Celeriac is one of the most overlooked root vegetables in Danish cooking, but it has a nutty sweetness that only really comes out once it’s baked. Grated coarsely and mixed with egg, cream and fresh herbs, it turns into a creamy vegetarian pâté that can easily carry a starter all on its own.
Advertisement: The page displays ads and contains advertising links (affiliate links). See our advertisers here.
Celeriac pâté in the airfryer takes 65 minutes from start to finish, and you’re only active for the first 20 of them. The rest is handled by the machine itself at 160 degrees, while you set the table and slice rye bread. The result is a pâté with a soft, cohesive center and a lightly golden edge — without ever heating up an oven.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love celeriac pâté in the airfryer
The hot air circulates tightly around the tin in an airfryer, and that makes a noticeable difference for an egg-based pâté. The surface sets quickly, so the mixture doesn’t sink in the middle, and the edges pick up the slight bit of color that would otherwise require the grill function in an oven. At the same time, you avoid heating up an entire oven for one small tin.
There’s also a portion advantage. A celeriac pâté for four fits exactly into a small loaf tin, and it sits stably in the basket without needing to be turned or moved along the way. I often make two batches in a row when I want leftovers for a packed lunch, and the tin can go straight back into the hot basket.
The difference between airfryer and oven
In a regular oven, you typically need to go higher in temperature to get any color on a pâté, and then you risk the egg mixture separating in the middle. In the airfryer, I stay at 160 degrees the whole way through, because the air circulation works harder anyway than in a large oven cavity. That gives an even set from edge to center, and that’s exactly the difference between a creamy pâté and a rubbery one.
My kitchen test of celeriac pâté
I baked the celeriac pâté in my Philips XXL at 160 degrees, and 35 minutes is the point where the center has just barely set. The prep — grating the celeriac, pressing out the liquid and mixing the batter — takes me around 20 minutes, so the whole process lands at 65 minutes including resting. The final 10 minutes of resting outside the basket are non-negotiable: the pâté firms up further as it cools, and if you cut it too soon, the slices fall apart. The first time I tested it, I skipped exactly that step and ended up with something that mostly resembled porridge.
Press the liquid out of the grated celeriac before you mix the batter together. That one extra minute is the entire difference between a firm pâté and a soggy base.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The common mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is stirring the grated celeriac straight into the mixture without wringing out the liquid first. Celeriac holds more water than you’d think, and it seeps out during baking and settles as a little pool at the bottom of the tin — put the grated celeriac in a clean tea towel and press hard before it meets the eggs. Mistake number two is too high a temperature: if you turn up the heat hoping to save time, the egg sets too fast along the edge while the center either stays raw or turns grainy, so stay at 160 degrees. The third mistake is impatience right at the very end. The pâté needs its 10 minutes before you turn it out of the tin, otherwise it hasn’t set enough to hold its shape — and the fresh herbs actually come through more clearly, too, once the dish isn’t piping hot.
How to serve celeriac pâté
The pâté works both warm and cold, and it slices into neat pieces the day after. These are the sides I keep coming back to, again and again:
- Toasted rye bread with a thin layer of cold-whipped butter
- Quick-pickled red onion or cucumber that cuts through the richness
- A dollop of crème fraîche mixed with grated lemon zest
- Toasted hazelnuts or crispy fried capers sprinkled on top
- A simple green salad with mustard dressing
Storage and reheating
The celeriac pâté keeps for three to four days in the fridge under a lid or film, and it actually tastes a bit rounder the day after, once the herbs have had time to infuse. If you want to warm it up again, I give the slices a short stint at 160 degrees in the airfryer, so they get a light crispy edge without drying out in the middle. The pâté can also be frozen in slices with baking paper in between, so you can take out just one at a time for a packed lunch.
Celeriac pâté is the kind of dish that surprises guests, because few of them expected a root vegetable to carry a starter. Give it the 10 minutes of rest it asks for, and serve it with something tangy on the side — the rest takes care of itself.
FAQ
Yes. Replace the cream with the same amount of crème fraîche or a plant-based cooking cream. The pâté will be a touch lighter in texture, but it still sets nicely at 160 degrees.
That means not enough liquid was pressed out of the grated celeriac. Put it in a clean tea towel and wring hard before mixing it with the eggs and cream — that one step alone determines whether the bottom sets firm.
35 minutes at 160 degrees plus 10 minutes of resting outside the basket before you slice it. Including prep, you’re looking at 65 minutes in total.
Recipe
Celeriac pâté in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
Keep the screen on and follow the recipe step by step while you cook.
Step 1:
Avoid the screen turning off while you cook.
Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
Does the recipe fit my Airfryer?
If you’re unsure, you can always reduce by one serving in the recipe, or click the 0.5x button.
You can also Ask the AI Chef
It’s easy! Just press the Ask the AI Chef button you see at the bottom.
Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Grater
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Ovnfast form - Must fit in the airfryer basket
- 1 Aluminum foil
Shopping list
Ingredients
Pâté mixture
- 500 g celeriac (Coarsely grated)
- 1 pcs onion (Finely chopped)
- 2 clove garlic (Crushed)
- 3 pcs eggs
- 2 dl double cream
- 2 tbsp potato flour
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (Freshly ground)
- 0.25 tsp nutmeg (Grated)
For the dish
- 1 tbsp butter (For greasing the dish)
How to make it
Preparation
- Peel and coarsely grate 500 g celeriac. Place the grated celeriac in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
- Whisk 3 pcs eggs together with 2 dl double cream, 2 tbsp potato flour and 1 tsp Dijon mustard until completely smooth and lump-free.
- Mix the celeriac, onion, garlic and herbs into the egg mixture. Season with 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp black pepper and 0.25 tsp nutmeg.
- Thoroughly grease an ovenproof dish that fits in the airfryer basket with 1 tbsp butter.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan.
- Pour the celeriac mixture into the greased dish and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Place the dish in the airfryer basket and bake the pâté, covered, at 160 °C for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking the pâté at 160 °C for 10 minutes, until the surface is golden and the mixture has set.
- Check that the pâté is cooked through by inserting a thin knife into the centre. It should come out almost clean. If the mixture is still wet, give it another 3-5 minutes at 160 °C.
To serve
- Let the pâté rest in the dish for 10 minutes so it firms up and becomes easy to cut into neat slices.
- Serve the celeriac pâté warm or cold in slices with toasted bread and a few extra fresh herbs on top.
Our notes for the recipe
Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the grated celeriac. If the mixture is too wet, the pâté won’t set properly and will have a heavy texture. Variation:
Stir 50 g grated hard cheese or a handful of coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts into the mixture for extra richness and flavour. To serve:
Serve as a starter with toasted rye bread, pickled red onions and a dollop of crème fraîche with lemon zest. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake the pâté in two small dishes in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
Easily share the recipe with others:
Via email or on Facebook
Open the recipe on your phone
Scan the QR code with your phone and get the recipe directly on your mobile while you cook.
Author
Airfryerkogebogen.dk
