Cooking Vegetables In Air Fryer

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Air fryer roasted vegetables couldn't be any easier to make. This quick and simple recipe for roasting mixed veggies in the air fryer has minimal prep and takes just minutes to cook.

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Air fryer roasted vegetables in a black bowl. — Air fryer vegetables.

How to Roast Vegetables in an Air Fryer

Roasted vegetables is a delicious and popular side dish. I love roasting vegetables in the air fryer, because it is quick, easy, and almost entirely mess-free.

You can use any type of vegetables for this recipe to suit the main dish you are making or accommodate any tastes in the family. It's the perfect recipe for the whole family – it's quick and easy to make, and it's something that will be enjoyed by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Once you try roasting vegetables in the air fryer and see how easy it is you will never go back to roasting them in your oven!

This recipe is for roasting mixed vegetables in an air fryer, but you should also check out this amazing recipe for air fryer roasted potatoes, air fried cauliflower and air fryer roasted broccoli.

Scroll down for the recipe card for these air fryer vegetables, or read on for all the details!

Ingredients

Quantities are given in the recipe card below.

Vegetables

Any vegetables will work for this air fryer recipe. You can use any mix of veggies that you might normally roast in an oven, so choose the right mix of root vegetables, starchy vegetables or low-carb vegetables for you and your family.

The cooking times for softer more tender vegetables (like broccoli) will be shorter than for firm vegetables (like potatoes). This means you will need to air fry the firm vegetables first for 5 minutes before adding the softer vegetables.

Firm vegetables:

potato
squash
sweet potato
carrot
pumpkin
parsnips
beet
(includes most root vegetables and squash)

Tender vegetables:

onion
zucchini
bell pepper
cauliflower
broccoli florets
asparagus
mushrooms
Brussels sprouts (halved)
green beans

Oil

I usually use light olive oil for this recipe as I like the flavor and the health benefits. However, you can also use other cooking oils with a high-smoke point like vegetable oil, corn oil or avocado oil.

If you find that your air fryer tends to smoke during cooking then you could try switching to avocado oil.

Note: try to avoid using 'cooking spray', as this can damage the non-stick coating of some air fryers.

If you want a healthier version of this recipe you can switch from regular olive oil to olive oil spray.

Seasoning

I often just use salt to season these veggies, but they are also great with just about any seasoning you can imagine.

Here are some other great options to try:

Cajun seasoning
Mexican spice
Rosemary and thyme
Garlic powder and/or onion powder
Garlic cloves
Chermoula
Italian seasoning
Cinnamon and nutmeg
Garlic cloves (gently squash them and place directly in the air fryer basket with the vegetables)

Air fried roast vegetables in a black bowl — Air fried roast vegetables

Instructions

Step 1: prep and cut vegetables

To prepare the veggies, wash and peel them. Actually peeling is optional, you might find the veggies get more crispy if you have peeled them, but sometimes I like to leave the skins on potatoes and sweet potatoes for added color and texture.

Next cut the vegetables into 1 inch wide chunks. You can do vegetable fries, cubes, fries, wedge shapes, or any shape you prefer as long as they are no thicker than around 1 inch.

Starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, parsnips, need to be soaked (or at least rinsed thoroughly) before air frying. This removes the surface starch and helps them to get that deliciously crispy texture, so don't skip this step!

Next pat the vegetables dry on a clean dish towel or with paper towels. It is important to get them as dry as possible before seasoning as this means they start to get crispy as soon as they start cooking.

If they are not dry when they start cooking the surface moisture will need to evaporate before this can happen, which delays the crisping up process.

Step 2: Season Vegetables

Mix the oil, salt and seasoning in a large bowl, add the vegetables and toss to coat them well with the seasoning.

Cut vegetables in a bowl with oil, salt and pepper. — Mix seasoning and oil in a large bowl, add vegetables and toss to coat.

Tip: For a healthier version of this recipe you can mix the vegetables with the dry seasoning then either spritz with olive oil, or skip the oil for a super healthy (though slightly less crispy) version.

