How to Cook Vegetables In an Air Fryer

If you're a fan of cooking in the kitchen, then you've likely heard of the latest healthy cooking trend—air frying. Raving reviews, more nutritious recipes, and a quick cooking time have all of us favoring this cooking method. While nearly any type of food can be prepared in an air fryer, vegetables are by far our favorite. 

Air Frying vegetables is a quick and easy way to turn healthy food like zucchini, sweet potatoes, and carrots into a fried masterpiece. Ready to make a bath of air-fried veggies yourself? Keep scrolling as we discuss how to properly cook vegetables in an air fryer and the benefits of doing so.

What is an Air Fryer?

If you've yet to use an air fryer, let's first explain what this trending kitchen appliance is capable of. An air fryer is a countertop-friendly appliance that uses high temperatures to bake, grill, and fry your food with little to no oil. Quicker than cooking on a stove-top, delicious air-fried veggies can be whipped up in minutes. Plus, the texture is unmatched. By circulating heat at high temperatures, air fryers create a crispy outer layer to your food while leaving the inside of it moist.

How to Cook Vegetables in an Air Fryer

Cooking vegetables in an air fryer produces a similar result to roasting, with just a bit more crispy of a crust. While just about any veggie can be cooked in the air fryer, different textures require slightly different cooking methods. Below we'll walk you through how to air fry soft, firm, and frozen vegetables to perfection.

Air Frying Soft Vegetables

The quick cooking time of soft vegetables makes them the easiest type of vegetable to cook in an air fryer. Add a side of veggies to your plate in minutes by whipping up a batch of tender veggies and greens like bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussel sprouts.

How to Prepare:

1. Preheat the device to 375 degrees F. 
2. Prep the vegetables.
3. Add the desired amount of seasonings and oil.
4. Layer the vegetables into the bottom of your air fryer as flat as possible and allow them to cook for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Air Frying Firm vegetables

While firm vegetables take a bit longer to cook, they are equally as delicious! Firm vegetables like carrots, beets, potatoes, and pumpkin can all be cooked in an air fryer in under 30 minutes—significantly reducing your time spent in the kitchen.

How to Prepare:

1. Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees F
2. Prep the vegetables (remember, smaller cuts will cook more quickly.)
3. Add the desired amount of seasonings and oil.
4. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

Air Frying Frozen Vegetables

Frozen vegetables can also be cooked quickly in an air fryer when prepped correctly. To cook frozen vegetables, first determine which category the vegetables fall under, soft or firm, and add a couple of minutes to the cooking time. The extra amount of time will allow the vegetables to thaw and the water to evaporate.

Air Fryer Benefits

Less Fat, Calories, and Salt

Many of us associate the word "fried" with unhealthy foods and recipes. While many fried foods are high in fat, calories, and salt air fryers don't require any of these to achieve the same taste and texture. 

Using an air fryer is a much more nutritious way to cook foods that you would commonly deep fry because it entails little to no oil. By swapping deep-fried foods for air-fried ones, you can drastically reduce your intake of unhealthy fats and calories.

Easy Clean-Up

Grilled, sauteed, and fried veggies all taste delicious. However, cleaning them up can be a task in itself. Using an air fryer will reduce your cooking time and cut your cleaning time in half. 

Like an Instant Pot, an air-fryer offers a one-pot style method of cooking, which means that you only have one cookware to clean. Most parts of an air fryer can be wiped off with a damp cloth or washed in the sink, making them much easier to clean than larger cooking appliances or pots and pans filled with oil.

More Variety and Flavor

Have a picky eater in the house? Air-fried food is a great way to turn bland veggies into crispy, tasty treats. Vegetables boast a unique texture, and many individuals, especially young children, enjoy vegetables like broccoli much more once it's been fried. 

The next time you'd like your little ones to snack on a plateful of carrots or zucchini, slice them into strips and turn them into fries in the air fryer. Kid-approved and delicious, air-fried vegetables are a treat that everyone will enjoy!

Fast Food Preparation

Once you begin cooking vegetables in an air fryer, you won't want to stop. Air fryers significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to cook food, meaning your veggies will be fried to perfection in just minutes. This quick-cooking method is achieved by the air fryer's ability to circulate hot air evenly within the appliance.

Now that you know how to properly air fry vegetables and the benefits of doing so, it's time to put your skills to the test! Whether you choose to create your air-fried masterpiece or transform a traditionally fried dish like these 5 Ingredient Zucchini Fritters into an air-fried one, we're confident the result will be delicious. From everyone at Bob's Red Mill, we wish you a happy and healthy day!