These air fryer baby carrots are a quick and simple side dish that’s parent and kid approved! These air fried carrots are tossed in a sweet and savory glaze that’s a cinch to make. This is a perfect weeknight side dish, but also special enough for your holiday table!
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Roasting veggies is hands down my favorite way to enjoy vegetables/ Roasting brings out the sweetness, while preserving all those wonderful flavors!
“Roasting” in the air fryer is no different! An air fryer is just a glorified convection oven that circulate heats, so you’ll get the same “roasted” effect in the air fryer…in usually a lot less time, too! I am an air fryer roasting crazy person! I feel like this is the only way I can veggies any more!
Some of my current faves are my Air Fryer Roasted Root Veggies (fall vibes!), Air Fryer Broccoli (with a touch of lemon and parm) and my Air Fryer Chinese Style Green Beans (sweet, sticky perfection!).
And of course, these roasted baby carrots in the air fryer are a new family fave! Cooking carrots in the air fryer is quick, simple and family-approved!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Quick and easy with very little chopping!
- The sweet glaze on the carrots makes this appealing to both adults and kiddos!
- It’s a great, quick weeknight side, but also special enough for your holiday table.
- There’s always an option use regular carrots, too if you don’t have baby carrots.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make these delicious air fryer baby carrots:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Baby Carrots: Baby carrots are a great option in this recipe because they are just so easy! No peeling or chopping required! However, you can absolutely use regular carrots, too! You just may have to adjust the cooking time a bit, depending on how big you cut your carrots.
Rosemary: I love fresh rosemary because it gives me all the “holiday vibes!” It smells SO AMAZING! But you can use dried rosemary, if you don’t have any fresh. Dried or fresh thyme works great too!
HOW TO MAKE BABY CARROTS IN THE AIR FRYER: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Toss carrots with olive oil and a little salt.
Step 2: Air fry at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until fork tender.
Step 3: While carrots are air frying, make the glaze. In a small pan over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar, garlic powder, and rosemary leaves. Cook 2-3 minutes until butter is melted and everything is well mixed.
Step 4: Remove carrots from air fryer and toss with the butter/sugar mixture. Top with hazelnuts/walnuts/pistachios (optional) and fresh chopped parsley (optional) and serve immediately!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
400 degrees is the ideal cooking temperature for carrots in the air fryer.
You can, but I definitely do not recommend it. Carrots have a good deal of water in them, and they tend to get super mushy when frozen, especially with the glaze.
Store carrots in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The butter with solidify on them a bit, but will soften up with no problem once you reheat them! To reheat, just pop them in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds. Or, air fry them at 350 for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
These carrots pair so perfectly with my air fryer Cornish game hens!
RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS
- When removing your baby carrots from the bag, make sure you drain off any excess water that may have been in the bag and pat your carrots dry, if necessary. You want your carrots dry before tossing them in the olive oil and air frying.
- Finishing off the carrots with some chopped nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts and pistachios work great!) gives the perfect little crunch to the dish. I also love adding a little chopped parsley for a bit of freshness, too!
- People have a wide range of preference for how they like their carrots cooked. My husband is on Team Mushy and I am on Team Crunchy! This recipe is written with a range on cooking time–the lower end is more #teamcrunchy and the higher is more #teammushy. Your best bet is to actually taste a carrot at around the 12-15 minute mark and adjust cooking to your preference. I highly recommend not overcooking them and err on the more “al dente” side, as that seems to work best with the glaze.
- Cook the glaze just a few minutes before the carrots are done. You don’t want the butter to cool as the glaze becomes less pourable.
OTHER AIR FRYER RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- AIR FRYER CORNISH GAME HENS
- AIR FRYER ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES
- AIR FRYER BAKED APPLES WITH CINNAMON GLAZE
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Air Fryer Baby Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs baby carrots usually two regular sized bags
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- fresh chopped parsley and nuts for topping optional
For the glaze
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves See Note 1
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 400. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheat setting, just turn it to 400 and give it about 3-5 minutes to come to temperature.
- In a large bowl, toss baby carrots, olive oil and salt. Note: when taking baby carrots out of the bag, make sure to drain off any excess water that might have been in the bag. You want your carrots to be dry before tossing them in oil and air frying them.
- Spread baby carrots on your air fryer tray or basket (I always like using air fryer tray liners for easy clean up). Then air fry for 15-20 minutes until fork tender (or cooked to your desired texture, See Note 2).
- A few minutes before the carrots are done, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar, garlic powder and rosemary for 2-3 minutes until butter is melted and ingredients are combined. Stir a few times while cooking.
- Remove carrots from air fryer and toss with the glaze. Top with chopped nuts and parsley if you like!
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