Air Fryer Potatoes and Carrots

Beautiful in its simplicity, these air fryer potatoes and carrots require a few ingredients likely already in your pantry. Perfectly seasoned with a crispy texture, this savory recipe is great for a snack, side, or mix-in. Enjoy!

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Jump to:

• ❤️ What you’ll love about these air fryer potatoes and carrots
• Ingredient List
• 🔪 Equipment
• 👩🏽‍🍳 Instructions
• Recipe
• 🧊 Storage Instructions
• ✅ Acceptable Substitutions
• 🍶 Creative Variations
• 🥔 Tips for the Ideal Air Fried Potatoes and Carrots
• ♻️ Sustainability
• ❓Frequently Asked Questions
• 😍 You might also like...

In my opinion, the hallmark of a good side dish is the fact you could eat enough to turn it into an entire meal. Versatile, savory, and the ideal combination of tender and crunchy texture, these air fryer potatoes and carrots are a true winner. The added benefit of easy cooking in the air fryer makes these a great staple dish.  Pair with red lentil tortillas for a tasty wrap that won't disappoint!

❤️ What you’ll love about these air fryer potatoes and carrots

Simple seasonings. Sometimes, the most delicious food is made with just a few, simple ingredients likely in your pantry. Customize with your own preferences.

Easy to make. You don’t even need to peel the potatoes and carrots. Just add to the basket of your air fryer and let it do the rest of the work!

Crunchy, yet tender texture. When you evenly chop your vegetables and add a reasonable amount to the air fryer basket (for example, don’t overcrowd the basket with multiple layers), you can achieve a consistency that has a slightly crunchy exterior and tender interior.

Flavors popular any time of year. These air fryer potatoes and carrots are simple enough they pair well with practically any dish…even seasonal choices.

Ingredients that are affordable and easy to source. Of course, we love delicious food that is sustainable – that only makes it taste better, right? Potatoes, carrots, and dried herbs are relatively easy to source (even from your own garden) and have less impact on the environment.

Pro Tip:

A little (seasoning) goes a long way. Feel free to make these your own, but the beauty of these potatoes and carrots is in the subtlety of their flavors, allowing them to enhance your meal without stealing the entire show.

Ingredient List

Gold potatoes. I love the flavor and texture of gold potatoes for this recipe. However, you can absolutely substitute with the potato of your choice. For the best outcome, the priority is cutting them into relatively even pieces. Bonus: There is no need to peel!

Carrots. Just wash and dry your carrots before chopping – no peeling required. Have an option to buy local or source from your own backyard? Even better! Similar to the potatoes, just be sure to cut into even pieces; though, some variation is fine.

Extra virgin olive oil. A little olive oil is more than fine for this dish. Be sure to stir to thoroughly coat before determining if you need more. The key to a crispy texture is making sure the potatoes and carrots aren’t drenched in oil, but have just enough for tender pieces that hold their seasonings.

Kosher salt. Kosher salt is a great choice for even distribution.

Freshly-ground black pepper. I love the extra zest from freshly-ground black pepper, but it isn’t mandatory.

Garlic powder. Add classic depth of flavor with a hint of garlic powder. To me, this classic flavor is what makes this a delightful comfort food.

Dried thyme. Thyme is a nice addition to give these potatoes and carrots a lovely earthy and slightly lemony flavor.

Dried parsley. Dried parsley gives these veggies a bright, earthy flavor that pairs well with the dried thyme.

Smoked paprika. Smoked paprika offers even greater depth of flavor with its smoky, woodsy flavor. Just a hint really sets these apart from other air fried veggies…delish.

🔪 Equipment

• Cutting board
• Knife
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring spoons
• Mixing spoon
• Air fryer
• Tongs (optional)

👩🏽‍🍳 Instructions

Preheat your air fryer. This process should only take a few minutes – one of the many benefits of the air frying process!

Wash and dry your potatoes and carrots. There is no need to peel your carrots or potatoes, just pat them dry before chopping.

