Air Fryer Carrots

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Air fryer carrots are the best way to get perfectly cooked carrots in under 10 minutes. They’re crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and seasoned just right. So when you need a speedy and flavorful vegetable side dish, this air fryer recipe checks all the boxes.

A plate of air fryer carrots
Photo: Gayle McLeod

Carrots are one of my personal favorite veggies and I’m always looking for new ways to cook them. And since I’ve been making more air fryer recipes lately, it was only a matter of time before air fryer carrots popped up on my to-do list. It’s so much faster to make than my roasted honey-glazed carrots (which is my go-to) and has a light herb seasoning that works well with any sort of meal.

This is why I’ve been on such an air fryer vegetable kick lately, from air fryer broccoli to air fryer green beans to air fryer cauliflower and more. They’re quick to cook and often deliver even better results than roasted. So if you’re not yet air-frying vegetables, this is your sign to grab one (I’ve linked the one I use below) and start!

Ingredients for air fryer carrots

Air Fryer Carrots Ingredients

  • Carrots: You can slice your carrots straight or diagonally, it’s up to you! But I do recommend peeling them for this recipe, just to keep the outside texture nice and soft.
  • Seasoning: I’m sticking with a simple herb seasoning here that includes dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. This simple seasoning really allows the flavor of the carrots to shine. But for more ideas, read the section below!

Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

How To Cook Carrots In Air Fryer

Toss carrots. In a large mixing bowl, toss the carrots with olive oil, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. If you wanted to spice these up a bit, add in other seasonings at this time.

Tossing carrots with oil and seasoning

Air fry the carrots. Transfer the carrots to the basket of an air fryer and arrange them in a flat single layer. Set the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, shaking halfway through to ensure all sides are cooked evenly. For a more tender texture, change the cooking time and add a few extra minutes.

Placing carrots into the air fryer

Common Questions

Can you air fry baby carrots or make air fryer carrot fries?

Yes! Use the same temperature if cooking baby carrots or thinner sliced carrots in the air fryer. But reduce the cooking time to 5 to 7 minutes. Double-check halfway through to gauge how much more time you need!

At what temperature do carrots soften?

Carrots will start to soften at around 183°F to 184°F. And since they don’t need that much time to cook in the air fryer, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on them right around the 5-minute mark. You can then make them as soft or crisp as you like them!

more seasoning ideas

By switching up the seasoning on your air fryer carrots you can keep them interesting on the dinner table week after week!

  • Honey glaze: Toss the carrots with honey, minced garlic, melted butter, cinnamon, and ground ginger for a beautifully sweet and spiced flavor.
  • Warm Morrocan spice: In addition to this recipe, add garlic powder, ground cumin, and coriander for a warm, spiced touch — similar to my roasted carrot hummus (which, if you haven’t tried is a must-make recipe).
  • Garlic and herbs: Add about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper.
Carrots in the air fryer

STORING LEFTOVER AIR FRYER CARROTS

  • To store for the week: These carrots will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days if stored in an airtight container. 
  • To reheat: You can air fry for a few minutes at 360°F or microwave for 30 seconds until warmed through.
  • To freeze for later: Use a freezer-safe bag or container and store the carrots for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge the night before reheating the next day.
Air fryer carrots on a white plate

More Air Fryer Recipes

Did you know you can make an entire meal in the air fryer? Yep, you sure can! Check out some of these ideas for air fryer mains – and serve them up alongside your carrots.

These air fryer carrots ought to be a part of your vegetable routine! If you make it, let me know how they turned out in the comment box below. Reviews are greatly appreciated!

A plate of air fryer carrots and a fork

Air Fryer Carrots

5 from 8 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

These air fryer carrots are perfectly seasoned, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and cooked in under 10 minutes! And that's the beauty of air fryer vegetables.

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Toss together. In a large mixing bowl, toss the carrots, oil, thyme, salt, and pepper.
    Tossed carrots with seasoning
  • Air fry the carrots. Transfer the carrots to the basket of an air fryer. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches as you want a single layer. Set the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
    Air frying carrots

Nutrition

Calories: 78kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 660mg | Potassium: 367mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 18954IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Air Fryer Carrots, Air Fryer Recipes
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

5 from 8 votes

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Recipe Rating




24 Comments

  1. Great recipe! This recipe it’s now one of my favorite recipes for cooking carrots. Thank you for such a great recipe.5 stars

    1. Hi Brian – I would just check on them a bit earlier, and make sure you’re shaking them several times throughout.

  2. This was delicious; thank you! I used Italian seasoning instead of thyme but these were still a big hit.5 stars

  3. What do you think? With frozen baby carrots can it work? I have just that in the freezer should I defrost it first or just mix it with the herbs and fry? Thanks for “brainstorming” with me ☺️

    1. Hi Bea – I would thaw your baby carrots first before adding them to the air fryer. But I think it could work!

      1. Great recipe that brings out the sweetness of the carrots. Will only be doing carrots this way from now on as it is so quick to prepare with delicious results.5 stars

  4. I didn’t even like cooked carrots before I tried this but I was asked to bring them to Christmas dinner. They are fantastic!5 stars

  5. I have been experimenting with the air fryer using veggies. I had some leftover carrots in my fridge and thought ‘why not’.? It is such an easy and tasty recipe and absolutely foolproof. And a great way to clean out the fridge with veggies. Would absolutely recommend preparing carrots in the air fryer!5 stars

    1. Thanks Babette! I’m happy you enjoyed these carrots. And I’ve got a few more veggie air fryer recipes coming your way soon!