Looking for a veggie side dish that wins over the whole table? Make these Air Fryer Honey Roasted Carrots—tender, perfectly sweet, and glazed with butter and fresh garlic. I've personally devoured a whole batch (while standing at the kitchen counter) and kids love them too!
These honey glazed carrots join my line-up of popular air fryer recipes—like Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes, Air Fryer Cabbage and Air Fryer Parsnips. With no oven to preheat, it's fast and easy to add more veggies to your plate.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Delicious: Tender carrots roasted in a perfectly sweet honey, butter, and garlic glaze. The combination is simple—yet mouthwateringly good! Watch it disappear fast.
- Fast: Ready in just 20 minutes! That's less time than it takes to preheat your oven.
- Easy cleanup: Have you ever cleaned drippy baked-on honey off an air fryer or oven pan? I have—and it's not fun! With my method, clean-up is a breeze AND you won't waste any of the delicious sauce.
- Family friendly: Kids love the sweet glaze (not spicy). Adults enjoy the buttery garlic flavor. Everyone asks for seconds! Finally, a veggie side everyone can agree on!
- Budget-friendly: Carrots are an inexpensive and nutritious vegetable. A few pantry ingredients spruce it up to a restaurant-quality dish that's easily made at home.
Ingredients (and substitutes)
These honey roasted carrots keep it simple with just 4 ingredients (+salt and pepper)! Here's what you need:
- Carrots: Use similar-sized carrots for even cooking. Small/medium carrots tend to be younger and sweeter. Peeling is optional. One tip I share in my cookbook is to use a green scrubbing pad instead of peeling.
- Melted Butter: Butter adds rich, delicious flavor! Salted or unsalted butter works. Swap olive oil if needed.
- Honey: Runny honey is easiest to mix—but use what you've got. You could try substituting maple syrup, but it'll have a different flavor and darker color.
- Garlic: In side-by-side tests, I preferred the carrots made with fresh garlic. But you could substitute garlic powder in a pinch.
- Chives (optional): Garnish is optional, but chives add a nice pop of colour and flavor. Fresh dill or parsley works too.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Want more easy carrot recipes? Don't miss this delicious Raw Carrot Salad and moist Banana Carrot Muffins (which are surprisingly vegan)!
How to make Air Fryer Honey Roasted Carrots
These honey glazed carrots take just 20 minutes to make in the air fryer. That's faster than waiting for your oven to preheat!
Here's how to make this recipe:
1. Stir together melted butter and honey.
2. Combine carrots, honey butter, garlic, salt, and pepper.
3. Arrange carrots (+ extra honey butter) in an air fryer basket lined with parchment.
4. Air fry until tender on the middle and golden on the outside, stirring halfway.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Tips
- Make sure parchment isn't too tall: Trim parchment to fit the basket bottom and a couple inches up the sides. If it’s too tall, it could touch the heating element and burn.
- Don't overcrowd the air fryer: Spread carrots in one layer for even cooking. If your air fryer is much smaller than 6 quarts—either half the recipe or cook in batches. If scaling up, cook in batches.
- Don't lose any honey: Don’t waste that glaze—pour it into the air fryer basket too. It'll help the carrots roast up tender, glossy, and sweet.
- Stir halfway through: A quick stir ensures all sides get coated in that delicious honey glaze—and helps the carrots cook evenly.
- Garnish—if you'd like: Top with herbs if you want. I like to use chives, but fresh dill or parsley works too.
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📖 Recipe
Honey Roasted Carrots (Air Fryer)
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots (peeled, if you'd like)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (salted or unsalted)
- 1 clove minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- chopped chives (for garnish, optional, see note 1)
Instructions
- Prep: Chop 1 lb carrots into 2 to 3 inch (5 to 7.5 cm) lengths. Cut thicker carrots in half lengthwise. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Season: Stir together 3 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Drizzle over carrots. Add 1 clove minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Toss well to coat.
- Air fry: Line the basket of an air fryer with parchment—so it covers the bottom and 2 inches (5 cm) up the sides (see note 2). Arrange carrots in a single layer and drizzle the honey butter glaze from the bowl. Without pre-heating, air fry at 400℉ (204℃) until carrots are tender and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring half-way through (see note 3).
- Finish: Transfer roasted carrots—along with any extra honey butter glaze—to a serving platter. Season with more salt, if needed. Garnish with chopped chives if using.
Notes
- Garnish ideas: I love sprinkling some chopped fresh chives on top. But you could use fresh dill or parsley instead. Crushed red pepper flakes or chopped toasted nuts would be great options too!
- Parchment: It's important to line the air fryer basket with parchment paper to hold the glaze/juices that'll baste the carrots. It also makes cleanup a breeze! Ensure your parchment isn't too high up the sides—otherwise it could touch the heating element and burn.
- Stirring tip: Make sure to gently flip the carrots to coat all sides in glaze half-way through baking. This helps facilitate even cooking. If you have tongs, use them!Because of the parchment layer, you won't have to worry about scratching the basket. Otherwise, use a flipper, stirring spoon, offset spatula, etc.
Chelle says
These were delicious! I used hot honey.
Bri Beaudoin says
Hi Chelle! So glad to hear you enjoyed this air fryer carrots recipe! Thanks for taking the time to share.