This air fryer chicken and broccoli recipe marinates chicken thighs in a bold soy, garlic, ginger, and chili sauce, then cooks them in the air fryer before adding marinated broccoli florets on top so everything finishes with perfectly charred edges. The marinade takes 3 hours, but the actual air fryer cook time is just about 21 minutes per batch, giving you bold, takeout-style flavor with a fraction of the effort.
I am going to tell you how to make amazing chicken and broccoli right in your air fryer.
This is a really, really good dish. It is a healthy dish, and it is a nice spin on making your classic chicken and broccoli or beef and broccoli. It is kind of the same idea, just in a healthier form and using the convenience of your air fryer.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Air Fryer Chicken and Broccoli
You are absolutely going to love this recipe because it gives you all those amazing Chinese takeout vibes, but it is totally guilt free. The chicken gets incredibly juicy and flavorful from an awesome marinade, and the broccoli gets those perfect little roasted and charred edges without turning to mush. Plus, it is super versatile! You can serve it over a bed of rice, saute up some noodles to go with it, or you can just eat it exactly as it is for a really, really delicious low carb meal.
If you love a bold, better-than-takeout chicken dinner like this one, you are also going to want to try my Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry, another Asian-inspired dinner that comes together with pantry staples in about 30 minutes.
What You Will Need
Special Equipment
- Air fryer (at least 4 quart capacity, larger is better for batch cooking)
- 2 large mixing bowls
- Tongs
- Digital meat thermometer
For the Chicken Base and Marinade
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch uniform cubes
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tbsp chili paste
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (or 1/2 tsp browning seasoning)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil, just a dash
- 1 tbsp culinary crunch chili crisp, or regular red chili flakes
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Broccoli Prep
- 2 lbs fresh broccoli florets, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
- 1/2 white onion, thickly sliced
- 1 1/2 tbsp chili paste
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce, optional, for seasoning
- Pro Tip Addition: 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil, highly recommended to prevent the broccoli from burning in the air fryer
For Garnish
- 1 to 2 stalks of scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
Let us Get Cooking!
1. First Up, Let us Prep the Chicken
Alright, start with about a pound and a half of boneless and skinless chicken thighs. I personally love thighs for this because they stay so much juicier in the air fryer! To get flavors popping, hit it with some cornstarch, chili paste, garlic, and ginger.
For the savory elements, add salt and pepper to taste, plus dark soy sauce and light soy sauce. If you do not have dark soy sauce, that is okay! You can use a little bit of browning seasoning if you have it. It is not the exact same flavor, but it is going to give you that beautiful color we are looking for. Finish it off with a dash of sesame oil for that nice, nutty, umami flavor, and some culinary crunch (which is a chili oil and flake blend) for a nice little heat. Once everything is in the bowl, mix it really, really well, and pop it in the fridge for about 3 hours to let that meat marinate. Once the chicken comes out to cook, discard the used marinade rather than reusing it as a sauce or drizzle, since it has been sitting with raw chicken.
2. Now, Let us Get the Broccoli Ready
While the chicken is doing its thing, prep the veggies. Use about 2 pounds of fresh broccoli, already washed and cut into florets. Toss that into a separate bowl with your sliced white onion, extra garlic and ginger, more chili paste, and a splash of soy sauce to season it up. A great pro tip is to add a drizzle of oil here to protect the broccoli from the high heat! Give it a nice little toss so every single piece of broccoli is coated, and set that aside to marinate alongside the chicken.
3. It is Time to Get Cooking!
Preheat your air fryer to 390°F (199°C). I highly recommend doing this in two batches because it is always best if you can have all your chicken in a single layer. You do not want to overfill your basket, because that increases the cook time, the meat will steam, and you are not going to get the best product possible. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, arrange half of the marinated chicken in a single and even layer in the air fryer basket.
4. Cook the Chicken First
You are going to start the chicken all by itself at 390°F for 11 minutes. After 11 minutes, open the basket. The chicken will have a really nice color, but it is not quite ready yet.
5. Add the Broccoli
That is exactly when you add half of your marinated broccoli and onion mixture directly on top of the chicken! Toss it back into the air fryer for another 10 minutes. That is the perfect amount of time to finish cooking off the chicken while giving a nice little roast to our broccoli. The dish is done when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the broccoli is tender with beautifully charred edges. Check the temperature for each batch individually, since air fryer baskets can cook slightly unevenly from one batch to the next.
6. Repeat, Garnish, and Serve
Remove the finished batch to a serving platter and repeat steps 3 to 5 for your second batch of chicken and broccoli. When it comes out, top the finished dish with fresh sliced scallions. Serve as a low carb meal on its own, or spoon it over a bed of rice or sauteed noodles! Everything has a really nice bite to it, and I will tell you, the flavors are popping. You cannot beat it out, it is good to go, and I highly recommend it!
What to Serve It With
- Steamed white rice or jasmine rice is the classic base for soaking up all that bold marinade flavor.
- Sauteed noodles turn this into a stir-fry-style noodle bowl in minutes.
- If you want another quick, saucy dinner to add to the rotation, my Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta is just as fast and just as satisfying on a different night of the week.
