-to-Head
When to Choose Each
8–12 min at 350–400°F. Shake halfway. Light oil coat.
16–28 min at 375–450°F. Toss with oil, salt. Crispy edges are the prize.