Air Fryer Rainbow Carrots are a fun way to cook carrots in the air fryer. These are tossed with dried herbs for delicious carrots that are roasted to perfection in the air fryer.
I love carrots. But sometimes I get tired of just eating orange carrots. So when I stop by a store that has rainbow carrots, I love grabbing some to spice up my dinner table! And bonus -- they are beautiful to look at!
Lately, I've been popping these in my air fryer, because I love making everything in my air fryer. And these rainbow carrots get roasted to perfection! They are delicious tossed with a bit of olive oil and dried herbs.
What are rainbow carrots?
Rainbow carrots are usually purple, orange, and yellow/white carrots packaged together. The purple carrots have a bit of yellow on the inside. The colors are different due to their pigments. Also, because they are different colors, they have slightly different nutrient profiles. They are also sometimes called tri-color carrots.
Do rainbow carrots taste different?
The different colors of carrots will have slightly different tastes. These are so subtle that when cooked, it might be different to tell the taste. When raw, you might be a little more likely to taste slightly different flavors.
Where can I find rainbow carrots?
Rainbow carrots can be found in a variety of places these days. Farmer's markets are a great place to search for rainbow carrots, if you have one in your area. Trader Joe's also carries them, as does Sprouts. You can check your local grocery store as well, to see if they carry them. If you cannot find rainbow carrots, you can simply use orange carrots instead.
Why make carrots in the air fryer?
While I do love roasting carrots in the oven, like in this harissa carrots recipe, making carrots in the air fryer has so many benefits!
First, it cooks so quickly! Quicker than the oven.
Second, I don't need to turn on my whole giant oven to cook these. If I'm doing a smaller batch, it's summertime, or I am not cooking anything in the oven, I love using my air fryer when I can. That way I don't have to heat up the house by turning on my oven.
Ingredients needed:
- Rainbow carrots
- Olive oil
- Dried thyme
- Salt
- Pepper
How to make:
First, wash and dry your carrots. Then, peel your carrots. If you have organic carrots, you may not need to peel them. However, this is a personal preference. If you like your carrots peeled, peel them!
Next, cut your carrots into chunks. Try to get them close to the same size, so they will cook evenly.
Toss your carrots with the herbs and oil.
Add the carrots to your air fryer.
Cook until tender and roasted.
Plate and enjoy!
Recipe tips:
- Try to cut all carrots the same size. This will ensure that they cook the same. If you have small pieces and large pieces, the small pieces will cook more quickly.
- To test doneness, pierce with a fork to see if carrots are cooked. If you do have carrots of different sizes, always test one of the largest pieces.
- All air fryers cook differently. You may need to slightly adjust cooking times based on your air fryer and also the size you cut your carrots.
Air Fryer Rainbow Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 rainbow carrots
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Wash and dry your carrots. Peel if desired. Slice each carrot into 1 inch pieces at an angle.
- Add sliced carrots to a medium bowl, then add the olive oil, dried thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Add carrots to the air fryer basket and cook at 360 F for 10-12 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Plate and enjoy.
Notes
- While this recipe uses dried thyme, you can swap it out with your favorite herb like oregano or parsley.
- All air fryers cook differently. Cooking times may need to be adjusted depending on how large the carrots are cut and the air fryer.
Dennis
I’m new to air frying cooking but I’ve had a convection oven for years that I cook(ed) in all the time. After many convection cooking years, the motor blew out so I jumped on the air fryer bandwagon.
I searched and searched for a roasted rainbow carrots recipe and found this recipe. The carrots turned out delicious within a soft exterior crunch and the carrots’ insides were creamy soft. Don’t skimp on the herbs because they penetrate the inside. The herbs on the carrots gives them a sweeter taste versus not adding herbs. Checked out Food Banjo’s recipe menu and I’ve Pinned quite a few. Thanks for your recipe and spot-on instructions.
Aimee
Comments like this make my day. I'm so glad you enjoyed them!