Air Fryer carrot fries are so easy and straightforward to make!
Deliciously coated with just salt, this three-ingredient dish is a fantastic heart-healthy and family-friendly snack that gives you yet another reason to break out of the air fryer.
Crispy, flavorful and quick, don’t discount air fryer carrot fries as the perfect fancy side dish to pair with a steak.
Why you will love this Carrot Side Dish Recipe!
Carrot fries are incredibly easy to make. With just three simple ingredients, there won’t be much planning ahead that will be needed to get started. This also keeps this recipe budget-friendly and easy to find.
This recipe is quick! With just about 15-20 minutes needed, freshly homemade carrot fries can instantly be a snack or a side.
Kids love anything under the terminology “fry.” By taking the time to turn healthy vegetables into a more fun-to-eat option, you may be able to sneak in some carrots as a side dish recipe.
Ingredients
- Fresh carrots – If you cut medium carrots nice and thin, they are almost exactly like fries or thin carrot sticks.
- Olive oil – Olive oil, unlike vegetable oil, provides a better flavor for the fries. In general, vegetable oil combines other plants and is considered a neutral oil. Olive oil is also considered a healthier option in most cases.
- Seasoning salt – I have some great suggestions below on different seasoning options that go great with skinny carrot fries. They can also be eaten sans seasoning, but that def takes away a bit from the overall recipe. Seasoned carrots make delicious carrot fries, and with easy everyday ingredients in your pantry, you can ensure this is your next favorite snack or a side dish to your favorite meal.
How to make Air Fryer Carrot Fries
- Grab a vegetable peeler and peel full-size long carrots and discard peels. Slice carrots into 1/4″ pieces about 3-4″ long in typical french fry shapes.
- Place sliced carrots into a mixing bowl.
- Add olive oil. Toss to coat all sides of carrots and mix carrots with oil well.
- Season with kosher salt or seasoning salt blend.
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Place carrots into the basket in a single layer and heat for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Cooking times should be pretty consistent across all air fryers, but we always recommend checking on crispy carrot fries to get the desired consistency that works for you.
- Shake and return to the air fryer basket for 3-5 minutes until crispy. If you are making a ton of carrot fries, you may need to make fries in batches to make sure you get a crispier carrot fry.
- Carefully remove fries and place them on a plate.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Expert Air Fryer Tips
The best way to ensure the carrot fries get a crisp is not to crowd the air fryer basket. Keeping them in one row will ensure the even quality crisp and cooking that everyone loves with air-fried food.
Check on them! Yep, depending on how you slice can affect the overall doneness of a carrot fry. To ensure not to overcook the fries, be sure to check on them. Ninja Foodi air fryers make it super easy to peek by just lifting the lid and giving a glance.
While you don’t HAVE to skin the carrots, you should. Carrot skins don’t taste as delicious and sweet as the carrot underneath. Give this job to a kid or a spouse while you cut.
Another great veggie dish to serve up is this air fryer zucchini and squash recipe!
Evenly Cut Carrots for Best Results!
As with most recipes, prep goes a long way. Try to evenly cut carrot fries to ensure the evenest cooking, so some do not burn while others are underdone.
Seasoning Ideas that go great with Carrot Fries
- French Fry Seasoning – fry seasoning is usually a mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and various unique spices that sometimes include cumin, basil, or celery salt. You can find it in the spices aisle, and it is a quick and easy way to season up fries or carrot fries with the perfect blend.
- Sea Salt – Sea salt is a popular pantry addition, and the main difference between regular table salt and sea salt(for most household cooks) is its simple texture. Table salt is processed by taking out minerals and is super tiny. Sea salt doesn’t have as much processing, stays larger, and keeps some of those minerals. Sea salts also come in a variety of colors, like pink!
- Pepper – Good old-fashioned pepper is an excellent addition to any vegetables that are Air Fried. You can spice up carrot fries with pepper quite easily by using regular table pepper or cracked peppercorns.
- Dash of Cayenne – Just a dash will do when it comes to Cayenne pepper. Cayenne comes from hot chili peppers and can even have some positive nutritional benefits. Other substitutes for this could be onion powder or chili powder.
- Parmesan – Last but not least, we always recommend Parmesan for fries or any fry substitutes. Melt a little butter and drizzle on cooked carrot fries, and then sprinkle on shredded or grated parmesan cheese.
Carrot Fries FAQs
Are carrot fries healthy?
Yes, yes, they are. Carrots contain no trans fats or hydrogenated oils, which means they’re free of artery-clogging saturated fat.
And because they’re low in sodium, high in fiber, and loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, these little guys will keep you full longer than most fast food options.
Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free, making them an excellent choice for those who have celiac disease or wheat allergies.
Related Air Fryer Recipes
- Once you learn how to make Air Fryer Tortilla Chips, you will never buy store-bought again!
- Ninja Foodi Salmon is a 5-star meal done for perfectly tender salmon with a coated creamy topping – a highly rated recipe.
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus clears up the oven for other dishes with the same incredible taste.
- Air Fryer Apples are great for seasonal holiday treats.
- This Air Fried Crispy Green Beans recipe is a non-traditional choice to replace those fries and chow down on a snack.
- Viral Air Fried Babybel Cheese is creamy and pull-apart cheesy.
- Pizza Rolls in Air Fryer for the afternoon and after-school appetizer.
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