We make air fryer vegetable recipes all the time with dinner. This is how to make healthy low carb cauliflower, broccoli, brussels, zucchini & more or mix like our air fryer vegetables and go from there….
Ready for a fresh side dish to serve with your meal tonight? We have a ton to choose from that adults and kids will love. I bet you’ll ask for seconds too from this air fryer recipe list.
Why do we love this method so much, oh let me count the ways. There is nothing like it, other than spending a bunch of money at a fancy restaurant to get it like this. This method; Gives a crisp to the outsides without having to submerge them in oil. May make your children love greens, I kid you not. Allows you to eat healthier and cook quicker!
Ninja Foodi Vegetable Recipes
This machine doesn’t automatically set to the usual 5 minutes so you’ll need to do it. Just close the air crisp lid (attached), set to temp. for 5 minutes. Once it beeps it is ready. I have a ton of easy Ninja Foodi recipes you can try.
All of our air fryer recipes can be made in that as well as smaller versions. If you only have an Instant Pot you can use the CrispLid but I will be honest and say it won’t crisp as evenly.
Frozen Vegetables in Air Fryer
To cook air fryer frozen vegetables it is easier than ever. We make air fryer frozen cauliflower all the time and you’d never know it wasn’t fresh to begin with. Things like air fryer beets get nice and tender with a good helping of olive oil tossed into the mix.
The only one I have that doesn’t offer this option is our large air fryer that has racks instead of a basket. All of them can cook fresh and even frozen like we did with these air fryer frozen asparagus recipe.
Can you steam vegetables in an air fryer?
Well, kinda’. There are certain greens that are tougher than others, like air fryer broccolini. Those require a bit of water underneath the air fryer basket. I had to do this when cooking broccoli in an air fryer. In the first attempt I didn’t, and it wasn’t tender enough inside for me.
I think the reason why this is such a hit is it is super cheap to make, number one. It comes out perfectly every time with perfect browning on the outside and bold flavors like Old Bay and more.
You can add a ton of different seasonings on it too like making it into a Mediterranean roasted vegetables dish even. With just a bit of water added under the basket, into the drawer itself made all the difference. That helps when you make air fryer artichokes too.
There was one other time when I thought this method was needed, with air fryer cabbage. That is on the firmer side and although you want it to stay that way a bit, it needed steam to become a bit more tender.
Everything comes out healthier this way but veggies are great because you really can’t mess them up. Everyone wants them tender but adding some texture to the edges is even better. A bit of crisp makes any and all of them go from good to amazing.
Now why is this method better than deep frying? I don’t really think I need to explain why less oil is better but I do in our air fryer benefits post.
Yes having olive oil spray is a must but not submerging required. Yes it took us a while to get the hang of this machine but once we did we now air fry everything. I am serious.
To help you out so you can make less fried food and air fry veggies more, print out our air fryer cook times chart. It has times for all sort of main dishes and easy side dishes too All you need is a little spritz on top now to brown the top like air fryer acorn squash and other items.
Now let’s move on to how to cook the best brussel sprouts in air fryer! Yes you can just use salt and pepper but our sauce has a bit of lemon too.
Should you pre heat your air fryer to cook vegetables?
My opinion is yes. It is important to do so because your food will then cook at the correct temp. the entire time. Especially for really crispy things like air fryer spinach chips it is a must.
Now let’s talk about other roasted veggies in our hot air machine like sweet potato in air fryer! We also share how to cook air fryer baked potatoes here. Both are great dinner options.
I guess so, but other than air fryer corn I just think fresh is SO much better and rarely buy them frozen. Frozen does take a little more time, because you’re defrosting the veggies as they cook
Just know that the texture will not be the same One thing that is “technically” a vegetable we love to make are frozen french fries in air fryer. Frozen onion rings in air fryer too. They do come out SO much better than the oven and crispier than ever. Pair with dipping sauces and it’s the best snack.
If you want to try fresh though, we do share how to cook Ninja foodi french fries here. It’s crazy that in 30 minutes you can make homemade restaurant quality air fryer potato wedges. For a low carb option, try turnip fries style too.
Tips for Success
The most important thing to remember with any of these is to get them dry!! Any residual moisture left after rinsing off will inhibit the outside from getting crisp, and won’t allow the olive oil to stick either. I do this with a few paper towels, roll pieces up and press gently before adding into a bowl to season.
Let’s start with a tweak on the original. If you slice large veggies like our air fryer eggplant parmesan you can fit several in your basket at a time. Cover with ingredients you’d normally stuff it with, you’ll get the same classic flavors but it’s even easier to eat.
Air fryer okra and eggplant air fryer recipes are possible y’all! Our air fryer breakfast potatoes are perfect with eggs. Dill air fryer red potatoes cooked this way are great too. Try air fryer butternut squash in there, and air fryer asparagus too. A great appetizer with bacon are these air fryer Hasselback potatoes.
And let’s now talk about air fryer zucchini chips shall we. They are the best by far. We’ve made air fryer zucchini fries this same way too, choose whichever you prefer. Want it heartier? Stuff air fryer zucchini boats style too. Sliced thin you can get jicama fries really crispy, or use another veggie of choice.
Is cooking vegetables in an air fryer healthy?
So much better than in a deep fryer for sure! Of course you can bake them but I haven’t found anything that doesn’t get crispier this way so we prefer it. Top of the list is air fryer spaghetti squash.
My kids will seriously eat air fryer green beans with parmesan as a snack. I will too. If they aren’t a decent price fresh, I will just make a batch of air fryer frozen green beans with butter on top with salt.
Air fryer mashed potatoes and cauliflower steak air fryer style are even an option now. Have you tried making Ninja foodi kale chips yet? It will make you love this super healthy veggie for sure.
When it’s fall, you should throw in some air fryer pumpkin seeds and try a new homemade snack. Then try our air fryer breakfast stuffed peppers and let us know what you think!
