Air Fryer Carrots
Wondering how to make carrots in the air fryer? This recipe is quick and easy to make, and it produces delicious, healthy air fryer carrots. Air frying helps to preserve the nutrients in the carrots while also giving them a crispy and tender texture. You can make roasted slices or air fryer baby carrots with this easy recipe.
We love air fryer vegetables like broccoli and artichoke hearts, and even quick and easy French fries. Using the air fryer is often quicker than the oven and frees up y our oven for other dishes, which is especially helpful when cooking big meals.
Roasted carrots like our Maple Glazed Roasted Rainbow Carrots are always a family favorite vegetable side dish. This recipe is similar and easy to customize with various seasonings. You can use sliced carrots or baby carrots with this recipe.
Air Fryer Carrots Ingredients
You’ll need just a few ingredients for this simple recipe.
- Carrots. You can use whole or baby carrots for air frying. This recipe works with peeled or unpeeled carrots depending on your preference.
- Oil. A little oil helps make these “roasted” carrots crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Olive oil is a great choice but you can also use coconut oil or avocado oil.
- Maple syrup. The syrup creates a tasty caramelized glaze on the carrots. The flavor is a wonderful compliment to carrots. Feel free to omit the syrup if you are avoiding sugar or prefer a more savory flavor. If you prefer honey, feel free to substitute that.
- Salt & Pepper. It’s important to season your carrots for the best flavor.
- Additional seasonings. There are many tasty flavor options for air fry baby carrots or carrot chips. We used Everything Bagel Seasoning for the photos but you could also just use salt and pepper, and add some curry powder or za’atar for a Middle Eastern flavor that would be delicious on grain bowls with lentils or falafel and tahini sauce.
How to Make Roasted Carrots in the Air Fryer
Step 1: Toss the peeled and sliced (baby carrots) with the oil, maple syrup, and seasonings.
Step 2: Cook in the air fryer until crisp.
Step 3: Serve warm as a side dish or part of a grain bowl.
Air fryer carrots are an easy vegetable side dish you can make any weeknight or for the holidays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are air fryer carrots healthy?
Air fryer carrots are a healthier option than boiled or steamed carrots. This cooking method helps to preserve the nutrients and flavor of the carrots.
Can I make air fryer baby carrots?
Air fryer baby carrots work wonderfully with this recipe and make it even quicker and easier since you don’t need to peel or chop them.
How do I make this recipe in the oven?
If you don’t have an air fryer but love the looks of this recipe, you can make it in the oven. You’ll cook for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees.
Can I use frozen carrots in an air fryer?
We do not recommend using frozen carrots in an air fryer. Frozen carrots can release too much moisture and will not cook evenly in the air fryer.
What can I serve with air fryer carrots?
Air fryer carrots are a great side dish for any meal. For the holidays we love them with all the other traditional sides like stuffing and mashed potatoes. Try serving them alongside Vegan Lentil Loaf, roasted fish, quinoa, or rice. You can also add them to salads or wraps. Leftover cooked carrots work well added to soups and bowls.
How do I store the leftover carrots?
Leftover carrots can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer or oven before serving.
Can I freeze the leftover?
Yes, you can freeze the leftover carrots. Place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Keep in mind that the texture will change and the carrots will be more watery. This recipe is so simple we recommend making them fresh.
What is the taste and texture of air fryer carrots?
The taste and texture of the air fryer carrots will depend on how you cook them. If you like your carrots with a bit of crunch, then I recommend cooking them for 12 minutes. The texture will also be affected by whether or not you peel the carrots before cooking. If you do not peel the carrots, they will have a slightly tougher texture.
Air Fryer Carrots
Making carrots in the air fryer is going to be your new favorite way to cook them. Air fryer carrots (baby or sliced) are tender on the inside and crispy and glazed on the outside.
Ingredients
- 6 medium carrots washed, peeled, and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Salt and pepper to taste (about ½ teaspoon each)
- 2 teaspoons of everything but the bagel seasoning*
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Add the sliced carrots (or baby carrots patted dry) to a medium bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper, and any other seasoning. Toss to coat the carrots.
- Place the seasoned carrots in the basket of the air fryer.
- Cook at 380 ˚F for 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking.
- Serve hot and garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
- You can adjust the cooking time depending on how crispy you want your carrots. Check them after 12 minutes and then add more time (2-3 minutes longer) if want softer carrots.
Oven instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 ˚F
- Add the carrots to a medium bowl.
- Drizzle with olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper, and any other seasoning. Toss to coat the carrots.
- Arrange the carrots in an even layer on a baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Serve hot garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
We used Everything but the Bagel seasoning for photos but you can omit it and keep it simple or use another seasoning. Keep in mind that bagel seasoning has salt in it so you might not need any additional salt. Try adding other seasonings to the carrots such as curry powder, za'atar, garlic powder, onion powder, or paprika.
If your carrots are not evenly coated with the oil and seasonings, they may not cook evenly in the air fryer. Make sure to stir well so that all of the pieces are well coated.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1/4 recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 114Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 406mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your favorite calculator.
I’m not a big fan of carrots, to be honest. My wife, on the other hand, is the exact opposite; she loves to eat carrots.
I cooked some carrots with a method similar to the one in this article, and I liked how they turned out. When I think about it now, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought in the past. Now we can eat carrots together.
The air fryer is pretty amazing for cooking carrots. One thing I really like about it is how quickly you can make them compared to using the oven. Normally, it takes roasted carrots in the oven about 30 minutes to become perfectly tender and charred, but you can reduce that time to about 20 minutes with the air fryer. I’ve included two recipes for air fryer carrots (one sweet and one savory) and will go over my method and process for both because I can never make up my mind about anything.
great