These air fryer roasted vegetables couldn’t be any easier to make. This quick and simple recipe for roasting mixed vegetables in the air fryer is quick and easy to prepare, and takes just minutes to cook. Even better, it’s totally versatile – you can use just about any vegetables you have to hand!
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 than traditional roasting because they are not sitting in the oil, so it is a healthier way to roast veg.
- 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, and air fryer zucchini chips.
Scroll down for the printable recipe card for these air fryer vegetables, or read on for all the details!
What do you need?
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.
If you want a healthier version of this recipe you can switch from regular olive oil to olive oil spray. Choose the type that spritzes rather than an aerosol, because the propellant in aerosol oil sprays can damage the non-stick coating of your air fryer.
When air frying, 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.
How to roast vegetables in the air fryer
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 peel them, but leaving 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.
- 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 possible before seasoning as this will help them to get as crispy as possible. 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.
- If you will be cooking tender vegetables and firm vegetables, season them separately.
Tip
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
- 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.
- Next, add the tender vegetables to the basket, 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.
The vegetables will take around 10-15 minutes to cook in the air fryer. Monitor the cooking progress each time you shake the basket, and cook until the vegetables are tender and crispy at the edges.
Serving ideas
Serve these air fried veggies as a side dish as they are, or take them to the next level with one of these serving ideas:
- Top with herb butter when they are fresh out of the air fryer
- 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
- Squeeze on some citrus, lemon or lime juice adds a light refreshing flavor.
- Drizzle with ranch dressing or garlic mayo.
Also want to air fry sides?
You can air fry the main dish as well as the veg using this simple process:
- Prepare and air fry the vegetables for around ten minutes before you cook the main dish.
- Remove the veggies from the air fryer and cover while you cook the main dish.
- 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.
FAQs & Tips
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.
Most vegetables can be cooked in an air fryer, but any vegetables that you might usually roast or grill are perfect for air frying.
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).
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.
Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables
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
- 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
Recommended equipment
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
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…