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FAQs
Can you safely cook raw chicken and raw vegetables together in an air fryer?
Yes, you absolutely can, but the secret is adding them in stages. Chicken takes a lot longer to cook than delicate vegetables like broccoli. If you put them in at the exact same time, your broccoli will burn to a crisp before the chicken is safely cooked through. That is why start the chicken first for 11 minutes, then toss in the broccoli so everything finishes perfectly at the exact same time!
Why did my broccoli burn or dry out in the air fryer?
Broccoli loves to dry out under the intense fan of an air fryer! To stop it from burning, make sure your florets are cut a little larger (about 1.5 inches) because tiny pieces will burn up fast. Also, make sure the broccoli is tossed with just a little bit of oil. That oil acts as a barrier to seal in moisture so it roasts nicely instead of dehydrating.
Why is my air fried chicken tough or dry?
If your chicken is tough, it almost always means you overcrowded the basket! If the chicken pieces are piled up on top of each other, they are just going to steam instead of fry, giving you a rubbery texture. Do yourself a favor and cook it in batches so it stays in a single layer. Also, using chicken thighs (like we do in this recipe) instead of breasts makes the meat way more forgiving and naturally juicier!
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes, you can! Cut the chicken breast into similar 1 inch cubes and follow the same marinating and cooking process. Just know that chicken breast is leaner than thighs and cooks a bit faster, so start checking the internal temperature a couple of minutes earlier in the process. Because breast meat has less fat, it is also slightly less forgiving if it is left in a few minutes too long, so keep a close eye on it and pull it the moment it hits 165°F.
Can I use frozen broccoli instead of fresh for this recipe?
You can, but just know the texture is going to be different. Frozen broccoli holds a ton of water, so it usually turns out softer and mushier rather than giving you that nice and slightly charred bite. If you have to use frozen, thaw it completely and pat it as dry as you can with paper towels before tossing it in your seasonings!
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes! Both the dark and light soy sauce in this recipe typically contain wheat. Swap them out for an equal amount of tamari or a certified gluten-free soy sauce to make this dish gluten-free. Everything else in the recipe is naturally gluten-free as written.
Amazing Air Fryer Chicken and Broccoli
Course: Main CourseCuisine: Asian-Inspired, AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes42
minutes320
kcal3
hours3
hours57
minutesGet your Chinese takeout fix right at home! This healthy, low-carb air fryer chicken and broccoli features juicy marinated chicken thighs and perfectly charred veggies popping with bold, savory flavors.
Ingredients
- Equipment Needed:
Air fryer
Mixing bowls
Tongs
Digital meat thermometer
- Ingredients:
- Chicken and Marinade
680g (1.5 lbs) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
8g (1 tbsp) cornstarch
25g (1.5 tbsp) chili paste
15g (1 tbsp) minced garlic
5g (1 tsp) minced ginger
15ml (1 tbsp) dark soy sauce
15ml (1 tbsp) light soy sauce
5ml (1 tsp) sesame oil
15g (1 tbsp) culinary crunch chili crisp, or red chili flakes
Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Broccoli
900g (2 lbs) fresh broccoli florets
1/2 white onion, sliced
25g (1.5 tbsp) chili paste
15g (1 tbsp) minced garlic
15g (1 tbsp) minced ginger
15ml (1 tbsp) soy sauce, optional
15ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil
- Garnish
Scallions, sliced
Directions
- Place cubed chicken into a large mixing bowl. Add cornstarch, chili paste, garlic, ginger, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sesame oil, chili crunch, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours to let the flavors develop. Discard the used marinade once the chicken is removed for cooking.
- In a separate bowl, toss broccoli florets and white onion slices with chili paste, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and a drizzle of vegetable oil. Let sit while the chicken finishes marinating.
- Preheat the air fryer to 390°F (199°C).
- Working in two batches, place a single layer of chicken in the basket. Do not overcrowd. Cook for 11 minutes.
- Open the basket and add half of the broccoli and onion mixture on top of the par-cooked chicken.
- Cook for an additional 10 minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internally in each batch and the broccoli has nice roasted edges.
- Remove the first batch, then repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken and broccoli.
- Garnish with chopped scallions and serve hot.
Notes
- The Secret to Perfect Veggies: Broccoli dries out quickly under an air fryer’s fan. Toss it in a bit of oil to seal in moisture, and keep florets at least 1.5 inches to prevent burning.
- Ingredient Swap: No dark soy sauce? A dash of browning seasoning gives you a similar dark color, though not the exact same flavor.
- Do Not Overcrowd: Cook in two batches so the chicken stays in a single layer and fries instead of steams.
- Short on Time: If you cannot wait 3 hours for the marinade, even 15 to 30 minutes on the counter still gives you a great result.
- Discard Used Marinade: The raw chicken marinade should not be reused as a sauce once the chicken is removed for cooking.
- Gluten-Free Swap: Use tamari or certified gluten-free soy sauce in place of regular soy sauce.
- Allergen Note: Contains soy, gluten (from standard soy sauce), and sesame.
- Nutrition: Calories are estimated and will vary based on marinade absorption and specific ingredients used.
