These Air fryer vegetables are a quick and simple go to recipe. It perfectly pairs with main courses such as Beef Stew, Chicken Karahi, and Fried Rice. It comes with a few preparations and 20 minutes of air frying.
I make this at least once a week now. It’s one pan, a few basic vegetables, and a simple olive oil and soy sauce toss that gives every bite a savory, lightly blistered finish.
About Air Fryer Vegetables
This is a mixed vegetable air fryer recipe using carrots, green beans, mushrooms, and cauliflower with garlic, soy sauce, black pepper, and olive oil. It works as a quick side dish on a busy weeknight or as a light meal on its own.
The soy sauce adds a gentle savory note without making it taste like Asian takeout. It just deepens the flavor of the vegetables.
What makes air fryer vegetables different from oven-roasted ones is the heat circulation. The hot air wraps around every piece and you get those blistered, slightly charred edges without needing to use a lot of oil. Two tablespoons of olive oil is all it takes for this whole batch.
Ingredient Notes
- Vegetables: I added carrots, green beans, mushrooms, cauliflower, garlic cloves. You can add more or less of whatever veggies you have in your hand. But cut evenly.
- Soy sauce: Half a tablespoon is enough here. Any regular soy sauce works. If you need this to be gluten free, swap it with tamari or coconut aminos.
- Olive oil: Two tablespoons coats everything lightly and helps the vegetables brown. Any neutral cooking oil works here if you don’t have olive oil on hand.
How to Make Air Fryer Vegetables
Here’s exactly how I make it every time.
1. Wash and cut: Wash all your vegetables and cut them into similar-sized pieces. This is the most important prep step because if one vegetable is much bigger than another, they won’t cook at the same rate.
2. Season: Add the carrots, green beans, mushrooms, cauliflower, and sliced garlic to a large bowl. Pour in the soy sauce, olive oil, and black pepper, then add salt to taste. Toss everything until every piece is well coated.
3. Preheat: Preheat your air fryer to 160°C (320°F) for 3 minutes.
4. Air fry: Add the seasoned vegetables to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Cook at 160°C (320°F) for 20 minutes.
5. Toss halfway: Open the basket and toss the vegetables 2 to 3 times during cooking so all sides get even exposure to the heat.
6. Check: You’ll know they’re ready when the edges look blistered and slightly charred. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Cut for even cooking: Make sure all your vegetable pieces are roughly the same size before they go in. If one piece is twice as big as another, the smaller one will overcook before the larger one is done.
- Don’t skip preheating: Always preheat the air fryer before adding your vegetables, because dropping cold vegetables into a cold basket extends the cooking time and you lose that quick-crisp effect you’re going for.
- Dry your vegetables well: Pat the vegetables dry after washing them. Any extra surface moisture turns to steam in the air fryer and softens the edges instead of crisping them.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket: Spread the vegetables in a single layer with a little space between pieces. Piling them up traps steam and you’ll get soft, soggy results rather than the blistered texture this recipe is after.
- Every air fryer runs a little different: Start checking your vegetables at the 15-minute mark, especially the first time you make this. Some veggies take more or less time, if done, remove only those veggies. I don’t know what vegetable you are going to add.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but stick to vegetables with similar water content and texture to the ones here. Zucchini, bell peppers, and broccoli all work well. Avoid high-water vegetables like tomatoes or spinach because they release too much liquid and won’t crisp up the same way.
No marination is needed for this recipe. The toss in olive oil, soy sauce, and black pepper right before cooking is enough to season the vegetables well.
It’s already vegan as written. To make it gluten free, swap the soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos in the same quantity and everything else stays the same.
Two common reasons: the basket was too full, or the vegetables had too much surface moisture. Make sure to dry them well after washing, and give each piece a bit of space in the basket so the hot air can circulate properly.
Storage and Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The vegetables will soften slightly as they sit, which is normal.
To reheat, put them back in the air fryer at 160°C (320°F) for 3 to 5 minutes. This brings back most of the crispiness. A microwave will reheat them but they’ll stay soft, so the air fryer is the better option here.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Air Fryer Khasta, Thekua (Biscuits) Recipe
- Aloo Gobi Dry Recipe (Cauliflower Potato)
- Okra Stir Fry Recipe
- Easy Creamy Fruit Salad
Give this one a try this week and let me know how it goes in the comments below.
Roasted Air Fryer Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup carrots (cut into strips)
- 1/2 cup green beans (cut into small pieces)
- 1/2 cup mushrooms (quartered)
- 1/2 cup small cauliflower florets
- 3 cloves of garlic (sliced)
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/3 tablespoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and cut: Wash all vegetables and cut them into similar-sized pieces so everything cooks evenly.
- Season: Combine carrots, green beans, mushrooms, cauliflower, and sliced garlic in a large bowl. Add soy sauce, black pepper, olive oil, and salt. Toss to coat well.
- Preheat: Preheat the air fryer to 160°C (320°F) for 3 minutes.
- Air fry: Add the vegetables to the basket and cook at 160°C (320°F) for 20 minutes.
- Toss: Open the basket and toss the vegetables 2 to 3 times during cooking for even browning.
- Serve: Once the edges look blistered and slightly charred, transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.
Notes
- Cut all vegetables to a similar size so they finish cooking at the same time.
- Dry the vegetables well after washing. Extra surface moisture prevents crisping.
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. A single layer with some space between pieces gives the best blistered texture.
- For a gluten free version, swap soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos in the same quantity.
- Check at the 15-minute mark the first time you make this, as air fryers vary in actual running temperature.
