These Air Fryer Carrots come out wonderfully tender with the most delicious roasted flavors. They are quick and easy to make and take barely any work at all. Perfect for a simple holiday side!
Prep: Preheat air fryer for 5 minutes. In the meantime, trim and peel carrots and cut into spears (I cut them in half and then slice each halve into 4 spears).
Season carrots: Place carrots in a large bowl and toss with oil, dried thyme, salt and pepper.
Add to air fryer: Place carrots into hot air fryer basket in an even layer.
Cook: Air fry at 375°F (195°C) for 12-15 minutes, checking from time to time, until tender.
Finish: Immediately transfer carrots to a serving bowl and gently toss with butter and honey. Serve hot.
Notes
Ingredient notes
Carrots: I like using medium-sized carrots here. For special holidays, I always try to get ones with the green still on and then leave a small bit of it for a really nice presentation. But this is totally optional. Freshly picked carrots (e.g. from the farmer's market or garden) tend to cook faster vs grocery store carrots, so keep this in mind. Bagged baby carrots can also be used in this recipe, but again, they'll cook a little quicker.
Olive oil: This is my preferred oil here, but a neutral vegetable oil like canola will work just as well.
Dried thyme: I love thyme with carrots, but if you're not a fan you could always use dried parsley instead, or just leave it out.
Butter/honey: The carrots come out delicious without adding the butter and honey, but I think this just takes them up a notch. I always add it for special meals, but will frequently leave it out if I'm making the carrots to serve with a weeknight dinner.
Recipe tips
Cut the carrots into evenly sized pieces, otherwise they will not all cook in the same time.
Do not skip pre-heating the air fryer, it really makes a difference.
Check on your carrots a few times during cooking, to make sure you catch them at the right time. The exact cooking time will depend a lot on your exact carrots used, how large you cut them and how big your air fryer is!
I tested this recipe using a (affiliate link which earns me a commission) Cosori Air Fryer Max. I love it for it's simple design and large basket. If you have a much smaller air fryer, you may need to cook the carrots in two batches.