These Air Fryer Honey Roasted Carrots turn everyday carrots into glossy, golden bites with lightly caramelized edges and a touch of fresh herbs, all in just 15 minutes. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal, or even a holiday dinner, these carrots make a delicious side dish.
Carrots and honey are a classic flavor combination as the honey compliments the natural sweetness of carrots. Plus, the sugar helps lightly caramelize the carrots, meaning they develop a lightly toasted, almost crispy exterior and tender interior.
Serve these honey glazed air fryer carrots alongside roasted turkey and all the trimmings for Thanksgiving. Or, it can make a perfect side dish to a weeknight meal like Cast Iron BBQ Chicken Breasts, Pan Seared Shrimp with Garlic and Herbs, or even Miso Salmon.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick weeknight side dish with minimal cleanup.
- Just a handful of simple ingredients.
- Naturally sweet glaze with no refined sugar.
- Works with baby or whole carrots or any size.
- Tested air fryer times for perfect doneness.
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Ingredients that Matter
These recipe relies on a handful of very simple ingredients, all available at your local grocery store:
- Carrots. The star of the dish, carrots are a healthy, readily available root vegetable that's available all year. Their natural sweetness intensifies as they roast, developing a rich, toasty flavor.
- Olive Oil. A bit of oil promotes browning. Note that you can use just about any oil here, from avocado to vegetable.
- Honey. This viscous sweetener creates a sticky, flavorful glaze. Plus, the sugar in honey encourages caramelization.
- Salt & Black Pepper. Season the carrots to taste. A bit of salt and pepper actually balances the sweetness in the dish.
- Fresh Herbs. Earthy, woody herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme (often sold as poultry herbs) add a savory note that balances the honey.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Honey Roasted Carrots in the Air Fryer
Preparing roasted carrots in an air fryer takes just minutes. The air fryer creates an intensely hot and dry cooking environment, making it ideal to caramelize and lightly toast the carrots. Here is how the dish comes together:
- Step 1. Start scrubbing (or peeling, if desired) and drying the carrots well. Roughly chop into even pieces, or cut into oblong pieces by cutting the carrot at a 45-degree angle, then rolling the carrot halfway and slicing at an angle again. Finely chop the fresh herbs until you have about 1 tablespoon.
- Step 2. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Mix together the olive oil and honey in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the mixture to a medium mixing bowl and reserve the rest in the small bowl.
- Step 3. Add the carrots to the medium bowl along with 2 teaspoons of the fresh herbs and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
- Step 4. Lightly coat an air fryer basket with cooking spray then add the carrots. Air fry until lightly golden brown and a bit caramelized on the edges. This will take about 10-12 minutes in a basket-style air fryer or 12-16 minutes in a toaster-style air fryer. Be sure to shake the basket halfway to encourage even cooking. Carefully transfer the carrots back to the medium bowl and pour on remaining oil and honey mixture and 1 teaspoon fresh herbs. Toss well to coat and serve immediately.
Adam's Pro Tip
For crispier edges, try air frying at 400°F for the last 2 minutes. If you want to serve long carrots, cut medium carrots in half lengthwise and lay flat in the air fryer basket. You can check for doneness using a fork. It should meet just a bit of resistance.
Substitutions & Variations
I consider this a basic recipe for flavorful air fryer roasted carrots, but there are plenty of substitutions and variations to take it to the next level. Consider the following:
- Maple Syrup - Make this recipe vegan by swapping out equal part maple syrup for the honey. Maple and carrots go incredibly well together like in my Maple Roasted Carrots recipe.
- Spicy - Give these carrots a kick of spice by adding a big pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Honey Honey - Try swapping regular honey for hot honey for a spicy, sweet combo.
- Garlic & Onion Powder - To make this recipe a bit more savory, try adding ½ teaspoon each garlic and onion powder.
- Swap Herbs - If you don't love woody herbs, leave them out. For a more summery flavor, try finishing the dish instead with fresh dill, chives, parsley, or even tarragon.
Storage
This recipe makes about 3 cups of cooked carrots, which is enough for 4-6 servings as a side dish. If you have any leftovers you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing leftover air fryer carrots.
To reheat leftovers, I recommend air frying them at 375°F for 3-4 minutes, until hot. You can microwave them, though they'll get soggy. That's why I recommend using the air fryer again to retain crispiness.
Serving Suggestions
You can finish this recipe with another drizzle of honey. Or, try sprinkling on some crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese. Add a big pinch of caraway seeds for a unique yet very flavorful side.
These roasted carrots makes a great addition to my other air fryer vegetable sides, like Air Fryer Red Potatoes, and they go great with these recipes:
- Honey Ginger Chicken
- Chickpea Patties
- Red Lentil Patties
- Tender Braised Beef Shanks
- Loaded Potato Bowl
FAQ
Yes, you can make honey roasted carrots using baby carrots. Reduce the cook time by 2-3 minutes to avoid overcooking.
Absolutely. Add the carrots to a baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 18-20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Of course. Carrots are a very healthy vegetable cooked or raw. A bit of honey adds natural sweetness.
Yes you can, bit skip it if you want crispier edges as direct airflow encourages caramelization. The recipe is designed to reduce making a mess of your air fryer.
More Air Fryer Recipes
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Recipe
Air Fryer Honey Roasted Carrots
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
Description
These Air Fryer Honey Roasted Carrots turn everyday carrots into lightly caramelized, glossy golden bites with a hint of fresh herbs, all in just 15 minutes. This is a perfect vegetable dish for a quick weeknight meal, or even a holiday dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. (medium) carrots, scrubbed or peeled and dried well
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- ¼ tsp. table salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, and sage), divided
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375F. Cut carrots into about 1-inch oblong pieces or roughly cut into 1-inch slices. Stir together oil and honey in a small bowl until well combined then transfer 1 tablespoon of the mixture to a medium bowl.
- Add chopped carrots to the medium bowl and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and 2 teaspoons of the fresh herbs. Toss well to coat. Lightly spray the basket of air fryer then add the carrots in an even layer. Cook, gently stirring halfway, until a fork inserted into the center meet a bit of resistance but no longer hard and the outside is lightly browned and caramelize, 10-12 minutes for a basket-style air fryer or 12-16 minutes for a toaster-styler air fryer.
- Carefully transfer carrots back to the medium bowl and drizzle in remaining oil mixture and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon fresh herbs and toss well until glazed. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- If you don't like sage, thyme, and rosemary, try using parsley, chives, dill, or even tarragon.
- You can also leave out the herbs all together and instead use ½ teaspoon of garlic and onion powder.
- Swap out honey for maple syrup to make this recipe vegan.
- For an extra-crispy exterior, cook the carrots for an extra 2 minutes at 400F.
- To roast in the oven instead of air fry, place carrots on a baking sheet and roast in a 400F oven for 18-20 minutes, stirring halfway.
- You can use baby carrots for this recipe but start testing doneness after about 8 minutes.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: sides
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
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