Looking for more simple side dish recipes? Try my Cucumber Avocado Salad and my Roasted Cauliflower!
Why You Should Roast Your Veggies in the Air Fryer
If you’re looking for an easy way to incorporate more vegetables into your weekly dinner menu, this is it! Roasted vegetables are one of my go-tos for dinners, especially with entrees like my Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs and my Sweet and Sour Salmon. They’re a quick and easy way to round out any meal, especially for family dinners on busy weeknights or for meal-prepping. But the last thing I want to do, especially during the hot spring and summer months, is unnecessarily heat up my kitchen by using the oven. That’s why I love my air fryer. It basically convection cooks whatever you want in a smaller, contained appliance so you don’t have to use your oven. It’s also perfect for reheating leftovers so that they’re as crispy as they were fresh. So, as you can imagine, roasting vegetables in the air fryer was a no-brainer! They come out perfectly tender with a nice bite, a little charred, and absolutely delicious every time. And you can roast any vegetable you like! For this recipe, I stuck with bell peppers, a red onion, zucchini, and squash because it’s what I had on-hand, but you can use any veggies you like. Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes would also be delicious!
ingredients
Bell Peppers: I diced one large red bell pepper and one large orange bell pepper, but green, yellow, or purple bell peppers would also work. Red Onion: I prefer the sweet taste of red onions when roasting or air frying them, but you could use yellow, white, or sweet onions, too. Zucchini and Squash: The air fryer is a great way to showcase these gorgeous summertime veggies in a way that hold up their flavor without turning them to mush. Olive Oil: I prefer roasting meat and veggies in extra virgin olive oil for its flavor and high smoke point, but you could also use avocado or coconut oil. Dry Seasonings: The key to tasty roasted veggies is in how you season them, and you can’t go wrong with the combination of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Parmesan Cheese: I like to garnish my air fryer vegetables with some grated parmesan, but you can omit if you prefer. Crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese would also taste great!
how to cook vegetables in an air fryer
To roast veggies in the air fryer, you first need to preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees. While that’s warming up, add your vegetables to a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and the dry spices. Toss to coat well.
Once you’re air fryer is preheated, spray the basket insert with some nonstick cooking spray. Add in vegetables, and cook for 8 minutes, or until tender.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Variations
Spice up your air fryer vegetables with some diced jalapeno, crushed red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper. Add some crunch with some toasted almond slices or cashew halves! Make this a complete meal by serving your air fryer veggies over quinoa or brown rice and with some roasted chicken or meatballs, if preferred.
