Air Fryer Carrots

Air Fryer Carrots are quick to make and are as addicting as French fries! The whole family loves this healthy recipe!

Cooking with the air fryer  has become a regular occurrence in my kitchen. I keep building up my collection of air fryer recipes and love adding more heathy recipes. Today it’s a healthy side dish that works equally well as a snack! These Air Fryer Carrots are like munching on fries!

These serves as a perfect side dish with a roast dinner, a quick snack on a movie night or after school, a delicious lunch box option, or even to go with your sandwich for lunch. You’ll make these a lot!

Recipe Ingredients for Air-Fried Carrots

The best part about this delicious side dish is that it requires only 4 simple ingredients! It is one of those mix-and-bake recipes where you just toss all the ingredients in a bowl and bake it to golden brown perfection with crispy edges.

Here is the list of ingredients you need for this easy recipe:

Carrots

To make air fryer carrot fries, the first and main ingredients are 5 whole carrots.

Carrots are a power food with lots of nutritional benefits. First of all, they are crunchy and tasty. The sweetness of the carrots takes this healthy side dish to another level! Secondly, they are rich in potassium, vitamin K1, fiber, and beta-carotene. Thirdly, they are known to lower cholesterol levels and are excellent for eye health.

For the best results, I suggest using large carrots; however, baby carrots will also do; just make sure to double or triple the quantity and cut them in half or fourths.

Avocado Oil

Although this is an air fryer recipe, I still used a little oil to air fry carrots. This keeps them moist and helps them get that golden brown color. It also provides fat and flavor. Therefore, we will add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil to the recipe.

Avocado oil is a heart-healthy oil with oleic acid and vitamin E. It helps the body absorb other fat-soluble vitamins and is known for reducing LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol.

However, you can also use olive oil, coconut oil, melted butter, or sesame oil to toss carrots in. Keep in mind the flavor profile will change based on what oil you use.

Thyme

This easy air fryer carrots recipe requires 1 teaspoon of dried thyme.

Thyme is a flavorful herb that has an earthy, minty and slightly lemony taste. It enhances the flavor of every dish we add it to. As for the health benefits, it has antioxidant effects and can relieve coughs and fungal and bacterial infections. Besides this, it also helps lower blood pressure, fights acne, boosts immunity, and fights certain types of cancers.

If you don’t love dried thyme, you can also use fresh thyme, fresh parsley, fresh rosemary, or any other fresh herbs to enhance the flavor of the carrots.

Salt

And last but not least, we need to add ½ teaspoon of salt to this easy side dish. Salt is one of the main ingredients in every recipe, as it enhances the flavor of the dish. No matter how many other seasonings you add, you won’t get the desired taste without salt!

I used regular table salt for these air fryer carrot chips; however, you can also use kosher salt, sea salt, or pink salt.

How to Make Air Fryer Carrots?

1. Cut your carrots into matchsticks: Peel the carrots and remove the ends. Cut the carrots in half width-wise. Now cut those parts in fourths lengthwise. Cut any sticks that are thick in half lengthwise again.

2. Place the carrots in a bowl and add the oil, thyme, and salt. Use your hands to toss the carrots until they are evenly coated with the oil and spices.

3. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Place a single layer in your air fryer and cook for 15 minutes, rotating the trays or giving the basket a shake halfway through the cooking time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Air fryer carrots are the perfect quick side dish or snack. However, you might need some answers or clarifications if you’re making it for the first time. Hence, I have answered some common queries to help you make these air fryer roasted carrots on fleek!

Q. How to make the sweet version of this recipe?

Air fryer carrots is a simple side dish; however, it has 3 versions: Sweet, savory, and spicy. I made the savory version with salt and thyme. However, to make the sweet version of this recipe, you need to add melted butter and brown sugar to the recipe instead of oil and thyme. You can also drizzle some maple syrup and cinnamon for added taste and sweetness.

Q. How to make the spicy version of this recipe?

To make the spicy version of this recipe, you can add some crushed red chili flakes to the recipe, while the other ingredients will remain the same. These would also be delicious with some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Q. What to serve with air fryer carrots?

Air fryer carrots pair well with everything! You can serve them with air fryer tilapia, grilled chicken, or Instant Pot Mac and Cheese or any main course protein you’re serving.

Q. What kind of dipping sauce would be good with these carrots?

Since these carrots are a lot like fries, they are perfect for dipping! In these photos, I made a quick Buffalo Yogurt Dip. Simply mix 2 parts plain yogurt with 1 part Buffalo sauce. So good! They would also be great with this best guacamole recipe or this garlic tahini sauce.

Q. How to store leftover air fryer carrots?

You can store the leftover air fryer carrots in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 9 months.

If you make this recipe, please give it a star rating below. It’s so helpful to other readers to see which recipes are tried and true! Also take a pic and share it on Instagram, tag me @happyhealthymama, and I’ll feature you!

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If you enjoyed this recipe, try my air fryer asparagus, steamed broccoli, and honey-roasted carrots and parsnips.