Step 3: Air fry vegetables

The vegetables will take around 10-15 minutes to cook. Softer vegetables will take longer than firm vegetables.

Preheat the air fryer, then add the firm vegetables. Air fry for 5 minutes, then remove and shake the basket.

Next add the softer vegetables, and continue air frying for 10-15 minutes. Shake the basket every 5 minutes or so to redistribute the vegetables and ensure they cook evenly.

This also allows you to check on cooking progress, so you can get the cooking time just right.

How to Serve Air Fryer Vegetables

Here are some ways I like to serve these air fried veggies:

Dress with balsamic vinegar
Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese over the top
Top roasted veggies with herb butter
Cut as vegetable fries and serve with ranch dressing (use store-bought, or try making your own)

These air fryer vegetables make a great side for a dish like air fryer Cornish hen, air fryer beef tenderloin, air fryer pork roast, or air fryer beef roast.

To cook them in the air fryer in addition to a cut of meat, air fry the vegetables for around ten minutes before you cook the meat, remove them from the air fryer and cover while you cook the meat, then return them to the air fryer for an additional ten minutes (or until cooked) while the meat is resting.

Scroll down for the recipe card for these air fryer roasted vegetables!

FAQs & Tips

Are fried vegetables vegetables healthy?

Air frying is a very healthy way of cooking vegetables. Exactly how healthy depends on how much oil you use to cook them – more oil means crisper vegetables, but they are less healthy.

What are the best vegetables to cook in an air fryer?

Most vegetables can be cooked in an air fryer, but any vegetables that you might usually roast or grill are prefect for air frying.

Can you air fry frozen vegetables?

Yes you can. Air frying is actually a great way to cook frozen veggies. If you want to cook air fryer frozen vegetables instead of fresh in this recipe, increase the cooking times by a few minutes (due to the extra surface moisture on frozen vegetables).

Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables Recipe Card

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

How to roast vegetables in an air fryer.

Ingredients

Firm vegetables

1 medium sweet potato
1 medium potato
1 cup chopped butternut squash (yellow squash, or pumpkin)
1 medium carrot

Soft vegetables

1/2 head broccoli
1 medium red onion

Seasoning

3 tablespoons olive oil (or avocado oil)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon seasoning (optional)

Instructions

Wash and peel the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash. Cut into 1-2 inch chunks and place in a bowl of cold water to soak for 5 minutes. [Note 1]
Wash and peel the remaining vegetables and cut into 1-2 inch chunks.
Preheat air fryer to 360°F (180°C).
Drain the soaked vegetables, and pat all the vegetables dry.
Mix olive oil, salt and seasoning in a large bowl. Add the firm vegetables [Note 2] and toss to coat with the seasoning.
Place firm vegetables in air fryer basket and air fry for 5 minutes.
While the firm vegetables are air frying, add the soft vegetables to the oil/seasoning mix and toss to coat [Note 2].
After five minutes, gently shake the air fryer basket to redistribute the veggies, then add the soft vegetables on top.
Air fry for 10-15 minutes shaking the basket every 5 minutes until vegetables are tender and golden brown.

Notes

Include any other starchy vegetables you are cooking in this step.
If you are cooking a mix of firm and soft vegetables (eg broccoli, zucchini) then place the firm vegetables in the air fryer first and cook for 5 minutes before adding the soft vegetables. See post for list of firm and soft vegetables.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207 Total Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 9g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 952mg Carbohydrates: 27g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 6g Protein: 4g

Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.

You may also like:

Air fryer carrots
Air Fryer French fries
Air fryer roasted butternut squash
Air fryer corn
Air fryer pumpkin
Easy mashed potatoes
Air fryer vegetable recipe (category)
Air fryer chicken recipes (category)

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About Eliza

Welcome to Love Food Not Cooking!

I'm Eliza, busy mom, home cook, and blogger. My goal is to help everyone cook good food. Whether you are short on time, skills or motivation, there is something here for you! We have dozens of quick and easy recipes for dinner, lunch, side dishes, and more. Our recipes use everyday ingredients, for quick delicious meals your family will love! Read more…