Air fryer vegetables couldn’t be any easier. This quick and simple recipe for roasting mixed veggies in an air fryer has minimal prep and takes just minutes to cook.
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How to Roast Vegetables in an Air Fryer
Try air frying for flavorsome tender roasted vegetables – you will never roast veggies in your oven again once you try it!
This recipe is for roasting mixed vegetables in an air fryer, but you should also check out this amazing air fryer roast potatoes recipe, 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
What vegetables to use
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 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
- (includes most root vegetables and squash)
Soft vegetables:
- onion
- zucchini
- bell pepper
- cauliflower
- broccoli florets
- asparagus
- mushrooms
- Brussels sprouts (halved)
- green beans
Oil
I usually use olive oil for this recipe as I like the flavor and the health benefits. However, some people prefer to use avocado oil when air frying as it has a higher smoke point.
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 spice
- Mexican spice
- Rosemary and thyme
- Garlic powder and/or onion powder
- Garlic cloves
- Chermoula
- Cinnamon and nutmeg
- Garlic cloves (gently squash them and place directly in the air fryer basket with the 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.
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 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.
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 prefect 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).
Scroll down for the recipe card for these air fryer vegetables!
Recommended tools
Air Fryer Roast Vegetables Recipe Card
Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables
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 at least 10 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 [Note 2] to the oil/seasoning mix and toss to coat.
- 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.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 952mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 6gSugar: 6gProtein: 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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