Sweet and vibrant carrots are sliced on an angle before being tossed with oil and salt and then air fried to perfection with these easy How to Air Fry Roasted Carrots instructions. Perfect to add to any weeknight meal or serve with a classic roast dinner!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my Disclosures Page for more details.
I’ve come to believe that there are two sorts of people in this world – the first kind think roasting carrots is nonsense and always boil them. The other kind have never even thought about roasting a carrot in their life. If I’m honest, I’m from the second camp – we’re a family of carrot boilers.
Vichy Carrots with Thyme are my go-to recipe for Christmas and when I otherwise want to go a bit more fancy than just boiled, drained and salted. But I thought I’d give the roasted version a go. Especially as it makes far more sense to me to throw them in the air fryer rather than take up space in the oven. Or worse, have to turn it on just for carrots.
And you know what, I might not be planning on abandoning my easy boiled carrots anytime soon, I will definitely be adding these air fried carrots to my list of easy veggie sides.
How to Serve
Carrots are easily one of the most versatile vegetables. They’re as at home on quick weeknight dinner as they are with a full blown Festive Feast. Try some of these delicious meal ideas:-
- Serve with slices of Giant Sausage Roll, buttered Cabbage, sweetcorn and Roasted Potato Cubes.
- Try with Glazed Boiled Ham, mashed potatoes, and Lemon & Garlic Green Beans.
- Go for a full roast dinner. Don’t forget the Proper Yorkshire Puddings and Roast Parsnips.

Air Fryer Christmas Dinner Recipes: Turkey, Trimmings & More
For more air fried recipes to make the perfect Christmas dinner (or any roast dinner for that matter), check out this handy post where I’ve collected all my recipe in one easy place.

Everything is included from three different cuts of turkey – breast, crown and whole leg, three types of stuffing – regular packet stuffing, packet stuffing balls and balls with added sausage meat and vegetables like carrots, parsnips, carrots and parsnips(!) and of course sprouts to two types of pigs in blankets – chipolata sized and with cocktail sausages, roast potatoes and a few alternative ideas like bacon wrapped sprouts and roast pork loin.
Ingredients
Carrots
Carrots come in all manner of variations. From fancy coloured bunches with their tops intact to wonky carrots straight from the field and scrubbed carrots from the supermarket. They can be thick or thin, big or small depending on when they’re picked, the time of year and the growing conditions.
You can air fry any carrot but I tend to look for the thicker options if I can. These give lovely big slices are are easy to peel. If you find yourself with thinner carrots, you can consider cutting them lengthways.
The only really important thing is to ensure that all of your carrots are cut to a similar size so they cook evenly.
Do You Need to Peel Carrots?
Technically no. The skins are edible providing they’re scrubbed clean first. Older carrots will usually have a thicker skin and younger, fresher carrots will have a much thinner skin.
My personal preference is to always peel a carrot. I do not enjoy the texture of the skin at all, especially on older carrots and even more so when they’re roasted. But this is really a personal preference, if you want to cook them with the skin on, go right ahead.

Oil
Air frying most certainly gives great results using much less oil then deep frying. It doesn’t mean that you’ll get great results without using any oil. You wouldn’t roast carrots in the oven without some oil, so we also use oil when air frying.
Like with most of my basics and foundation recipes, I’ve used a neutral flavoured vegetable oil for this recipe. If you are serving with a more Mediterranean meal or simply prefer another oil like olive oil, feel free to use that.
By tossing the carrot slices in the oil before adding to the air fryer, we ensure that every single slice of carrot is coated and this helps promote more even cooking and browning. Plus it makes sure that we’re oiling the food and not the air fryer.
Salt
Like eggs, I think carrots really scream out for a decent dose of salt so don’t skimp. I use sea salt flakes. If you have to use fine salt or table salt, reduce the amount in the recipe by half.

Allergen Information
This recipe is free from egg, dairy, gluten and nuts.
Please note that this recipe may contain other allergens not referred to above and any variations suggested have not been tested unless otherwise stated. For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How Long to Air Fry Carrots
So that the carrots are cooked right the way through with only a touch of bite to them, I cook them for 20 minutes.
If you slice the carrots thinner, they will cook a little quicker. And of course if you want to go extra chunky, you will need to cook them for a little longer.

How to Air Fry Carrot Slices From Frozen
You can air fry frozen carrots but I don’t think they roast up anywhere near as well as fresh carrots. Ideally I’d recommend boiling or steaming frozen carrots.
If you really do want to air fry them, it is best to give the carrot slices a quick rinse under cold water and then a really good dry with a tea towel. This will remove any ice crystals and give a better surface for the oil and salt to stick to. It will also help them to roast rather than steam.
Follow the recipe as given – the frozen carrots will roast in roughly the same amount of time as fresh. Although they are starting off colder, the freezing process softens the carrots so they need less roasting to become soft.
If you find the carrots aren’t getting any colour, you can raise the temperature to 200c for the final 5 minutes of cooking.

