Name: Air Fryer Carrots
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 24 min
Ingredients: 1 pound carrots; 1 tablespoon olive oil ((or any cooking oil)); ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon dried thyme; ½ teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper; Fresh parsley, chopped ((for garnish, optional))

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Air fryer carrots have caramelized exteriors, crispy edges, and tender insides similar to oven-roasted carrots, but they’re ready to eat in less than 15 minutes! If you’re tired of raw carrot sticks or boiled carrots, you’ll want to try these air fryer carrots. This is a quick and easy back-pocket side dish.

How long it takes: 10 minutes to prep the carrots, 14 minutes to air fry them
Equipment you’ll need: air fryer
Servings: 4

Crinkle cut air fryer carrots in a white bowl, fresh carrots in corner.

Do I love roasted carrots? Why yes, I do: roasted carrots with thyme and nutmeg, roasted carrots with cumin, and whole roasted carrots are among my favorite side dishes. And yet this recipe for air fryer carrots has edged out my old faves by shaving some time off the cooking process (and I don’t have to turn my oven on!).

The air fryer circulates air all around the carrots, which cooks them faster but produces the same results as oven-roasted carrots. Air fryer carrots are tender, caramelized, and a little bit crispy in spots.

Just like roasted carrots (and these honey glazed carrots), you can pair air fryer carrots with almost any main dish, which makes them the kind of side you’ll put on frequent repeat!

Sliced carrots, air fried and still in air fryer basket.

Reasons To Love Air Fryer Carrots

Less than 15 minutes of cooking time. 14 minutes, if we’re being precise! This can be as much as half the time it takes to cook carrots in the oven. If you add in the time it takes to preheat the oven, you’ve saved even more, not to mention the cost savings of using less energy.
Perfectly seasoned. Even if you’re not usually a carrot fan, I think you’re going to love these air fryer carrots. I add lots of seasonings to jazz them up and transform them into a veggie side you’ll look forward to eating.
Budget-friendly. You probably have everything you need for this recipe in your pantry except for the carrots, and maybe you already have those, too. I keep a big bag of carrots in my fridge pretty much all the time. They’re inexpensive, keep well, and are super nutritious.

Testing Notes

I tested a number of different types of carrots to see how they cooked in the air fryer. Peeled and sliced full-size carrots tasted the best by far, but you can also use whole baby carrots or frozen crinkle-cut carrot slices. The recipe card has instructions for all types of carrots.

Ingredients needed for recipe, including fresh carrots.

Ingredient Notes

Carrots: Choose your favorite type of carrot. You can use orange carrots or any other color. Rainbow carrots are a nice change of pace. I tend to buy organic bagged carrots, not so much because they are organic, but because they tend to taste better.
Olive Oil: I like the flavor of olive oil but any type of oil that has a higher smoke point will work.
Seasonings: Any of your favorite seasonings for roasted vegetables is fine. My standard mix consists of garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, paprika, salt, and black pepper (similar to my all-purpose seasoning, which would also work for this recipe). Remember that garlic powder is not the same as garlic salt. There is no added salt in garlic powder; it’s simply dehydrated garlic. The same goes for onion powder.
Fresh Parsley: Fresh herbs add a nice touch to roasted vegetables. They’re optional but you’ll love the way they brighten up the dish. Experiment with other fresh herbs you have available.

How To Make Air Fryer Carrots

Prep the carrots. Cut the carrots into ½ -inch slices. You can cut them on an angle for prettier presentation and more surface area for browning in the air fryer. To photograph these carrots, I used a crinkle cut knife. Try to keep the slices fairly uniform so they cook evenly.

Add seasoning. Toss the carrots with olive oil in a bowl. Add the seasonings and toss again.

Carrots, crinkle cut, on a cutting board.

Arrange the seasoned carrots in a single layer in the air fryer basket.

Air fry. Cook the carrots at 380°F in the air fryer for 12 to 14 minutes, or until fork tender, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time.

Sliced carrots in the air fryer, not yet cooked.

Crinkle cut sliced carrots, after cooking, in air fryer basket.

Transfer the air fryer carrots to a serving plate and garnish with parsley.

Close up view of cooked carrots after air frying.

More Seasoning Ideas For Air Fryer Carrots

Lean into the sweet: Add maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey for sweeter air fryer carrots. A sprinkle of cinnamon is delicious too.
Try other herbs: Rosemary and sage also pair well with carrots.
Use different spices: I love cumin with carrots. Smoked paprika, coriander, or a blend like za’atar would also be fantastic. Many seasoning mixes work well with roasted vegetables and are a real time saver. Try my southwest spice blend, cajun seasoning, or all purpose seasoning.
Make them cheesy: Add grated Parmesan cheese with the seasonings.
Try carrot fries: Cut the carrots into sticks instead of slices. A crinkle cut knife makes crinkle fries! Dip the carrot fries in ketchup, ranch dressing, or blue cheese dressing.

Recipe Tips

Don’t crowd the basket. This is the golden rule of air frying, whether you’re making air cryer croutons or air fryer green beans. If your carrots don’t have room for the air to circulate, they’ll steam instead of getting nicely browned.
Cook in batches if needed. Worst case scenario, your carrots don’t all fit and you’ll need to cook them in two batches rather than all at once.
Know when they’re done. Check the carrots for doneness by inserting a fork. It should go in easily, without the carrots being so soft they’re mushy but not super hard either.

Serving Ideas

Pork: Instant Pot pork chops or pork tenderloin with port wine sauce are two great options.
Chicken: While your air fryer is occupied, make cream of mushroom chicken on the stovetop, Instant Pot chicken thighs, or baked honey mustard chicken.
Burgers: Air fryer carrots are a healthy alternative to fries with black bean burgers, California burgers, or turkey burgers.
Salads, Meal Bowls, Wraps: I love to add air fryer carrots (or roasted carrots) to hearty grain salads, meal bowls, and wraps. They’re slightly sweet, flavorful, and chewy.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate/Freeze: Store leftover air fryer carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.

Reheating: Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave or the air fryer. If they are frozen, don’t thaw them first. If you put them directly from the freezer into the air fryer for a few minutes, they’ll taste just like they did the first time around. You may find that you enjoy them unheated right from the fridge!

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Air Fryer Carrots