Name: Air Fryer Baby Carrots Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 1 bag of baby carrots (1lb.); Olive oil; Salt and pepper

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If you are tired of making baked carrots, this recipe is worth a try. Air fryer baby carrots are easy to make and it gives the carrots a caramelized texture on the outside, with a tender center.

This recipe is great as a side dish with meat and seafood. You can also have it as a tasty snack.

Frying baby carrots makes them caramelized and delicious, making sure your kids have vegetables at dinner. To make this dish, you only need 15 minutes and it does not require any prepping.

Making this side dish is easy and there is an oven-roasted option as well.

Alternate Method: Baking Baby Carrots in the Oven

If you are looking for an alternate method, you can also roast the carrots in the oven. The recipe remains the same, the only difference is that instead of using an air fryer, you bake the carrots.

Baby carrots take around 20-22 minutes in the oven to cook properly.

To make this recipe, you need baby carrots. However, regular bright orange-colored carrots work too. If you are using regular carrots, make sure to peel them and chop them into small 2-inch pieces so they are cooked thoroughly.

To caramelize the carrots, olive oil is used. You can also use avocado oil because it works well in high heat and gives a smokey flavor to the carrots.

Seasoning Variations

You can keep the recipe simple with regular salt and pepper seasoning, but I like to add more herbs because it tastes amazing with roasted carrots. Here are a few seasoning variations you can try:

Indian: Mix cumin, coriander, salt, ginger powder, and cayenne powder.
Italian: Use Italian seasoning with grated parmesan cheese. It’s my favorite blend for this recipe.
Sweet and spicy: Drizzle, salt, paprika, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar.
Maple-glazed carrots: It’s a blend of salt, pepper, and maple syrup.
Cajun seasoning.
Balsamic seasoning with vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Do I need to boil carrots before frying?

No, there’s no need to boil carrots before stir-frying them. If you are using an air fryer, just season the carrots and cook according to the instructions on the fryer.

They don’t take much time to cook and retain some of the crispiness after they are cooked. Boiling the carrots before frying will make them limp. If you want more crispy carrots, soak them in cold water and refrigerate for about 8 hours. The carrots will absorb water and will become crispy.

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What You Will Need to Make Air Fryer Baby Carrots

This air fryer baby carrots recipe is easy to follow and requires a few ingredients only. They are a perfect side dish or snack.

Key Ingredients

1 bag of baby carrots, 1lb.
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Rinse the baby carrots and pat dry them with a kitchen towel, or tissue paper to make sure they are dry.
Place the baby carrots into a bowl, and add olive oil, salt, and pepper. Shake them in the oil and seasoning, lightly covering the carrots equally.
Place the carrots into the air fryer basket.
Turn the air fryer on at 400F and cook for 10 minutes.
Stir the carrots and season them again, with more olive oil. Cook for another 5 minutes to roast them well.
Test the tenderness of the carrots using a fork, and serve hot.

Notes

For gluten-free carrots, make sure to check the label on the packaging.
You can use normal carrots for this recipe as well. Just make sure to peel them and cut them at an angle into 2-inch pieces.
After 10 minutes of frying, shake the air fryer basket to turn the carrots and continue cooking for another 5 minutes for extra crispiness.
Leftover carrots can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat the leftovers, you can air fry them for 1-2 minutes.