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My air fryer whole carrots recipe is incredibly quick and easy to make. These roasted carrots are perfect for a simple weeknight side dish, or you can dress them up for a special occasion. Topped with a lemony tahini drizzle and garnished with fresh mint and parsley, they make a festive addition to any meal. But if you’re pressed for time, plain air fryer carrots taste amazing on their own, too.
Made them, loved them, the dressing is to die for and I’m making some for a bbq tomorrow. Thanks for this recipe it’s going to be used a lot.
– joolzs101
If you’re like me and always have a few extra carrots left after making a stew or soup, give this recipe a try! You might just find that cooking whole carrots in the air fryer becomes your new favorite way to enjoy this versatile veggie. It’s a delicious way to use up carrots that are past their prime.
Carrots are a crowd-pleaser—they’re nutritious, affordable, and tasty whether eaten raw or cooked. However, boiled or steamed carrots can be pretty bland, and oven-roasted carrots take forever to cook. Using the air fryer gives you that rich roasted flavor from caramelization in a fraction of the time!
🥕 Air Fryer Whole Carrots Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make carrots in an air fryer:
- 4-6 fresh, whole carrots (about 8 ounces total, 227g)
- Cooking oil spray
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon each: tahini (AKA sesame seed paste), freshly squeezed lemon juice, water, fresh mint leaves (chopped), fresh parsley (chopped)
- ½ clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon zaatar seasoning
Get a printable recipe card at the end of the post!
We’re using whole, fresh carrots for this recipe. I used regular orange carrots, but rainbow carrots or your favorite heirloom carrots would also be lovely.
Try to choose carrots that are about the same size for even cooking. You want small or medium carrots that are thin for this recipe.
Your Ninja Foodi, Cosori, Pampered Chef Air Fryer, Actifry, Nuwave, Instant Vortex, Cuisinart, Philips, Power Air Fryer, etc. can all air fry carrots. However, always keep a close eye on the food the first time you try a new air fryer recipe. Air frying times may vary a bit between brands.
➕ How to Make Air Fryer Carrots
Rinse your carrots to clean them and pat dry. Trim the tops of the carrots.
If your carrots are a bit limp and sad-looking, peeling can give them a refreshed look. If the carrots are still fresh-looking, save yourself a little time and skip the peeling step.
Mist the carrots with cooking oil spray and sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Put the carrots in the air fryer basket in a single layer. (Use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.)
Air fry carrots for a total of 13-15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200C). Flip the carrots after the first 10 minutes of cooking.
The carrots are done when they are fork-tender and a have some browning on the outside. If your carrots are thicker, they may need a little more cooking time. If they’re thin, they may need less.
To make a carrot dressing, whisk together the tahini, garlic, water, lemon juice, and zaatar. If the tahini is thin, you may not need the water.
Plate the carrots and drizzle with the dressing, then sprinkle on freshly chopped parsley and mint. Beautiful and delish!
Air Fryer Carrots Storage
Air fried carrots without toppings can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat carrots in the microwave to warm them, then top with the dressing and fresh herbs. Roasted carrots can also be frozen, but their texture will be a bit mushy when thawed.
Variations
Here are a few more ideas for carrot seasonings and toppings:
➡️ Ranch dressing
➡️ Honey
➡️ Maple Syrup
➡️ Brown Sugar and Melted Butter (for glazed carrots or candied carrots)
➡️ Spices (such as cinnamon or cumin)
➡️ Parmesan cheese
I tend to prefer the options such as herb and spice blends that don’t contain added sugar. Sweet toppings are more likely to burn in the air fryer.
How to Make Air Fryer Carrots From Frozen
Make air fryer frozen carrots by following the directions for broccoli in my Air Fryer Frozen Vegetables recipe.
Watch How to Make It!
Air Fryer Whole Carrots Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-6 small-medium whole carrots (about 8 ounces total, 227g)
- cooking oil spray
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- ½ clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon zaatar seasoning
Instructions
- Rinse your carrots to clean them and pat dry. Trim the tops of the carrots.If your carrots are a bit limp and sad-looking, peeling can give them a refreshed look. If the carrots are still fresh-looking, save yourself a little time and skip the peeling step.
- Mist the carrots with cooking oil spray and sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Put the carrots in the air fryer basket in a single layer. (Use the top rack position if you have an air fryer oven.)
- Air fry carrots for a total of 13-15 minutes at 400℉ (200°C). Flip the carrots after the first 10 minutes of cooking.The carrots are done when they are fork-tender and a have some browning on the outside. If your carrots are thicker, they may need a little more cooking time. If they’re thin, they may need less.
- To make a carrot dressing, whisk together the tahini, garlic, water, lemon juice, and zaatar. If the tahini is thin, you may not need the water.
- Plate the carrots and drizzle with the dressing, then sprinkle on freshly chopped parsley and mint. Serve.
Equipment
Notes
💭 Expert Tips from Dietitian Summer Yule
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Carrots make a vegetable side dish that would be a good pick for nearly everyone. They are an excellent source of provitamin A, which the body converts to an active form of vitamin A. This essential nutrient supports eye health and functions as an antioxidant. Those following a low carb diet could make this a meal with some high-quality protein and more non-starchy veggies. Vegans could add falafel on whole wheat pita for a Middle Eastern feast. In the United States, we don’t tend to eat a lot of vegetables. If you want to increase your veggie intake, try adding some inexpensive veggies to your grocery cart this week. Carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes are all low cost and last a long time. It can be frustrating to purchase fruits and vegetables only to have them go bad in the fridge later. Carrots are a great veggie to purchase regularly if you have this problem. Fresh carrots (without the greens) can last in the fridge for 2-4 weeks! You can eat carrots raw if you don’t have time to cook them. And if you did accidentally leave them in the fridge a little too long, just peel and air fry them. No one will guess you used imperfect carrots in this side dish! Nutrition information is for one serving of the air fried carrots with toppings added.
nutrition info disclaimer
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be inaccurate, so please don’t sweat the numbers too much.
“To taste” means to your preferences, which may have to be visual to follow food safety rules. Please don’t eat undercooked food x
Nutrition
👨🍳 How to Serve Carrots
Here are some main dishes that go with carrots:
👩🏻🍳 More Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes
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Hello! I’m Summer, a registered dietitian and home chef who loves to cook, eat, and create recipes for you! Every recipe on this site has been tested by me to help ensure your success in the kitchen. All eaters are welcome here 🙂
Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you liked it!
Definitely trying this… this week
Yay! I’d love it if you’d let me know how it goes!
Made them loved them, the dressing is to die for and I’m making some for a bbq tomorrow. Thanks for this recipe it’s going to be used a lot.
I am so glad that you enjoyed them! You’ve made my day!!!
Fantastic way to resurrect those carrots, Summer! When most of us would’ve deemed them suitable for nothing but the broth pile – or worse – you recognized the perfection still awaiting its freedom.
Great way to amp things too with a dynamic combo of tangy pomegranates and rich tahini. The latter, I discovered only a few years ago, and now I’m making up for al that lost time. Quite similar, too, to Asian sesame paste, meaning the supplement adds to dishes across the breadth of Asia.
Be it a sauce for Taiwanese Pork Dumplings, or carrots recapturing their excellence. Tahini/sesame paste, you know no boundaries!
Thank you! I absolutely love to discover all of the wonderful and different ways similar ingredients are used across different cuisines. It makes sense why so many fusion dishes work well. Sometimes it only takes a small jump to merge culinary worlds that seem so disparate on the surface!