Air Fryer Broccolini with Miso and Honey

Air Fryer Broccolini with Miso and Honey makes a great side dish to a wide variety of meals. With the mild but flavorful combination of savory miso and sweet honey, this easy side is not your average broccoli! Prep is quick, and using the air fryer means that cook time is under 15 minutes.

Broccolini looks like a long stalk of broccoli, but it has a more tender stem and smaller floret heads. Broccolini is a hybrid vegetable, not simply a baby broccoli, with a mild flavor that everyone will enjoy. Adding a bit of sweetness to vegetable sides balances some of the bitter flavors that kids can object to. It works for this tasty broccolini just as well as it does these Maple Balsamic Brussel Sprouts!

Ingredients

I include ingredient notes here when I think they'll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!

• Broccolini - Broccolini is a hybrid brassica with longer stems and smaller florets than your standard broccoli. The flavor is mild, less bitter than standard broccoli. We purchase it regularly at Trader Joe's.
• Honey - Use a mild clover honey in this recipe to add sweetness but not overpower the subtle flavors in the miso.
• White Miso - White miso is salty, a little sweet, and earthy with lots of umami notes. Find it in the international food section of your supermarket, Trader Joe's, or at your local Asian grocery store. Check out this recipe for Miso Mushroom Pasta for more information about miso! 
• Olive Oil - Just a bit of oil helps coat the broccolini evenly with the miso and honey and also helps it cook up crisp and golden in the air fryer.
• Lemon - A squeeze of fresh lemon over the broccolini after cooking is optional, but balances the sweet and savory flavors well.

Instructions

Add the miso, honey, and olive oil to a large bowl and mix the glaze well.

Add the broccolini to the mixture. A large bowl is a big help here if you want to keep the stems intact.

Toss the broccolini until it is evenly coated with the miso and honey glaze.

Lay the stems evenly over the air fryer basket. Cook for 7 minutes at 425°F.

Pull the air fryer tray out of the oven, flip each stalk, and cook for a second time for 4-5 minutes at 425°F.

Transfer the broccolini to a serving dish and garnish it with lemon wedges for serving, if desired.

Substitutions and Variations

The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!

• Add Spice - A pinch of white pepper or crushed red pepper flakes will add a subtle spicy note to your broccolini. You can also add a teaspoon of chili oil for a more fiery spice.
• Breadcrumb Topping - Toast ¼ cup of panko breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon of garlic salt, and one tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet until the crumbs are golden. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over your air fryer broccolini for extra texture and flavor.
• Add Sesame Flavor - Swap one teaspoon of the olive oil for sesame oil and you'll have a nutty broccolini that pairs extra well with Asian main dishes. Sesame oil has a strong flavor, you don't want to use a whole tablespoon or it will overpower the other flavors.

Equipment

This recipe is simple and only requires an air fryer and the most basic of kitchen tools. Here are my notes on the items I use to make this recipe a success:

• Air Fryer - This recipe was tested with a toaster oven style air fryer.  These have a wide mesh tray that accommodates all of the broccolini at once.  Cooking times will vary from model to model, but if you have a smaller, basket style air fryer you'll need to prepare the broccolini in two batches to get even cooking and avoid simply steaming it.
• Mixing Bowl - It's helpful to have mixing bowls in a variety of sizes, but you'll always reach for a sturdy glass or stainless steel mixing bowl for tossing the broccolini with the glaze. Bigger is better, usually! It's the worst to try to mix carefully in a too-small bowl.

Serving Suggestions

This air fryer broccolini will compliment a large variety of main dishes. Add it to a bowl of steamed rice with teriyaki tofu, serve it with a basil stir fry, or plate it with roasted potatoes and chicken.

Make This Recipe Kid Friendly

The combination of miso and honey is a simple glaze that many kids will enjoy. Both flavors will soften the bitterness that kids can be particularly sensitive to in broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage. When offering this as a side dish for the first time, serve it with other familiar foods or a safe food plate and your picky eaters might give it a try!

Check out my guide to keeping peace with picky eaters for tips like this for getting the whole family to enjoy dinner time again!

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheating in the microwave will give you a softer broccolini without the crisp texture. You can also reheat the broccolini in the air fryer at 350°F for 4-5 minutes.

Broccoli Favorites

Broccolini's cousin, the humble broccoli, is featured in all of the recipes below. Check them out and find a new favorite!

Try It and Share

I hope you try this air Fryer Broccolini with Miso and Honey and enjoy the recipe as much as we do. I want to see your results! Tag your photo with #planeatpostrepeat and mention me @planeatpostrepeat on Instagram or Facebook. I can give you a virtual high five and thank you for cooking one of my recipes! Comment below with any questions and please leave a review so others can find this recipe more easily.