Carrots in the air fryer are incredible. One thing I like about that is how quickly it can be made in comparison to the oven.
Traditionally, roasting carrots in the oven takes about 30 minutes to get perfectly tender and charred, but you can cut that time down to about 20 minutes with an air fryer.
Because I can never decide on anything, I’ve included two recipes for air fryer carrots (one sweet and one savory) and will go over my method and process for both.
Let’s start.
How to make Air fryer Carrots?
Sweet:
The following ingredients are required for the sweet version of this recipe:
- Brown sugar
- butter
- Salt
- Carrots
- Cinnamon (optional)
• Wash and peel the carrots first. If you prefer, you can leave the peel on, but I found that it gives the carrots a slightly bitter taste.
• When peeling, use a vegetable peeler to avoid removing too much of the carrot.
•Next, chop the carrots into 1-inch chunks and place them in a large mixing bowl.
•Stir in the melted butter, brown sugar, and salt until the carrots are completely coated.
•Place carrots in an oven-safe bowl that fits in your air fryer. Preheat the oven to 380 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes while adding salt to taste.
What’s with the bowl?
I tested these carrots with and without the bowl for this sweet method.
The butter and sugar mixture seemed to drip right off the carrots without having a chance to caramelize and flavor the carrots.
The carrots in the bowl can cook and caramelize in the butter mixture, resulting in a much better flavor. If you can’t find a bowl that fits your air fryer, you could line the bottom of the basket with foil paper.
Savory:
You’ll need the following ingredients to make the savory version of these air fryer carrots:
- Paprika
- Carrots
- Olive oil
- Garlic powder
You can also use your favorite seasoning blend, such as this all-purpose seasoning.
•Carrots should be washed and peeled. Toss carrots with olive oil, garlic powder, and paprika in a large mixing bowl.
•Place in the air fryer basket and cook for 15-20 minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit, shaking halfway through.
•When finished, sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan cheese, and in the end put some salt and pepper as per your taste.
Note:
Seasoning near the end of the roasting process in the air fryer has helped bring out a lot of flavors
All the shaking can cause the flavors to fall off, especially if no oil is used. When you add seasoning at the end, most of it will stay on, making your dish even tastier.
Recipe Tips
•You could substitute baby carrots, but the flavor will be different.
•When roasted, the giant carrots have a much better flavor.
•The time it takes to cook carrots depends on their size. Smaller carrots cook faster, while larger carrots take longer to cook.
•Check the carrots halfway through cooking to see if they are done. If using frozen carrots, increase the cooking time by a few minutes. If using frozen carrots, season halfway through cooking.
Recipe Variations
You can add some delicious twists to these air fryer carrots to change it up.
Here are some ideas:
Maple Rosemary: Toss the carrots with 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup, salt, and pepper before cooking, then omit the dill and toss the cooked carrots with 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary.
Cilantro Lime: Add some lime flavor with this delicious twist! When the carrots are done in the air fryer, remove them from the pan and toss them with 1 tablespoon of lime zest and 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro.
Garlic Butter: Replace the olive oil with melted garlic butter (or regular butter) and season with salt and pepper.
How can you steam carrots in an air fryer?
Because of the air fryer’s mechanism, the carrots will resemble roasted carrots more than steamed carrots.
Excess water in an air fryer can damage it because air fryers are designed to crisp food rather than create or add moisture in the same way that steaming or boiling would.
To summarize, I recommend using a stovetop method rather than an air fryer for truly steamed carrots that are not crispy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside and outside.
Is it okay to Air Fry Frozen Vegetables?
Yes! It is entirely feasible to air-fry frozen vegetables. They will be even fresher than if you microwave them.
When you microwave vegetables, they usually steam in water, becoming watery and mushy.
Any excess water in an air fryer will fall into the drawer beneath the basket. This will prevent your vegetables from becoming soaked.
How can you make Air fryer frozen carrots?
Air frying frozen carrots are very simple. You don’t even require oil.
•Simply place the desired number of carrots in the air fryer. Take care not to overcrowd the frozen carrots.
•When cooking more than two layers of carrots deep, cook them in batches to ensure even cooking.
•Preheat the air fryer to 360 °F and cook for 15-18 minutes, shaking the basket every 7 minutes.
How do you reheat Air-fried Carrots?
Air fryers are the ideal way to reheat everything from pizza to brownies.
To reheat these roasted air fryer carrots, preheat your air fryer to 325 °F and cook for 5 minutes don’t forget to shake it halfway to have properly warmed carrots.
Nutritional Information
| Calories | 50 |
| Fat | 1g |
| Fiber | 3g |
| Protein | 1g |
| Sodium | 140 mg |
Conclusion
In summary,
- Air fryer carrots are delicious and easy to make charred and tenderer than in the oven.
- The cooking time of carrots depends upon the size of the carrots and the air fryer. Longer carrots would take longer to cook than smaller carrots.
- It is recommended to season the air fryer carrots in the end so that the coating doesn’t come off while shaking the air fryer basket in the cooking process.
- Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket with carrots or you would be left with uncooked ones.
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