Air Fryer Carrots are easy to make, absolutely delicious, and the perfect side dish for pretty much anything! When you cook carrots in your air fryer, they come out tender on the inside and perfectly caramelized on the outside. Make up a batch today!
Air frying is all the rage these days, and for good reason! Air fried recipes are made in less time using less oil. Best of all, it’s super easy to clean up after!
So I use my air fryer to make everything from “boiled” eggs to pork tenderloin to tortilla chips, and more! I even made an Air Fryer Cooking Chart to print and reference while you cook.
And these air fried carrots are soon to be your new favorite side dish. The method brings out the sweetness of the carrots, making them perfectly tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, and they do it faster than traditional roasting, with less oil and with less to clean up.
🥕 Ingredients
When you start with simple ingredients, you don’t need to do much to make them shine! Here’s what you need:
- Carrots. Use whole carrots, baby carrots, or rainbow carrots.
- Olive or Avocado Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Flavor Variations
- Honey Glazed Sweet Carrots: Toss the carrots with the oil, salt and pepper, plus 3 Tablespoons of honey and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon before cooking.
- Garlic Parmesan Carrots: Toss with the oil, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, and 2 Tablespoons bread crumbs.
More Carrot Recipes: Curry-Carrot Chicken Salad, Purple Cabbage & Carrot Slaw.
🔪 Step by Step Instructions
First, prep the carrots. Cut off the tops and ends, and optionally peel the carrots. Be sure to save the scraps for vegetable stock later!
Cut the carrots into 3 inch long pieces, approximately 1/2 inch in diameter. If you have extra thick carrots, cut the largest pieces in half lengthwise. Alternately, you can cut the carrots into fries or rounds (coins).
👉 The most important thing is that all the pieces should be approximately the same length and width. This isn’t an exact science, and it’s more than okay if they’re not totally perfect!
Toss the carrots with the olive oil and seasonings, and transfer to a preheated air fryer basket.
Halfway through cooking, stop, open the basket, and shake the basket or use long, plastic tipped tongs to turn the carrots over. This allows the pieces to get cooked evenly!
Close to the end of the cook time, open the air fryer basket to check on how they’re looking. Use a fork to pierce one of the pieces – it should easily slide through. When the carrots are just beginning to brown and caramelize, they’re done, but if you like them a little darker, simple add 1-2 minutes to the cook time.
⏲️ Cook Time & Temp
The cook time will vary depending on the size of the pieces of carrots. Follow these instructions as a general rule, and adjust if needed.
- Roasted Carrots or Baby Carrots (3 inches long, 1/2 inch thick): 375°F for 23-25 minutes, stopping halfway to turn the carrots or shake the basket.
- Carrot Fries (4+ inches long, cut into thin, 1/4 inch thick strips): 375°F for 18-20 minutes, stopping halfway to turn the carrots or shake the basket.
- Carrot Coins (1/2 inch thick rounds): 375°F for 12-15 minutes, stopping halfway to turn the carrots or shake the basket.
Expert Tips & FAQ
Always preheat your air fryer! Just as we roast your vegetables in a preheated oven, you also need to preheat your air fryer. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat setting, simply turn it on and wait about 5 minutes before adding the food.
To store leftovers: Allow the carrots to cool, then transfer to an airtight bag or container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, per USDA.
Are carrots Keto? Carrots contain about 9 net carbs per cup, so they’re not the best choice for those following a Keto way of eating. However, they’re a better option than some starchy vegetables like potatoes or corn. They’d likely fit with a lower carb way of eating in moderate amounts.
More Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes
- Broccoli. Get perfectly crispy broccoli, using either fresh or frozen broccoli!
- Garlicky Mushrooms. Garlicky and oh so delicious.
- Breakfast Potatoes. Perfect any time of day!
- Beets. Earthy, sweet beets are beautifully caramelized and delicious!
- Zucchini & Onions. A great way to use up your extra garden goodies in the summer.
- Green Beans. Kids and grown ups love this recipe!
Making this recipe? I’d love to hear about your experience!
Please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.
Air Fryer Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
Classic Roasted Carrots
- 4-6 medium carrots
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Meanwhile, wash the carrots. Cut away the large stems and ends. Optional: Peel the carrots.
- Cut the carrots into 3 inch long, 1/2 inch thick pieces. Alternately, cut the carrots into fries (4+ inches long, 1/4 inch thick strips), or coins (1/2 inch thick rounds.)Toss the carrots in the oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the preheated air fryer basket.
- For Roasted Carrots or Baby Carrots, cook for 23-25 minutes, stopping halfway to turn the carrots or shake the basket. For Carrot Fries, cook for 18-20 minutes, stopping halfway to turn the carrots or shake the basket.For Carrot Coins, cook for 12-15 minutes, stopping halfway to turn the carrots or shake the basket.
- Use a fork to pierce one carrot to test if they're done cooking. It should easily slide through. Transfer the carrots to a plate, season to taste, and enjoy.
Notes
- Honey Glazed Sweet Carrots: Toss the carrots with the oil, salt and pepper, plus 3 Tablespoons of honey and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon before cooking.
- Garlic Parmesan Carrots: Toss with the oil, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, and 2 Tablespoons bread crumbs.
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