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These Air Fryer Carrots are perfectly roasted and so flavorful! Cooking them in the Air Fryer at high heat brings out their natural sweetness in less time than in the oven and is so easy.
Features of this Recipe
Roasting at a high heat intensifies the flavor of the carrots and brings out their natural sweetness. The result is tender-crisp and caramelized carrots.
Easy and Quick – cutting the carrots into bite-sized pieces cuts down cooking time and makes this recipe a time saver.
Air Fryer – Using an air fryer frees up oven space, cuts down on preheating time, and roasts the carrots from all sides evenly.
What to serve with Roasted Carrots
- Shepherd’s Pie – A classic that works well with extra veggies on the side.
- Aioli – This easy sauce would make a great dip for these carrots!
- German Schnitzel – Any meat, like my Schnitzel, or roast would go well with roasted carrots.
- Stuffed Turkey Breast – They would also make a great side dish for a Holiday Meal because the Air Fryer frees up space in the oven.
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes – My favorite way to make mashed potatoes!
Ingredient Notes
Here are a few notes about the ingredients you need for this recipe. The complete ingredient list with amounts needed and the instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Carrots – You can use whole carrots and cut them into pieces or baby carrots. Adding parsnips along with the carrots (like I did in the pictures) works well too.
- Oil spray – I love to use oil spray when roasting veggies or meat in the Air Fryer. It evenly coats the food without having to use a lot. But olive oil or avocado oil works too.
- Seasoning – Instead of a 1/4 tsp dried thyme, you can also use 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme.
How to make this Air Fryer side dish
Step 1. Prep – Cut thick carrots in half lengthwise. Leave normal-sized carrots whole. Slice the carrots diagonally in 1-inch-thick slices (see photo).
Step 2. Season – Toss them in a bowl with olive oil or spray with olive oil spray, salt, and pepper.
Step 3. Roast – Transfer to Air Fryer basket and cook for 9-12 minutes, depending on size, until nicely browned and tender.
Tips and FAQs
- The carrots will shrink while cooking so make the slices big
- Baby Carrots can be left whole and will require less time but don’t taste as good as larger carrots when roasted
- For roasted glazed carrots, add 2 tablespoon honey or brown sugar before cooking.
- Garlic variation: season with 1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1-2 tsp freshly minced garlic.
- Make sure all carrot pieces are approximately the same size to ensure even cooking
- Browning = caramelization = sweetness (don’t be afraid of them getting nicely browned, it’s the natural sugar in the carrots)
- Exact cooking time depends on your personal preference and your Air Fryer model
How to prep carrots?
For these Air Fryer carrots, start with washing and peeling the carrots. You could eat the peel after scrubbing the carrots but the peel might have a slightly bitter or soapy taste so it is better to peel the carrots. Using a vegetable peeler works best, this is the peeler I prefer (affiliate link).
Then cut the carrots into bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch long. This way the carrots cook faster and have more surface to roast.
Can I add other veggies?
Yes, but different vegetables often have different baking times. For example, potatoes take longer to cook, so it’s best to cut them smaller than the carrots. You could also add red onion, parsnips, butternut squash cubes, zucchini slices, bell peppers, or any other vegetables you have on hand, just keep in mind their cooking time.
More Air Fryer recipes
Air Fryer Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots, peeled
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, or olive oil spray
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp chopped parsley, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat Air Fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees Celsius).
- Cut thick carrots in half lengthwise. Leave normal-sized carrots whole. Slice the carrots diagonally in 1-inch-thick slices (see picture).
- Toss them in a bowl with olive oil or spray with olive oil spray, salt, and pepper. Season with thyme.
- Transfer to Air Fryer basket and cook for 9-12 minutes, depending on size, until nicely browned and tender. Serve garnished with parsley.
Notes
- For roasted glazed carrots, add 2 tablespoon honey or brown sugar before cooking.
- Garlic variation: season with 1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1-2 tsp freshly minced garlic.
- You could also add red onion, parsnips, butternut squash cubes, zucchini slices, bell peppers, or any other vegetables you have on hand, just keep in mind their cooking time.
- Make sure all carrot pieces are approximately the same size to ensure even cooking
- For larger carrot pieces or whole carrots cooking time will be longer
- Exact cooking time depends on your personal preference and your Air Fryer model
- The carrots taste best fresh but you can reheat them in a skillet or in the Air Fryer
- Leftovers taste great on a salad
Most instructions say that cooking spray should not be used in an air fryer. The propellants can cause damage.
Yes, that’s right, you should not use cooking spray but you can use a pure oil spray that only has oil as an ingredient and no additives. I like to use olive oil spray or avocado oil spray.