Name: Air Fryer Carrots
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 8-12 Carrots; 2 Tbsp Olive Oil; 1 Tsp Black Pepper; ½ Tsp Salt

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In this post: Air fryer carrots are a delicious side dish to any meal. It’s easy to make them and they have a nice crunchy outside. Try this recipe here!

Air fryer carrots is the perfect side dish that pairs well with countless dishes. This recipe calls for peeled carrots, tossed in oil, and lightly seasoned, before being cooked to perfection. These air fryer carrots are fork-tender and even great as a stand-alone snack!

Air fryer carrots on a plate and on a fork.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Carrots

This air fryer carrots recipe:

is quick and easy to make
doesn’t require complicated instructions or hard-to-find ingredients
is diet and allergy-friendly

Why Use an Air Fryer Instead of an Oven?

When I first thought about air-fried carrots, I thought they were going to end up with a weird texture – like strange crispiness without being finished in the middle. Thankfully, was I wrong! Not only is it ten times quicker to make roasted carrots in the air fryer, but they turn out just as good as in the oven.

What is My Favorite Air Fryer?

My favorite air fryer is this 6.5-quart NINJA Foodi! It’s a 9-in-1 air fryer, pressure cooker, slow cooker, and more!

Air Fryer Carrots Ingredients

Carrots: you can use medium carrots or even (large) baby carrots if you want!
Olive oil: you can use other vegetable oils like avocado oil, soybean oil, etc. (Or if you aren’t dairy-free/vegan, you can use butter.)
Black pepper: adds a smokey, spicy flavor.
Sea salt: a class seasoning that complements almost any food.

How to Make Air Fryer Carrots

Wash and peel the carrots.
Cut off the ends of the carrots.
Cut the carrots in half.
Combine the carrots, salt, pepper, and oil in a large bowl and toss gently.
Space the carrots out evenly in the air fryer basket.
Cook the carrots at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, tossing them halfway through.
Serve and enjoy!

Variations

Spices: match your spices to the main dish you’re pairing the carrots with. Try garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, fresh rosemary, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, dill, or fresh thyme.
Colored carrots: try using orange, yellow, purple, and red carrots together!
More veggies: substitute the carrots for other veggies or make a veggie mix! Try adding broccoli, sweet potato, asparagus, brussels sprouts, potato, cauliflower, etc.

Air Fryer Carrots Recipe Tips

The smaller the carrots are cut, the faster they will cook. So cut them how you want and change the cooking time accordingly.
For more tender carrots, cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. As-is, they have a touch of crunch left to them.
I prefer to peel my carrots because they absorb the seasonings better. If you don’t want to peel your carrots, make sure you wash them really well.
This recipe is a good base, but you can differentiate seasonings to better match the main course you’re serving.
You can use baby carrots for this recipe, just be aware of the size and thickness of the carrots and adjust your cooking time accordingly.

Air fried carrots stacked on a plate with a fork next to it.

FAQs

Do I need to preheat my air fryer?

Preheating your air fryer is totally unnecessary – it will get hot enough without preheating.

Do I need to peel my carrots?

I prefer to peel my carrots because they absorb the seasonings better. If you don’t want to peel your carrots, make sure you wash them really well.

What other spice mix or seasoning can I use for the air fryer carrots?

There are so many spice mixes you can use on these carrots. Try to match your seasonings to the main dish you’re serving the carrots with! Here are some ideas:

How long should you air fry carrots?

If you like a tougher crunch to your roasted carrots, air fry your carrots for 12 minutes at 400F (like I do in this recipe). If you like your carrots tender, cook them for 15-17 minutes. But be careful, if you overcook your carrots, they will turn out wrinkly and rubbery!

Can I store air fryer roasted carrots in the freezer?

Thankfully these air fryer carrots freeze really well! Let the carrots cool, put them in a ziplock bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat without thawing first.

Can you air fry frozen vegetables?

Absolutely! Frozen vegetables will turn out better in the air fryer than they do in the microwave. This is because, in the air fryer, the water has a place to escape instead of waterlogging the veggies.

Do you add water to the air fryer for vegetables?

Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t! It’s best to stick to the instructions for whatever recipe you are following. In some recipes, you add water to steam the vegetables soft. But in many recipes (like this one!), softness isn’t the desired texture, so we don’t add water.

What To Serve These Roasted Carrots With

Try serving these roasted carrots with main dishes like:

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