Leftovers – Storage & Reheating
Leftover carrots can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several days. Make sure they are fully cool before adding the lid.
You can also freeze them but if you are actively planning on doing this, I would recommend undercooking them slightly so they don’t get burnt when reheating.
To reheat you can microwave or pop back in air fryer for 3-4 minutes.

Common Air Fryer Questions – A Brief Guide to Air Frying
- What exactly is an air fryer?
- What are the benefits of using an air fryer?
- Are all air fryers the same?
- Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
- Do air fryers need to be pre-heated?
- What is the best temperature to air fry at?
- What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
- Can food be cooked from frozen in an air fryer?
- Can I reheat food in an air fryer?
- Are air fryer liners a good idea?
What Exactly is an Air Fryer?
Very simply, an air fryer is a small convection (fan) oven. The benefit is that the hot air is circulated all around the food being cooked which speeds up the cooking time and cooks the food more evenly.
What are the Benefits of Using an Air Fryer?
Size, time and energy usage. Air fryers are ideal for cooking smaller quantities. Heating up a space that the food just fits into requires less energy and means that the heat source is much closer to the food. Combining these two things can speed up the cooking time.
Are all air fryers the same?
Nope! The term air fryer is now used very broadly. I consider there to be 4 main types:
Basket Air Fryers
These are what I would consider to be the most common, especially in the UK. A boxy type unit has a pull out drawer/basket. Food isn’t usually visible whilst cooking.
Some larger models have two drawers so different items can be cooked at different temperatures or for different times.
This is the type that you’ll see in the images in this recipe. I mostly use a Cosori Lite 3.8L (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal. It isn’t an overly expensive or fancy model.
I’ve also recommended to several friends and family the model with a slightly larger basket. This is the Cosori 4.7L (CAF-L501) with a 4.7 litre basket. The unit is no larger than the 3.8 litre model on the outside but does have a larger internal basket capacity. I’ve since bought this version to use for some recipes where my smaller model was just too small. I’ll always note this in the recipe.
Rotary Air Fryers
Round air fryers with a paddle in the centre that rotates to move the food. This is the type I used for years – the most common is a Tefal Actifry.
Rotary types are not usually good for recipes where the food is breaded, glazed, likely to break up or in a tray/container. They do however make the best chips and roasted veg.
My 2 in 1 version like the one I’ve linked also has a rotating tray for things that could be broken up by a paddle, but the height clearance with the lid isn’t deep enough to use it to cook some items like sausage rolls. I’ve now actually retired by Actifry in favour of having my two basket type fryers.
Mini Oven Air Fryers
These usually have a glass door, shelves and overall are really quite large. You can cook quite a decent quantity of food in them so are best if regularly cooking for multiple people. They often come with extra features like a rotisserie spit or kebab skewers.
Multicookers with Air Fryer Functions
Some like Ninja 11 in 1 and some of the earlier versions with a few less functions, have an air fryer option. They mostly operate the same as a basket fryer but the basket drops in the top rather than sliding in like a drawer.
Some electric pressure cookers like Instant Pots can also air fry when used with a specific lid.
Is an air fryer always better to use than an oven?
As much as I do love air frying, the honest answer to this is no. And the more detailed answer is that it will always depend on what you’re cooking, how much of it you’re cooking and what type and size of air fryer you have.
Once you need to cook in more than 2 batches, it often makes more sense to use an oven. If you already have the oven on to cook other items, it may make more sense to throw one more item in rather than using an additional appliance.
I don’t think either method is often necessarily better than the other. The important point to note is that there is absolutely no difference in the finished product.
Do Air Fryers Need to Be Pre-Heated?
The answer to this is rather annoying – it depends. It depends entirely on your model and type of air fryer. The best advice I can offer is to check your manual and follow their guidance. My Cosori models have a preheat function. I press a button and it heats at 205c/400f for 4 minutes.
It’s also worth noting that regardless of whether you are supposed to pre-heat or not, if you are cooking in batches, it is quite likely that anything after the first batch will cook a little quicker because of the retained heat. It is best to check on them before the cooking time is completed.

