Air Fryer Vegetables: Time & Temperature for Everything
Fourteen types of vegetables, each with a time and a temperature, the chart that should have come with the machine.
- Preparation
- 10 min
- Cook/bake time
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
Fourteen types of vegetables, each with a time and a temperature, the chart that should have come with the machine. The biggest problem with the air fryer isn't the technology, but that nobody knows how long broccoli takes in it. These times are calibrated for 1 cm pieces and a half-filled basket, and they work across all models.
Why this works
The cooking time of vegetables depends on two factors: water content and thickness. Water-rich vegetables like zucchini or mushrooms must first lose their water before they can brown, which is why they need high temperature and little time, otherwise they fall apart while still steaming. Dense root vegetables like carrots or beets have little water and a lot of structure; they need time at medium temperature so the heat reaches the center before the surface burns. These two factors result in the three groups in the chart. And because an air fryer circulates air at around 20 km/h, it dries out surfaces extremely quickly, so one tablespoon of oil per 500 g is not a question of calories, but prevents the edges from becoming leathery.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Cut evenly
Cut all of one type of vegetable to the same size, this is more important than the exact size itself. A cube of double thickness takes about double the time, and uneven pieces are never done at the same time. The specifications in the chart apply to the dimensions mentioned there.
- 2
Oil and season
Toss the vegetables with one tablespoon of oil per 500 g in a bowl until everything shines. An air fryer moves the air very quickly and dries out surfaces correspondingly fast, without oil the edges become leathery instead of crispy. Add salt only after cooking, except for root vegetables.
- 3
Fill basket halfway
Fill the basket halfway at most. This is the most common source of error by far: in a full basket, the air cannot get between the pieces, the steam gets trapped, and the vegetables steam instead of roasting. It is better to do two batches.
- 4
Cook and shake once
Cook according to the chart and give the basket a vigorous shake halfway through. The times are guidelines for a half-filled basket in a preheated machine, check two minutes early the first time, every machine is slightly different.
