A bag of frozen vegetables is the easiest side dish for a weeknight, but all too often they end up soft and watery on the plate. With roasted frozen vegetables in the air fryer, it is a completely different story. The vegetables go straight from the freezer into the basket, where the water from the ice steams off first, before they are tossed in melted butter with garlic, salt and pepper and roasted until golden.
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The whole thing takes 20 minutes from bag to table, and you do not have to thaw anything or turn on the oven. The result is vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and beans with crispy edges, a bit of bite in the middle and a scent of garlic butter that gets even the vegetable sceptics at the table to take an extra spoonful.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love roasted frozen vegetables in the air fryer
Frozen vegetables are frozen shortly after the harvest, and they are ready and waiting in the freezer the day the fridge is empty. The problem only arises in the pot or in the frying pan, where the ice melts and the vegetables end up boiling in their own liquid. In the air fryer, the hot air blows the moisture off the surface, so the pieces dry off and take on colour instead of going limp.
That is why they have become my go-to side dish on busy weekdays. I do not have to peel, chop or thaw anything, and while the vegetables roast in the basket, I have my hands free for the meat or fish. The garlic butter at the end gives them a flavour that boiled vegetables never get.
Why the butter only goes on at the end
The trick lies in the order. Melted butter sets into lumps as soon as it hits ice-cold vegetables, and the garlic would turn dark and bitter if it had to be in the basket the whole time. That is why the vegetables get their first round completely without fat, so the water from the ice can steam off. Only when the surface is dry are they tossed in garlic butter and roasted until done.
My kitchen test of roasted frozen vegetables
I tested the recipe in my Cosori Dual Blaze with 600 g of frozen mixed vegetables, which is enough for four servings. At 200 °C they first got 8 minutes without fat, with a thorough shake after 4 minutes, and by then the ice was gone and the surface was dry. After their turn in the garlic butter, the vegetables got 7 more minutes with a shake halfway through. The broccoli was crisp at the tips, while the carrots still had some bite. That makes 15 minutes in the air fryer and 20 minutes in total including preparation.
The Cosori Dual Blaze has heating elements both at the top and the bottom, so the vegetables were roasted evenly on both sides, but I still shake the basket along the way so the pieces swap places. A roomy model like the Philips XXL gives you plenty of space to spread the whole batch out in a thin layer. If you have a smaller air fryer, make the dish in two batches.
Check the bottom of the air fryer after the first round. If there is any water, pour it off before the vegetables go back in the basket – otherwise they will steam instead of roast.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is thawing the vegetables before they go in the air fryer. That gives you limp vegetables sitting in meltwater, so always take them straight from the freezer. The second mistake is overfilling the basket. If the vegetables lie in several layers, the bottom ones steam instead of roast, so spread them in a thin layer, and it is better to cook two batches in a small air fryer. The third mistake is adding the butter and garlic from the start. The water has to go first, so wait with the garlic butter until the second round, and turn the temperature down to 180 °C for the last few minutes if the garlic darkens too quickly in your air fryer.
How to serve roasted frozen vegetables
The vegetables taste best straight from the basket, while the edges are still crisp. Here are my favourite ways to serve them:
- As a side dish for chicken, fish, frikadeller (Danish meatballs) or a good steak
- Tossed into hot pasta or rice as a quick, green weeknight meal
- With a little lemon juice squeezed over just before serving
- Seasoned with curry powder, chilli flakes or dried oregano instead of paprika and thyme
Storage and reheating
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat them in the air fryer at 180 °C for 3-5 minutes, until the vegetables are hot and crisp again. I do not recommend freezing them again, because the roasted vegetables turn soft and lose their crispness after thawing.
Roasted frozen vegetables in the air fryer are proof that an easy side dish does not have to be boring. Stick to a thin layer, let the water steam off first, and save the garlic butter for last, and they will turn out well every time. You will find the exact amounts and steps in the recipe below.
FAQ
No. The vegetables should go straight from the freezer into the basket. If they are thawed first, they end up soft and watery instead of crisp.
They need 15 minutes at 200 °C: first 8 minutes without fat, so the water steams off, and then 7 minutes tossed in garlic butter. Shake the basket along the way in both rounds.
Yes, the method also works with a single type, for example broccoli or cauliflower. Very small pieces such as peas and sweetcorn dry out quickly and need a shorter time.
Recipe
Roasted Frozen Vegetables in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Shopping list
Ingredients
- 600 g frozen mixed vegetables (E.g. broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and beans)
- 25 g butter
- 2 clove garlic (Pressed)
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper (Freshly ground)
Optional spices
- 0.5 tsp paprika (Preferably smoked)
- 0.5 tsp dried thyme
How to make it
Preparation
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Melt 25 g butter in a small saucepan over a low heat, then take the saucepan off the heat.
- Press 2 clove garlic into the melted butter with a garlic press.
- Stir 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper into the garlic butter with a spoon. Also add 0.5 tsp paprika and 0.5 tsp dried thyme if you want extra seasoning on the vegetables.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Take 600 g frozen mixed vegetables straight from the freezer without thawing them, and spread them in a thin layer in the air fryer basket.
- Roast the vegetables at 200 °C for 8 minutes, and shake the basket thoroughly after 4 minutes. The water from the ice needs to steam off completely, so the vegetables are dry on the surface.
- Tip the hot vegetables into a large bowl, and toss them thoroughly in the garlic butter until all pieces are coated.
- Put the vegetables back in the basket in a thin layer, and finish roasting them at 200 °C for 7 minutes, until they are golden and crisp at the edges. Shake the basket halfway through.
Serving
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve the vegetables straight away while they are still crisp.
Our notes for the recipe
Choose a mix with chunky pieces such as broccoli and cauliflower florets, carrot slices and beans, spread the vegetables in a thin layer, and do not thaw them first. The first round without fat lets the water from the ice steam off, so the vegetables roast instead of boiling in their own liquid. If water has collected at the bottom of the air fryer after the first round, pour it off before you finish roasting the vegetables. If the garlic darkens quickly in your air fryer, you can turn it down to 180 °C for the last few minutes. Variation:
Swap the paprika and thyme for curry powder, chilli flakes or dried oregano, or squeeze a little lemon juice over just before serving. The method also works with a single type of frozen vegetable, e.g. broccoli or cauliflower. Very small pieces such as peas and sweetcorn dry out quickly and need a shorter time. Serving:
Serve the vegetables as a side dish with chicken, fish, frikadeller (Danish meatballs) or a steak, or toss them into pasta or rice. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish 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
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