Air Fryer Carrots

Air Fryer Carrots are a quick and easy way to enjoy roasted carrots without heating up your entire oven or if you just need a single serving.

The sweetness of carrots is enhanced when air frying – just like you get when roasting.

Carrots in the Air Fryer

Want to know how to make perfect air fryer carrots? Here are some simple tips to keep in mind.

First, peel and cut the carrots into uniform pieces. This will allow them to cook at the same rate and fry evenly. I do find whole carrots to have the best flavor when cooking as opposed to baby carrots.

When cutting up the carrots try for even-sized pieces. That might mean cutting thicker in diameter carrots in half. Pieces that are 1-2 inches in length will work the best.

Carrots can often be difficult to cut into uniform pieces as they tend to be very different sizes from top to bottom. Don’t fret that too much. Just try to cut the pieces in similar sizes so that they’ll all finish cooking at the same time.

Second, toss your vegetables with oil before putting them in the air fryer. Be sure to have a single layer and allow for good air circulation on all sides.

Third, the best-tasting roasted carrots will have browned or blackened areas where they have been fried. 

Note: You don’t have to sear them. It’s possible to roast and not toast the carrots. But, the crispy bits really are the best part!

I use the COSORI Air Fryer for all of my air fryer recipes. I’m partial to a square basket air fryer as I find it easier to fit more food into the basket. This is a 5.8QT air fryer, one of the largest machines I’ve found that works effectively.

The machine is a bit retro with simple knob controls. It turns out that I really like the basic settings and ability to set the time and temp like a traditional appliance. I’ve used a few different air fryers with pre-programmed settings and I found I was still tweaking the times.

This air fryer is surprisingly easy to clean and the two-part basket locks together (it’s literally impossible for it to detach the way some do) until you open the latch and then push the button to release it. I simply wipe down the baskets with a sudsy dish scrub brush or sponge, rinse and let them air dry on the counter.

How to Air Fry Carrots

1. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Place the carrots in a bowl and toss with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss again to coat.
2. Place the carrots in a single layer in the basket or directly on the rack. Roast the carrots for 9-12 minutes. If you are using a basket-style air fry toss the basket at about 6 minutes for even cooking. The pieces should be slightly crisp and nicely caramelized when done.

How Long to Cook Carrots in Air Fryer

How long to air fry your carrots depends in large part on the size of the carrots along with the spacing in your air fryer. If the pieces are crowded together without much space between them it will take longer and they won’t be as crispy.

If you have great airflow around the pieces it will take less time and result in crispier carrots. Overall I recommend somewhere in the range of 9-12 minutes for perfect carrots.

Check the carrots after 6 minutes and give them a turn. You will be able to determine if you need just another 3 or 6 minutes to finish them to your preferred doneness.

The air fryer is a quick and easy way to make almost any vegetable. Here are some vegetables to try: sweet potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, and even onions.

Once you’ve mastered the air-fryer, don’t forget that you can also boil, saute, steam, and roast carrots too.

With just a dab of butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar, you can make and enjoy these Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots. The recipe is an old-fashioned favorite that you’re going to love.