Description
Smoky Air Fryer Carrot Fries with lightly crisp edges, tender centers, and a creamy garlic aioli. This easy gluten-free vegetable side dish takes only 25 minutes and can be made vegan with plant-based mayonnaise.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and trimmed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped, minced, or finely grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Instructions
- Peel the carrots, trim the ends, and cut them into evenly sized French fry shapes. Cut thinner fries for faster cooking.
- Combine the smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon olive oil, nutritional yeast, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the carrot sticks and toss thoroughly until every piece is evenly coated. Add a little more oil only if needed to distribute the seasonings.
- Arrange the seasoned carrots in the air-fryer basket in a loose, mostly single layer.
- Cook at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, shaking the basket or turning the carrots halfway through.
- Check the carrots near the end of cooking and continue air frying for 2 to 4 minutes if thicker pieces need more time.
- Combine the mayonnaise, garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small blender.
- Blend the aioli until smooth. Alternatively, finely grate the garlic and whisk the aioli ingredients together in a bowl.
- Let the carrot fries cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then serve them warm with the garlic aioli.
Notes
- Cut the carrot sticks to a similar thickness so they cook evenly.
- Do not overcrowd the air-fryer basket because crowded carrots will steam instead of browning.
- Regular paprika can replace smoked paprika.
- Use chili powder, Cajun seasoning, or a pinch of cayenne for spicy carrot fries.
- Freshly grated Parmesan can replace nutritional yeast when the recipe does not need to remain vegan.
- Use vegan mayonnaise to keep the full recipe vegan.
- Finely grate or mince the garlic when mixing the aioli by hand so no large pieces remain.
- Ketchup, ranch, hummus, or a ketchup-and-mayonnaise mixture can replace the garlic aioli.
- Store the carrot fries and aioli separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat the carrot fries in the air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Nutrition values include the garlic aioli and may vary depending on the mayonnaise used.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 204
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 435
- Fat: 17
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 14
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 11
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 6