The air fryer has become all the rage in recent years, and its growing popularity shows no signs of slowing down. It’s easy to see the attraction. Air fryers provide a simple, quick solution to make quick and easy meals without the need to heat your entire oven.
They are perfect for both single people and families alike. They also assist you in preparing foods using less oil and fat, thus making them a healthy alternative to traditionally cooked recipes.
Air fryers can prepare both frozen and fresh foods, as well as create both side dishes and mains. With the start of a new year, you may want to commit to a healthy new diet. Utilizing your air fryer can increase your daily intake of veggies into your daily diet and reduce the overall calories from added oils and butter.
Crispy air fryer vegetables are delicious, simple to make, and take no time. If you want to add more vegetables to your meals, dust off your air fryer and give these simple vegetable recipes a try this winter!
Is an Air Fryer Good for Cooking Vegetables?
Yes! Using the air fryer is a great way to quickly and easily cook most of your favorite vegetables. The air fryer surrounds your vegetables with heat on all sides, cooking your vegetables evenly and creating the perfect crispy finish.
If you enjoy roasted vegetables from the oven, you’ll love the results you get from cooking your favorite vegetables in the air fryer. It’s faster, uses less energy (since you don’t have to warm the whole oven), and your vegetables come out just as crispy and roasted without needing as much oil.
How Do You Use an Air Fryer To Cook Vegetables?
While not all air fryers are the same, they all work using the same general principles. All air fryers have a basket that holds the food, heating coils to cook the food, and a fan and holes that blow the hot air evenly around the food.
When placing your vegetables in the air fryer, keep a few things in mind:
- Don’t overstuff the basket. Placing your food in a single layer rather than overlapping it in the basket is best. It helps to ensure the food cooks evenly on all sides.
- Don’t place lightweight food in the air fryer. In other words, make sure that the food you put in your air fryer is hefty enough so that the powerful air and fan do not blow the food around in your air fryer. For example, leafy greens such as kale and spinach are too light to put in your air fryer and could cause damage to your appliance.
- Don’t use cooking spray with propellants, aerosol spray, or chemical-based cooking sprays. Over time these sprays break down and damage the non-stick coating in your air fryer. Instead, use an oil mister or spray bottle.
- Use parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy clean-up. If you’re looking for easy clean-up, you can put aluminum foil in the air fryer as well as use parchment paper in the air fryer. Just be sure to place the foil or parchment paper in the basket and not under the basket to catch the drippings. You want to make sure that the holes still have room to move the air around the appliance.
- Check the food halfway through the cooking process. A good rule of thumb is to check the vegetables halfway through the cooking process and lightly toss the basket using oven mitts (the basket will be hot). It will ensure that the vegetables are cooked evenly on all sides and don’t burn.
Image Credit: Keeping the Peas
10 Simple Air Fryer Vegetable Recipes
When it comes to using your air fryer to prepare vegetables in the air fryer, keep it simple!
These recipes offer a wide range of options for those looking to start using their air fryer to add more veggies into their daily lives. They aren’t just side-dish recipes; you can also use them to prepare veggies to add to your favorite salads, soups, and Buddha bowl recipes. They are all vegetarian, and most are also vegan and gluten-free.
1. Air Fryer Rainbow Carrots by Keeping The Peas
Image Credit: Keeping the Peas
These gorgeous and colorful air fryer carrots are simply seasoned with garlic, salt, and pepper. Serve them topped with fresh herbs for a stand-out side dish!
2. Air Fryer Beets by Piping Pot Curry
Image Credit: Piping Pot Curry
If you love beets, then this is the side dish for you! Fresh beets are seasoned, roasted, and topped with herbs. They are great on their own or added to your favorite salad and bowl recipes.
3. Air Fryer Jicama Fries by The Picky Eater
Image Credit: The Picky Eater
This healthy alternative to French fries made with jicama is seasoned with fresh rosemary, garlic powder, and fresh thyme. Jicama is a crispy root vegetable with fewer carbs than potatoes and an apple-like flavor.
4. Air Fryer Squash and Zucchini by Keeping The Peas
Image Credit: Keeping the Peas
Yellow squash and zucchini are lightly seasoned and tossed in olive oil, then air fried until golden brown for a light and refreshing side dish that takes minutes to make!
5. Air Fryer Baked Potatoes by The Tasty Travelers
Image Credit: The Tasty Travelers
Use your air fryer to make perfectly baked potatoes in half the time it takes to bake them in the oven. Add your favorite toppings for a truly decadent and delicious side dish.
6. Air Fryer Frozen Brussels Sprouts by Zardy Plants
Image Credit: Zardy Plants
The air fryer isn’t just for fresh vegetables. You can use it to really amp up the flavor of your frozen vegetables, too, like with these air fryer frozen brussels sprouts. They come out crispy and flavorful, just like if you had roasted them fresh in the oven!
7. Air Fryer Cauliflower by The Food Hussy
Image Credit: The Food Hussy
Crispy cauliflower is such a treat, and this air fryer roasted cauliflower with parmesan cheese is as easy as it gets!
8. Air Fryer Green Beans by The Salty Side Dish
Image Credit: The Salty Side Dish
Bring your green beans to new levels with this recipe that has a crispy and cheesy finish!
9. Air Fryer Eggplant by Moon and Spoon and Yum
Image Credit: Moon and Spoon and Yum
With a smoky finish and a simple spice blend, this air fryer eggplant has a crispy outside with a tender center.
10. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Chips by Aleka’s Get Together
Image Credit: Aleka’s Get Together
A healthy alternative to potato chips, these air-fried sweet potato chips are perfectly crisp and crunchy, sliced super thin, and seasoned with cinnamon and paprika for a warm and smoky finish.
Get creative this season, and choose your favorite vegetable, seasoning, and a light amount of oil to create some delicious, healthy, and flavorful air fryer vegetables!
This article originally appeared on Wealth of Geek and has been republished with permission by Mama Say What?!
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock /New Africa
