Air Fryer Vegetables

These are the best Ninja Foodi air fryer vegetables you will ever make are here! No breading just seasonings and mushrooms, zucchini, onions and yellow squash cooked to perfection. Our favorite healthy side dish we make every week.

I literally threw them together one night when we needed a healthy side dish and was surprised at how much my kids actually loved them. The next week I added protein and air fryer chicken and vegetables was created too!

Now we make them 2- 3 times each week because they’re so good. I typically use the same mixture as you see here with mushrooms, yellow squash, zucchini and onions. They are always in season and usually inexpensive. Trick is to use a combination that will cook at the same pace so they are done at the same time.

Ninja Foodi Vegetables Recipe

If you live in a smaller town like we do you have to kinda’ go with the flow. Yes I go to the supermarket with a grocery list but I have to be flexible. One time zucchini was like 4 dollars a pound. What??? So that was a hard no and I just grabbed bell peppers instead. If you use this brand of machine you will want to use the lid that is attached to make these.

That is a good substitution if they’re of your liking. There are usually a few different colors and cut into smaller chunks they’ll soften nicely with the others. I think colorful is the way to go especially if you have kids at home. They definitely eat with their eyes so a pretty dish will be tried over something bland.

Oh that is another tip, slice all your pieces about the same thickness. That goes kinda’ without saying but obviously if one was 1/2″ and the other was 1/4″ thick the textures will be different. You may want that when it comes to sliced onions though. I like shreds in a sense to add flavor but not be crunchy.

How Long to Cook Vegetables in Air Fryer

We made them for the first time in our Ninja Foodi Grill and then in our AirWave and 10 minutes was perfect. Fresh is better and using what is in season is the best mix you can choose for texture and taste purposes.

Best Vegetables to Air Fry

I chose what we love and what was in season at the time, I suggest you follow the same rule. Onions, zucchini, squash and mushrooms make great air fried mixed vegetables. Choose a mix that typically cooks at the same rate. Another option would be firmer varieties like cauliflower florets and baby carrots. If you like that combo I’d go for it. Since they are harder you might add a few minutes but you just test with a fork as you go along. Everyone has a different preference as far as that goes.

There are many brands out there and yes, I have a few. They all have different qualities and pluses to them so it depends on what I’m making which one I use. Here are a few questions you might have before you get started:

Can you cook frozen vegetables in air fryer?

I shared our results for this in our air fryer frozen vegetables post. I prefer fresh produce all the way and these 4 are almost always in the store year round, that is why I chose these particular ones. I will say the timing is about the same but the texture is quite different, try both and decide for yourself. 😉

Are air fried vegetables healthy?

Very much so. You only need a bit of olive oil and seasonings, or can even use just a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Skip the breading like this entirely and they’re a really healthy easy side dish.

Here’s where we started it all. Of course if you want to just use zucchini, or yellow squash then by all means use just one. A mix of both is our fave. You can even make air fryer beets tender to perfection now in no time.

You can print my free air fryer cook times chart here for reference. Sometimes I will get produce delivered to our door which is an option with most grocery stores too which is convenient. This time I chose what looked good in the produce section of our grocery store which was:

For the air fryer zucchini seasonings and to get a little crisp on the outsides I used what I had on hand which was: Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper to taste when they’re done.

Unlike our air fryer zucchini fries and air fryer zucchini chips recipes, there is no breading on these vegetables. I did this on purpose (sort of) so they would be gluten free, low carb, keto friendly and as healthy as possible.

Yes you can fry these in oil and tempura batter if you want to go all out, but air fryer mixed vegetables are really the bomb! Fried food is like a brick in my stomach, no bueno.

Air Fryer Vegetables and Sausage (option)

I have added a diced Hillshire Farms smoked sausage link in this too. Use the same timing and you may need to just increase the olive oil by another 1/2 tbsp. Just make sure everything is kinda’ shiny and coated but not soaking. Air fry at the same temp, flipping every 5 minutes until all contents are browned as much as you’d like!

OR make air fryer spaghetti squash and toss them with sauce for a main dish. I didn’t serve these with any dipping sauces since there’s no breading but I guess you could have a bit of Ranch available for picky eaters.

Other air fryer vegetable recipes

Try our air fryer brussels sprouts  and/or our mushrooms in air fryer and sweet potatoes in the air fryer are perfect side dishes and air fryer green beans too

If you only have a pressure cooker (or your air fryer is busy), you can make Instant Pot steamed vegetables this way too. Both are low carb healthy side dishes for sure.

You can even make a batch of smoked vegetables if you’re cooking outside. If you have this machine you follow the same directions below. It is as well a healthy Ninja Foodi recipe you’ll love.