Chop both the potatoes and carrots into 1-inch by 1-inch pieces. Cutting the potatoes and carrots in even pieces will promote a more consistent texture and cooking time.

Coat with olive oil. A little oil goes a long way, so add the potatoes and carrots to a bowl, add the olive oil, and toss thoroughly to coat.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and remaining seasonings.

Stir to evenly distribute seasonings. Tossing with seasonings should take less time than coating with olive oil. Just make sure you’ve tossed the seasonings and vegetables a few times to promote even distribution. Too much tossing, and you’ll likely start making the distribution less consistent – strange how that works.

Add vegetables to air fryer basket. When you pour in the potatoes and carrots, pay close to attention to the sizzle. Shake the basket to allow the vegetables to form one layer across the bottom (a few pieces might sit atop one another – that’s fine, as long as it isn’t the majority).

Use tongs (or pour) the contents onto your serving dish. When done, either pour the contents of the air fryer basket onto a serving dish, or use tongs to safely remove. Prior to removal, safely examine a piece to make sure it has reached your desired texture and consistency.

Serve warm. Enjoy warm, or store for later use.

Recipe

🧊 Storage Instructions

Allow the potatoes and carrots to cool before adding to an airtight container and refrigerating for up to one week. Though you can enjoy these cold, heating them up in a microwave, air fryer, or oven is ideal.

✅ Acceptable Substitutions

Vegetables. Get creative with your vegetables. For example, experiment with colorful carrots or potatoes of different varieties.

Seasonings. This recipe is purposefully created to provide subtle (but delicious!) flavor. If you prefer a more earthy flavor, consider incorporating some dried rosemary. Or, sprinkle with dried chives for a more classic baked-potato-adjacent taste.

🍶 Creative Variations

Explore the rainbow. If you’re sourcing your carrots or potatoes from a grocery store that carries multiple varieties, try selecting colorful versions of both vegetables for a more colorful dish!

🥔 Tips for the Ideal Air Fried Potatoes and Carrots

Stay close to the air fryer when making this dish for the first time. Check close to the ten-minute mark, just to make sure you’re achieving your desired consistency.

♻️ Sustainability

Though potatoes tend to place last in the carbohydrate popularity contest, these vegetables actually bring quite a bit to our plates and our planet! In fact, their versatility is catching the eye of researchers seeking options to make potato farming more sustainable; particularly because these vegetables hold promise by:

• Producing nutritious food quickly
• Requiring less land use
• Remaining viable in harsh climates

According to VegNews,

“…potatoes produce more food energy per cubic meter of water used than any other major crop, and they use less land per kilogram of production than most other foods.”

Carrots are also a favorite in the Inspired Epicurean household – not only for their health benefits – but because their production has relatively low impact on the Earth. This means, they have both a low water and carbon footprint. When sourcing carrots, the ideal scenario is to purchase organic and locally grown…or grow your own!

❓Frequently Asked Questions

How long do you cook potatoes and carrots in the air fryer?

When chopped into small pieces, cooking potatoes and carrots in an air fryer should take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. Size and cooking temperature are the primary factors in determining time needed. The higher the temperature, the shorter the cooking time. For example, this recipe calls for pieces that are 1-inch by 1-inch in size and cooked at a high temperature (450 degrees). If you’re cooking whole potatoes, be prepared to cook longer – usually 40 to 50 minutes.

Is air frying potatoes faster than baking?

Yes, air frying is typically a faster baking method than potatoes. Again, several factors determine the ultimate cooking time. A traditional baked potato will need about an hour of cooking time in the oven, compared to about 40 minutes in the air fryer. When cutting into smaller pieces, the cooking time reduces, but will still be abbreviated in the air fryer.

Are potatoes more sustainable than rice?

Compared to rice, potatoes have a lower carbon footprint (0.2 kg CO2e/kg2) than rice (2.55 kg CO2e/kg1). They are a particularly versatile vegetable, especially because they are considered a “high yield” crop that require less fertilizers than other carbohydrates…like rice. In fact, rice production claims 10-13% of worldwide methane emissions. Learn more about the sustainability of vegan carbohydrates here.

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