Air Fryer Carrots

These air fryer carrots combine crispy carrots with healthy olive oil and smoky cheese for a unique flavor combination that makes for a perfect side dish. Not only are they delicious, but they take way less time than roasted carrots.

The best part about this recipe is that it has only a handful of ingredients and a few quick steps. You can prep the rest of your meal while they’re cooking and there’s nearly no cleanup thanks to the few kitchen supplies you need to make them.

The next time you’re looking for new recipes for a perfect quick side dish, try this easy air fryer carrots recipe.

Common Questions about Air Fryer Carrots

How do you not overcook carrots?

Check carrots periodically to make sure that they do not cook beyond a slightly tender yet crisp texture. Finished carrots should be fork tender.

Do carrots soften when fried? 

Yes, like french fries and other vegetables, carrots do become soft as they are fried. 

Should I boil carrots before frying? 

You do not need to boil carrots before they are fried.

Making Air Fried Carrots Ahead of Time

You can cut the carrots ahead of time and store them in water in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

Storage

While these carrots are best enjoyed fresh out of the air fryer, you can store leftover carrots.

Refrigerator: Store leftover carrots in the refrigerator in an airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 5 days.

Freezing: We do not recommend storing leftovers in the freezer.

Tips For The Best Air Fryer Carrots

This is a fairly easy recipe but there are a few ways to make sure you get the best results when air frying carrots.

• Add the cheese toward the end of the cooking process to avoid burning. 
• Do not crowd the carrots — cook in small batches if needed to allow the hot air to reach all sides of the carrots.
• Halfway through cooking, use tongs to toss the carrots to ensure even cooking.
• For the cheese, grate it (rather than using a prepackaged variety) for the freshest flavor.
• Ensure carrot pieces are cut to a similar size to make sure they cook evenly.

Ingredients

Besides the carrots and cheese there are only a few other simple ingredients you need to air fry carrots.

• Whole carrots
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Smoked cheese (freshly grated)

Kitchen Supplies You’ll Need 

All you need is an air fryer and a couple of kitchen staples.

• Sharp knife
• Air fryer
• Cheese grater
• Medium or large mixing bowl

How to Make Air Fryer Carrots

It’s so simple, quick, and easy to make these carrots.

1. After drizzling cut carrots with a little oil and seasoning them, place carrots in the air fryer basket in a single layer at the recommended temperature. 
2. Toward the end of cooking time, add the cheese. 
3. Transfer the cooked carrots to a serving dish and top with the remaining cheese.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Carrots

You can serve these carrots in a big bowl all on their own as a vegetarian main dish or they are the perfect side dish for so many mains.

• Salad – Top a spinach salad with these warm carrots. 
• Proteins – Serve as a healthy side dish with steak, chicken, pork, seafood or your favorite plant-based alternative.
• Soup – Make these a great side to go with a hearty bowl of soup.

Why You Should Make Carrots in the Air Fryer

If you love carrots, these air fried carrots should be a go-to dish.

• Easy – There’s so little prep or mess so they’re a great way to get a healthy dish on the dinner table. 
• Customizable – These carrots are a great canvas for your culinary creativity. 
• Affordable – With just a few simple ingredients, these are a budget-friendly way to fill bellies. 
• Convenient – The ingredients are all easy to source — or you may already have them handy.

Variations and Add-ins

We love these carrots just as they are in this simple recipe, but you can prepare them in different ways, too. 

• Herbs/seasonings – Use dried or fresh herbs, or different seasonings, to change the flavor profile. Fresh thyme and fresh parsley both pair perfectly with carrots.
• Oil – Use any neutral oil instead of olive oil. Consider avocado oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, or canola oil.
• Salt – Switch out the salt for your favorite variety. We particularly like sea salt as a good alternative to traditional table salt.
• Spice – Use red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for a spicy version. 
• Garlic – For garlicky flavor, add garlic powder or finely grated garlic.
• Sweet – Skip the cheese and instead toss these in a mixture of butter with brown sugar or maple syrup for a sweet version of this recipe.
• Cheese – Switch out the smoked cheese for some parmesan cheese.
• Onion – To add onion flavor, simply add a few dashes of onion powder.
• Vegetables – Switch out the carrots for other root vegetables or you can even make air fryer broccoli in the same way.

If you love this recipe – You might also love my air frying cookbook too!

The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two also makes everything fast and easy. Most recipes take 30 minutes or less and they’re designed with simple prep and minimal clean-up in mind. Nutritional information, serving size descriptions, and recipes for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free are also included. There’s so much to savor.

The Essential Air Fryer Cookbook for Two

Perfectly Portioned Recipes for Healthier Fried Favorites

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If you love this easy Air Fryer Carrots recipe, you’re going to love these other carrot recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

Other Vegetable-based Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Herbed Honey Mustard

Cauliflower in the Air Fryer

Air Fryer Shishito Peppers

Air Fried Artichoke Hearts

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