Most fresh vegetables cook in an air fryer at 180–200°C in 8 to 20 minutes. Tender, quick-cooking vegetables such as asparagus, green beans and broccoli sit at the short end; dense roots such as potatoes, carrots and parsnips take the longest. Cut everything to an even size, toss it in a little oil, spread it in a single layer and shake the basket halfway. The chart below gives typical ranges for twenty-two vegetables. Air fryers vary in size and power, so treat these as starting points, check a few minutes early and follow your manufacturer's manual.
The basic method
- Preheat for a few minutes if your model and recipe call for it.
- Cut evenly. Pieces of a similar size cook at the same rate.
- Dry well. Pat washed vegetables dry with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper. Surface water turns to steam and stops browning.
- Oil lightly. Toss in a bowl with a small amount of oil, enough to give every piece a thin sheen, plus salt and any hardy spices.
- Spread out. One layer with a little space between pieces. Cook in batches if you need to.
- Shake or turn halfway, and check a few minutes before the end of the time range.
Times and temperatures chart
These are typical ranges for fresh vegetables cooked in a single layer. Smaller baskets, fuller loads and less powerful models will need longer; larger, more powerful models may need less.
Green and quick-cooking vegetables
| Vegetable | How to cut | Temperature | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | Whole spears, woody ends snapped off | 190–200°C | 6–9 min |
| Green beans | Topped, left whole | 190–200°C | 7–10 min |
| Broccoli | Small florets | 180–200°C | 8–12 min |
| Tenderstem broccoli | Whole stems | 180–200°C | 7–10 min |
| Kale | Leaves torn from stalks | 160–180°C | 4–7 min |
| Cherry tomatoes | Whole | 180–190°C | 5–8 min |
| Padrón peppers | Whole | 190–200°C | 5–8 min |
Medium vegetables
| Vegetable | How to cut | Temperature | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Courgette | Thick half-moons or batons | 190–200°C | 10–14 min |
| Peppers | Strips or chunks | 190–200°C | 8–12 min |
| Mushrooms | Halved or quartered | 180–190°C | 8–12 min |
| Red onion | Wedges, root left on | 180–190°C | 10–15 min |
| Aubergine | 2–3 cm cubes | 190–200°C | 12–16 min |
| Cauliflower | Medium florets | 190–200°C | 12–18 min |
| Brussels sprouts | Halved | 180–200°C | 12–18 min |
| Corn on the cob | Whole or halved cobs | 190–200°C | 10–14 min |
Roots and dense vegetables
| Vegetable | How to cut | Temperature | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrots | Batons or thick coins | 180–200°C | 15–20 min |
| Parsnips | Batons, woody core removed if large | 180–190°C | 15–20 min |
| Butternut squash | 2–3 cm cubes or wedges | 190–200°C | 15–20 min |
| Sweet potato | Fries or 2 cm cubes | 190–200°C | 14–18 min |
| Potato chips (fresh) | 1 cm batons | 180–200°C | 18–25 min |
| Roast potatoes | Chunks, par-boiled and dried | 190–200°C | 20–25 min |
| Beetroot | 2 cm wedges or cubes | 180–190°C | 18–25 min |
Check for doneness, not the clock. Roots are ready when a knife slides into the thickest piece easily and the edges are golden. Green vegetables are ready when they are bright, just tender and lightly charred at the tips.
How to cut vegetables for the air fryer
Size matters more than any other variable. Small pieces cook fast and crisp up; large pieces take longer and stay softer inside. A few habits help:
- Give flat faces to the heat. Halved Brussels sprouts and wedges of squash brown best on their cut sides; it is the simplest way to make Crispy Brussels Sprouts live up to their name.
- Mix sensibly. When cooking several vegetables together, cut dense ones smaller and quick ones larger, or add the quick ones partway through. It is the key to a good mixed basket of roasted vegetables.
- Do not go too small with leafy or light vegetables. Tiny, very light pieces, such as kale, can be blown around by the fan. Cook them at a lower temperature and do not overfill.
Oil and seasoning
You need far less oil than for roasting in an oven, but not none. A small amount helps salt and spices stick, encourages browning and stops vegetables drying out. Toss in a bowl rather than drizzling in the basket, so every piece is coated and the excess stays behind.
- Add early: salt, pepper and hardy dried spices such as paprika, cumin or chilli flakes.
- Add late: honey, maple syrup and sugary glazes, which scorch if added at the start. Adding them late is what keeps Honey Roast Parsnips sticky rather than burnt.
- Add at the end: fresh herbs, grated cheese, lemon juice and chopped garlic, which can burn in the fierce airflow. Whole garlic cloves are fine for the full time.
Sweet vegetables, such as squash, sweet potato and parsnips, darken faster than others because of their natural sugars. If they brown before they soften, lower the temperature by 10–20°C. Spiced Butternut Squash Fries are a good example: they want colour without charring.
Frozen vegetables
Most frozen vegetables can go straight into the air fryer without thawing. Shake off any loose ice, toss them in a little oil and cook at around 190–200°C, usually for 10–15 minutes depending on size. They release more water than fresh vegetables, so give them extra space and shake the basket more often. Follow the packet if it gives air fryer instructions.
Common mistakes
- Overfilling the basket. Vegetables steam instead of roasting. Cook in batches.
- Leaving them wet after washing. Dry them properly.
- Too much oil. It pools, smokes and makes vegetables greasy.
- Adding sticky glazes too early. They burn before the vegetables are tender.
- Lining the whole basket. It blocks airflow. See foil and baking paper in the air fryer for when a liner makes sense.
There is more on this in our guide to air fryer mistakes that make food soggy.
Roasted vegetables also keep well for a few days in the fridge, which makes them a natural part of a Sunday meal prep plan. If you want more than a chart, The Everyday Air Fryer has a whole chapter of vegetable sides and vegetarian mains, from Air Fryer Corn on the Cob to whole roasted cauliflower, each with its own time and temperature.
Questions people ask
Do I need to preheat the air fryer for vegetables?
It helps with browning, especially for potatoes and roots, but many models heat so quickly that the difference is small. Follow your recipe and your manual; if you skip it, add a minute or two to the cooking time.
Should I soak potatoes before air frying?
Soaking cut potatoes in cold water for 20–30 minutes removes some surface starch and helps chips crisp more evenly. It is optional, but if you do it, dry them very thoroughly before oiling.
Why are my vegetables burnt outside but raw inside?
The pieces are too big for the temperature, or the vegetable is naturally sugary. Cut smaller, lower the heat by 10–20°C and cook a little longer.
Can I cook different vegetables together?
Yes. Either cut them so they cook at the same rate, or start the dense ones first and add quick-cooking vegetables partway through. Shake well each time you add more.