What is the best temperature to Air Fry at?
It will always depend on what you are cooking and from what state. All of my air fryer recipes don’t use temperatures above 200c/390f because many of the most common fryers in the UK don’t go above this. Mine goes to 230c/450f and I use this temperature a lot but it is no help for me to share recipes which many people can’t use.
What setting is best to use? Air fry, bake, dehydrate, etc…
Not all air fryers have different settings like this. When they do it usually relates to the fan speed. The default setting to use will always be “air fry” so unless something else is specifically stated in the recipe, always use the air fry option.
There are other air fryers that have an additional heating element which cooks from underneath rather than just the top. Just as with the other settings, unless you are using a recipe which states to use a second heating element, stick with just using the top down air fry option.
Of course if and when you become more confident with air frying, using recipes and the settings of your air fryer, you can start adapting them to suit.

Can Food Be Cooked From Frozen In An Air Fryer?
Absolutely! To cook from frozen you usually will need to reduce the cooking temperature and increase the time to make sure your food is cooked right through to the middle.
It is best to check my individual recipes for cooking from frozen advice as some items are a little different. And there are occasionally exceptions to the rule.
Can I Reheat Food In An Air Fryer?
Yes. As a general rule I reheat food for roughly 1/3 of the original cooking time at the same temperature. Or at 10 degrees lower for half the time for larger items.
Are Air Fryer Liners a Good Idea?
Unless otherwise stated, I do not use liners when air frying. Basket and rotary type air fryers are designed to be used without liners. Mini oven types will generally require some kind of tray like with a regular large oven although most come with crisper racks to use.
There are many air fryer liners available including quite thick silicone ones. These will affect the cooking times and possibly temperatures of your cooking/baking. I also don’t like how cooking juices are prevented from dripping through the basket rack. This can stop food from crisping all the way around.
When I do want to collect the juices, I mostly use some foil, or occasionally a foil tray which can be washed and reused.
If you do prefer to use them, once you have got a feel for how they affect your cooking and baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe accordingly.
More Air Fryer Recipes
All my recipes with instructions for how to cook or bake them in the air fryer can be found in my Air Fryer Recipe Index.
Still Have Questions?
Simple! Just contact me and I will do my best to help as quickly as I am able. Head over to my Contact Me page, any of my social media channels or post a comment at the bottom of this page and I’ll see what I can do.

Pin How to Air Fry Roasted Carrots For Later
Hit one of the share buttons to save this page to your Pinterest boards so you can come back and find it at anytime!

Keep Up to Date
Make sure you SUBSCRIBE to my newsletter and avoid missing out on any of my newest and bonus content. Don’t worry, I promise not to spam you or bombard you too often. Plus you’ll receive a copy of my FREE 7 Day International Meal Plan!
Also please don’t forget to follow me over on my social media channels over at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. I love to interact with my followers and I’d love you to share my content with your friends too.
The Recipe
How to Air Fry Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 600 g Carrots
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 2 tsp Sea Salt Flakes
Instructions
- If your air fryer has a preheat setting, start this now.
- Top, tail and peel roughly 600g Carrots.
- Cut the carrots into thick slices on an angle. Aim for slices no more than 1cm/⅓" thick. Place into a bowl.
- Drizzle over 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil and add 2 tsp Sea Salt Flakes. Toss to fully coat the carrot slices.
- Tip the carrots into the air fryer basket and give them a shake to make sure they're evenly spread.
- Cook at 190c for 20 minutes. Give the carrots a shake a couple of times during cooking to ensure that they cook evenly – especially if they are not quite sitting in a single layer like mine.
Notes
- Portion Size – The portion size given assumes that the carrots are being served as part of a larger meal like a roast dinner with multiple vegetable options. Double the recipe (or consider the portion number halved) if making the carrots the main vegetable on your meal.
- This recipe is tested in a Cosori Lite (CAF-LI401S) with a 3.8 litre capacity. The square(ish) shaped basket is 21cm x 21cm and 24cm on the diagonal.
- Not all models advise preheating is required. Please follow the recommended instructions for your model. Mine has a specific preheat setting which is 4 minutes at 205c.
- For this recipe, I managed to fit in 600g of thickly sliced carrots. This was a little more than a single layer but everything cooked evenly with a couple of shakes.
- As all air fryer models are a little different, you may find that you can fit more or less in at a time. Some models include stacking shelves which will increase capacity.
- Required cooking times and temperatures can also vary between models and brands. If you know that your air fryer runs a little hotter than most recipes suggest, use a lower temperature. And vice versa. Equally if you find that food cooks more quickly in your machine than instructions usually state, reduce the cooking time (or check it earlier) and vice versa.
Cat says
Love a roasted carrot and air fryer them is so tasty!
Dave says
I’ve always air fried carrots in batons but I tried the angled cut and it works so much better. Thanks for all the helpful information and clear instructions.
Lesley says
Loved this quick and easy recipe for carrots, they cooked in no time and still had a nice bite.