Skip to Content

Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables

Get weeknight vegetable sides on the table fast with these easy flavor-packed air fryer roasted vegetables! They need minimal prep and take just minutes to cook, making them the perfect side for mid-week dinners. Bonus: you can use just about any vegetables you have to hand!

Flay lay photo of air fryer vegetables in a white serving dish.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Air fryer vegetables are quick and easy to prepare, making them the perfect side for dinner when you’re short on time.
  • The vegetables absorb less oil than traditional roasting because they are not sitting in the oil.
  • It is versatile. 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.

For some other tasty air fryer vegetable recipes, check out air fryer sweet potato wedges, air fryer corn on the cob, air fryer green beans.

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

What do you need?

A flat-lay of the ingredients for this recipe: oil, salt and mixed vegetables.

Vegetables

You can cook just about any vegetables in your air fryer. And for this recipe you can use any mix of veggies that you like. 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
  • beets
  • (includes most root vegetables and squash)

Tender vegetables:

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

Oil

The recipe below uses light olive oil. However, you can also use other cooking oils with a high smoke point like vegetable oil, corn oil, or avocado oil.

Tip

Choose a cooking oil with a high smoke point to reduce the chance of your air fryer smoking.

Seasoning

Air fryer veggies are great just seasoned with salt and pepper, to let the flavor of the vegetables shine. However, just about any seasoning you can imagine will also work!

Here are some other great options to try:

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

Use around two teaspoons of seasoning mix per 1lb/450g of vegetables. Choose a seasoning mix with a little salt in it, or add around ½ teaspoon of salt per 1lb/ 450g of vegetables.

Air fryer roast vegetables in a white dish.

How to roast vegetables in the air fryer

Step 1: Prepare vegetables

  • To prepare the veggies, wash and peel them. Actually peeling is optional, you might find the veggies get more crispy if you peel them, but I like to leave the skins on potatoes and sweet potatoes adds color, texture, and nutrients.
  • Next cut the vegetables into 1-inch wide chunks. You can do vegetable fries, cubes, fries, wedges, or any shape you prefer as long as they are around 1 inch thick.
Vegetables being cut on a wooden board.
  • Starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, and 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 you can before seasoning as this will help them to get as crispy as possible.
Cut vegetables wrapped in a white dish towel.

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.
  • If you will be cooking tender vegetables and firm vegetables, season them separately.
Carrots and sweet potato chunks in a bowl with salt and oil.

Tip

You can use an oil spray to reduce the amount of oil used in this recipe, or skip the oil for a dry roasted version (though they won’t be quite as crispy).

Step 3: Air fry vegetables

  • Preheat the air fryer, then place the firm vegetables in the air fryer basket.
  • Roast vegetables in the air fryer for 5 minutes, then remove and shake the basket to redistribute them.
Uncooked vegetables in air fryer basket.
  • Next, add the tender vegetables to the basket, and continue air frying for 10-15 minutes.
Uncooked tender vegetables in air fryer basket.
  • Shake the basket every 5 minutes or so to redistribute the vegetables and ensure they cook evenly. The vegetables will take around 10-15 minutes to cook in the air fryer, but you can monitor the cooking progress each time you shake the basket, and cook until the vegetables are tender and crispy at the edges.
Air fried roast vegetables in air fryer basket.

Serving ideas

These roasted veggies are so delicious I often serve them as they are, straight from the air fryer, but you can take them up a notch with one of these tasty serving ideas:

  • Top with herb butter while they’re still piping hot.
  • Drizzle with truffle oil or chili oil for a burst of flavor.
  • Dress with balsamic vinegar.
  • Sprinkle ½ tablespoon of Parmesan cheese over the top while they are hot.
  • Toss with crumbled feta or goats cheese.
  • Squeeze on some citrus, lemon, or lime juice to add a light, refreshing flavor.
Air fryer roasted vegetables in a white serving dish.

Also want to air fry sides?

I often air fry veggies to go with a main meal I have also cooked in the air fryer. Here’s my process:

  1. Prepare and air fry the vegetables for around ten minutes before you cook the main dish.
  2. Remove the veggies from the air fryer and cover while you cook the main dish.
  3. Finally, return the veg to the air fryer to roast for an additional ten minutes, or until cooked.

This process works best for main dishes that need to rest after cooking. Try Air Fryer Chicken Breast, Air Fryer Steak, Air Fryer Pork Chops, Air Fryer Beef Tenderloin, or Air Fryer Salmon.

Flay lay photo of air fryer vegetables in a white serving dish.

Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables

4.6 from 97 votes
Get weeknight vegetable sides on the table fast with these easy flavor-packed air fryer roasted vegetables! They need minimal prep and take just minutes to cook, making them the perfect side for mid-week dinners. Bonus: you can use just about any vegetables you have to hand!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Serves4 Servings

Ingredients

Firm vegetables

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

Soft vegetables

  • ½ head broccoli
  • 1 medium red onion

Seasoning

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

Directions

  • 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

  1. Include any other starchy vegetables you are cooking in this step.
  2. 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

Serving: 1  Calories: 207kcal  Carbohydrates: 27g  Protein: 4g  Fat: 11g  Saturated Fat: 1g  Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g  Sodium: 952mg  Fiber: 6g  Sugar: 6g

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

Save this recipe for later!Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save this recipe, Pin, or share on socials!

FAQs & Tips

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 perfect 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).

Should I use the ‘Roast’ setting, or ‘Air fry’?

The ‘Air fry’ setting is recommended for this recipe.
With some brands there is no difference between the settings other than the starting temperature (which you can adjust), but with some air fryers, the ‘roast’ setting operates the fan at a lower level which will require different cooking times.

Subscribe!

Get the latest recipes and more from Love Food Not Cooking straight to your inbox!