The air fryer is the easiest way to make the best roasted carrots in under 20 minutes! This easy air fryer carrots recipe delivers perfectly tender, crisp, caramelized roasted carrots every time. You’ll never roast them in the oven again.
These roasted carrots are the easiest side dish ever, made in the air fryer! Whether I’m saving oven space for our Thanksgiving turkey or making a quick side dish with a roast chicken for family dinner, these air fryer carrots never fail. They are perfectly seasoned and so delicious: Tender-crisp inside and crisp, caramelized on the outside. Plus, these carrots take minutes to chop and toss with the oil and herbs before they’re ready to “roast” in the air fryer.
The Best Air Fryer Roasted Carrots, Explained
- Freshly roasted. Air fryer roasted carrots are a great alternative to a bag of frozen fries or canned vegetables for weeknight dinners.
- Only 5 minutes to prepare, so you can move on to your main dish. Get this honey glazed salmon or chicken and mushroom sauce going on the stovetop while your carrots cook in the air fryer, and have dinner ready in 30 minutes!
- Always in season. Fresh carrots are always available at my grocery store. They have a longer shelf life than most vegetables, and you can cook them in so many different ways! If you love this air fryer carrots recipe, also try my honey glazed carrots, maple Dijon glazed carrots, and carrot ginger soup.
Ingredients Needed
There’s no need to run to the store for any extra ingredients. You only need a few of them for this recipe!
- Carrots: This is the perfect time of year to find fresh carrots at your local farmers market. But what I love about carrots is that they are readily available all year round! I always have a few around to whip up this side dish. S
- Olive Oil: Avocado oil or sunflower oil would also work.
- Garlic Powder: If you don’t have garlic powder you can use granulated garlic or garlic salt. (Just don’t use as much regular salt if you use garlic salt.)
- Dried Thyme: I use this because it’s an easy ingredient to keep in your pantry. You can also use fresh thyme if you’d like. Dried parsley and oregano are two other options you can use.
- Salt and Pepper: Seasoning the carrots (even just a little bit) is the trick to making this dish a hit among little ones.
How to Make Air Fryer Carrots
Here is how to make these super simple roasted carrots in the air fryer in just 20 minutes. All you need is your air fryer and the short list of ingredients mentioned above. Let’s get started!
- Chop the carrots. First, cut the carrots into equal-sized pieces. You want to be sure they are all about the same size so that they cook in the same amount of time.
- Season the carrots. Next, toss the carrots with olive oil and spices. I like to add the dried spice to the olive oil first. Then you’re certain that the carrots are coated evenly with the seasonings.
- Cook. Place the carrots in the air fryer and roast at 375ºF for 12-15 minutes. Ensure that they are laying flat in the air fryer basket. Also, toss them about halfway through so all sides cook evenly.
- Serve. Lastly, remove the carrots from the air fryer and enjoy! That’s it! In just a few simple steps you have perfectly cooked carrots.
Air Frying Tips
I love using my air fryer for these roasted carrots and many other recipes. Here are some of my tried-and-true air frying tips.
- No piling of ingredients. The air fryer’s job is to circulate hot air around each item. That’s how it works to get a crispy outside and cook everything evenly. So it’s very important that the ingredients are in a single layer and not touching each other.
- Don’t rush it and work in batches if you need to. Believe me, the recipe will still be quicker if you work in batches than trying to cook ingredients in an overcrowded air fryer basket.
- Preheat the air fryer. Just like you wouldn’t throw food into cold frying oil, it doesn’t make sense to put food into a cold air fryer. Always pre-heat for best results!
- Keep the air fryer basket clean. This also helps everything cook perfectly and evenly. And it avoids any burning and unwanted flavors from food that you cooked previously in the air fryer.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Roasted Carrots
This easy vegetable side dish pairs well with just about any holiday dinner or weeknight meal. Here are some suggestions:
- Chicken: Try these carrots with bacon-wrapped chicken breasts, mustard glazed chicken, or beer can chicken.
- Beef: Carrots are a great alternative to potatoes when looking for something to pair with beef. Try them with my cast iron cowboy steak or ribeye steak.
- Fish: Pairing this carrot side dish with fish creates the perfect dinner. Some of my favorite recipes include pan-seared salmon and grilled snapper.
- Holidays: As a holiday side dish with maple glazed ham or roast turkey breast with mashed potatoes and stuffing.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerate. I recommend storing leftover air fryer carrots in an air-tight container in the fridge. You can keep them this way for up to 5 days.
- Reheat. To reheat, you can use the microwave for a couple of minutes, or the air fryer again for about 5-8 minutes.
- Freezing leftovers. Though the flavor and texture are best when these roasted carrots are made fresh, you can make them ahead to freeze. Cool the carrots completely before freezing. Next, store them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- Partially cook before freezing. Alternatively, if you’re planning to freeze your roasted carrots, one way to assure the best-tasting carrots is to “par-cook” the carrots ahead of time. Cook the carrots halfway, cool, and then freeze. Thaw the carrots and place them in the air fryer to finish cooking when it’s time to eat.
Air Fryer Roasted Carrots
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Vegetarian
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These air fryer carrots are a quick and easy way to cook perfectly roasted carrots in 20 minutes. Toss the carrots with olive oil and a few spices, then put them right in the air fryer! They make a delicious holiday side dish or weeknight dinner add-on.
Ingredients
- 6–8 large carrots, peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
-
- Cut carrots into 2″ slices.
- To a small bowl add olive oil, garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over the carrots and toss to coat evenly.
- Add carrots in a single layer to an air fryer basket and set to 375°F.
- Air fry for 10-12 minutes or until tender and slightly browned. Shake halfway through the cook time.
- Remove from air fryer and serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 121
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 391 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
