Air Fryer Baby Carrots

You can’t get easier and tastier than these Air Fryer Baby Carrots. They are the perfect side dish to accompany so many different meals. With air frying being quicker than roasting, these carrots are a perfect midweek option.

why Air fry baby carrots

Baby carrots are usually those that are too small to be sold as whole carrots. The smaller carrots are then chopped and shaped into the iconic baby carrot size.

Baby carrots have been popular in America for years but I have recently seen them appearing on the shelves here in the UK. You might see them called mini carrots but they’re the same thing.

Air fryers have been around for quite a few years now but have become hugely popular in recent years.

Air fryers are smaller than ovens so you’re not heating up a full-sized oven but instead a smaller air fryer. This means they use less energy because you’re heating up a smaller appliance and therefore costing less to run.

Air frying carrots is super easy and quicker than it usually takes to roast them in the oven. They are able to achieve a similar flavour than if they were roasted in the oven, but in less time.

How to prepare baby carrots

One of the advantages of baby carrots are they require no preparation. You can use them straight from the packet as they have already been washed and peeled.

This is a great time saving step if you are busy preparing a meal. It does mean that they don’t have their peel to protect them so they tend to wrinkle quicker than standard carrots.

To help with this I would recommend to not buy them too far in advance and not buy more than you are planning to use fairly quickly.

Adding extra flavours to air fryer bABY carrots

I have deliberately kept the flavours of these air fryer baby carrots really simple. It is not only how I prefer to eat them, but intentional too.

Once you know how to cook this simple version, you can get as creative as you like and add more flavours.

Some flavours that you might like to try:

• Honey or maple syrup
• Cumin
• Za’atar
• Orange
• Rosemary or thyme
• Garlic

If you are using honey or maple syrup you will probably want to add it towards the end of the cooking time as the high sugar content would increase the risk of it burning.

do you need to preheat an air fryer?

That depends on your air fryer, some require preheating whilst others don’t. I have a Ninja Foodi 7-in-1 multicooker and a Ninja Foodi Flexdrawer and I have never preheated either.

If your air fryer does require preheating, check the carrots a few minutes sooner than the recipe states. If your air fryer is warm, food is likely to cook a few minutes faster.

Do you need to par boil the carrots?

As with my roasted air fryer carrots and air fryer Chantenay, I don’t par boil my baby carrots before air frying them. I do par boil carrots when I oven roast them because they take a lot longer and it helps cut down the cooking time and prevents them from getting too dark.

This isn’t an issue in the air fryer because they cook more quickly. And if I can reduce cooking steps I will!

You can of course par boil the carrots if you would like before putting them in the air fryer to reduce their cook time. Par boil them until they are just tender and make sure they steam dry before adding the oil and seasonings and transferring them to your air fryer.

They will obviously take less time to air fry if you have par boiled them. I would try 8-10 minutes.

can you use an air fryer liner?

Air fryer liners are a great time saving addition because they are usually easier to wash than the basket of your air fryer.

Most reusable air fryer liners are silicone and although they are handy to have, I wouldn’t recommend using them for all recipes. For these carrots you should be fine to use a liner, but they might take a little longer to cook.

I’ve written a whole post on whether you should use an air fryer liner, check it out for more information.

what to serve with these air fryer baby carrots

These carrots are the perfect side dish to so many meals as they are so versatile.

One of my favourite ways to enjoy them is as part of a roast dinner along with the following recipes:

• Air Fryer Roast Beef
• Air Fryer Gammon Joint
• Simple Air Fryer Whole Roast Chicken
• Festive Vegetarian Galettes
• Simple Roast Potatoes
• Air Fryer Pigs in Blankets
• Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
• Roasted Air Fryer Parsnips
• Broccoli Cheese
• Creamed Savoy Cabbage

These carrots would make a great side dish to meals such as my Chicken & Ham Hock Pie and Pork Fillet Stroganoff as well as many others.

Don’t forget that you can use any leftovers to make my air fryer bubble & squeak.

how to keep & reheat the carrots

These baby carrots will keep in an air tight container in the fridge for up to three days.

You can of course eat them cold, but most people would prefer to reheat them again. This can be done quickly in the microwave or you can add them back to the air fryer.

In the microwave they will be soft and tender, whereas if you reheat them in the air fryer they will crisp up slightly. They shouldn’t take more than two minutes in the microwave or more then 5-7 minutes in the air fryer.

This is a great option if you are making this carrots as part of a Sunday roast or for Thanksgiving or Christmas because you can get ahead and reheat them on the day.

Other Recipes you might like

• Air Fryer Green Beans
• Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables
• Classic Cauliflower Cheese
• Air Fryer Rosemary & Garlic Roast Potatoes
• Air Fryer Parmesan Tenderstem Broccoli

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