Cilantro Lime Air-Fryer Roasted Vegetables

Air-Fryer Roasted Vegetables flavoured in a vibrant cilantro lime marinade. A colourful side dish that is perfect for chicken, beef, and seafood. 

You’re going to love the flavour of these air fryer vegetables. Not only does it prove that roasting vegetables is super simple to do, but you’ll going to love how all the vegetables and their flavours stand out on their own! When it comes to the perfect side dish, you literally can’t go wrong with this roasted vegetable recipe.

The good news is that you’re not only creating a delicious side dish recipe, but you’re also creating a tasty cilantro lime dressing to pour right on top. This simple recipe proves that roasting veggies are anything but boring!

Once you make these Mediterranean vegetables, you’re going to be hooked. There’s just something so satisfying about the summer squash and other vegetables that you’ll be making this easy recipe all summer long.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• bell peppers – Use green, yellow, or red bell peppers.
• zucchini – Be sure to clean the zucchini and slice it into 1-inch round slices.
• onion – If you like sweet onions, add them in.
• mushrooms – Clean and cut up the fresh mushrooms.
• olive oil – You can also use coconut oil or avocado oil.
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Cilantro Lime Dressing

• olive oil – Extra virgin olive oil works great to help thin out the dressing.
• fresh lime juice – You can use fresh lemon juice as well.
• honey – Adding honey gives the dressing a sweet spot and flavour.
• chili powder – If you’re a fan of heat, add chili powder. You can also leave out this ingredient as well.
• fresh cilantro – Chop up the fresh cilantro before adding.

How to Make Roasted Veggies in an Air Fryer

Let’s start by making the cilantro lime dressing. In a small bowl, add the olive oil, lime juice, honey, chili powder, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F. Chop the vegetables into approximately 1 – 1 1/2″ chunks and place them in a large bowl along with the cilantro.

Add the lime dressing and toss to coat.

Place the tossed vegetables evenly in an air fryer basket or a large sheet pan as separated as possible. Bake for about 15-20 minutes turning or tossing only once halfway through. You want to give them enough time to cook and maybe get a little char on the edges. I like to call that char… flavour!

When they are fork-tender and perfectly roasted, remove them from the oven and serve!

How do you get the roasted veggies to cook evenly in the air fryer?

Air frying is the perfect way to cook these Mediterranean roasted vegetables because it allows for the hot air to circulate evenly among all the roasted vegetables. Just be sure that you’re not overcrowding the air fryer basket, and all the veggies should fry up just fine.

Should you salt your vegetables before roasting?

Yes, it’s a good idea to add salt to your vegetables before roasting. This can help them season more and also help with any excess water that may come out of them while they’re cooking in the air fryer.

Best vegetables for roasting

There are so many vegetables that are perfect for roasting. The one thing to remember about roasted vegetables is that firm vegetables tend to roast really great. This means that some of the best veggies for air frying and roasting are:

• summer squash/winter squash
• Brussel sprouts
• green beans
• root vegetables
• red onions/white onions
• peppers
• mushrooms

You can also roast softer food items like cherry tomatoes as well. When you roast vegetables, you just need to pay attention to what you are roasting so that you can adjust the cooking time as needed.

Tips for perfectly roasted veggies

So what is the trick to making perfectly roasted vegetables?  How do you get those nicely browned and crispy edges without burning your veggies or ending up with a soggy vegetable letdown?

• Thoroughly dry all the vegetables after washing and do not wash the mushrooms in water.  Mushrooms will absorb the water and will never get the brown char you are looking for.  Instead, brush any brown flecks off the mushrooms to clean with a dry paper towel.

• Ensure all the vegetable chunks are cooked to roughly the same size to that the vegetables cook more evenly.

• If barbecuing, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper before putting on a BBQ.  Add oil on the BBQ may cause flare-ups and that nice char you are looking for will go way beyond what you are hoping for…. think blackened veggies… yuck!

• Spread the vegetables out as much as you can when cooking to ensure that the vegetables cook evenly and don’t steam.  If the vegetables are all bunched up the vegetables in the middle or out of the way of direct heat will steam and will not get the crispy edges and roasted char that you are looking for

• If using potatoes, sweet potatoes or corn at these to the pan or 10 minutes prior to adding the rest of the vegetables.  They are much denser and require a little more cooking time.

• Only flip the vegetables halfway through cooking.  They need a little time to brown.

Can this Recipe be Made in The Oven or BBQ?

You bet! To make this Cilantro Lime Roasted Vegetables Recipe simply prep the vegetables like you would for the air-fryer.

Then preheat the barbecue or oven to 400°F. Spread vegetables out evenly on a large non-stick sheet pan or in a barbecue tray or large barbecue basket.

Cook for about 25-30 minutes depending on the sorts of vegetables you are using and toss/flip ONLY halfway through the cooking time. Softer vegetables like peppers, zucchini, onions and mushrooms will cook faster than harder vegetables like cauliflower, corn and broccoli.

When veggies are done transfer to a large bowl, drizzle with the Cilantro Lime Dressing and serve! 

How to store

If you have leftover air fryer vegetables, you can store them in an airtight container and keep them nice and cool in the fridge. As long as you eat the veggies within 2-3 days, they’ll still have great flavour and taste.

What to serve it with?

The great thing about cooking these Mediterranean vegetables is that they literally go with just about anything! You can pair them with chicken thighs, pork chops, or even on their own.

What I love about these roasted vegetables is that if you add a little bit of lemon zest and parmesan cheese on top, it’s literally a delicious meal as is! It’s one of those recipes that offers a ton of versatility.

More Vegetarian air fryer recipes

• Air Fryer Acorn Squash
• Air Fryer Turnip Fries
• Toasty Air Fryer Ravioli
• Air-Fryer Asian BBQ Cauliflower Wings

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