10 Steps on How to Cook Frozen Veggies in an Air Fryer

The How To’s and  The Advantages

Frozen vegetables might not be the kind of thing for some but they actually are game changers and can be a leg-up when preparing quick meals. Learning how to cook frozen veggies is your ticket towards having easy-to-prepare and flavorful veggies that are best paired with your steaks or any kinds of proteins.

There are many ways to cook your frozen veggies but if you want a quicker and more mobile way of cooking them, definitely, an air fryer is what you need. If you want to know more about how to cook frozen veggies in air fryers, you’ve got to keep an eye out for this article as I go through discussing the best ways to cook and how long to cook frozen veggies in air fryers, as well as their advantages.

Advantages of Frozen Veggies
How to Cook Frozen Veggies in Air Fryer
  Key Details
  Ingredients and Alternatives
  Instructions
Advantages of Cooking Frozen Veggies in an Air Fryer
Summary

Advantages of Frozen Veggies

The presence of frozen foods before was not as existent as what it is now. Although they were already there in the late 1920s, some were still indifferent to this idea and would choose to use fresh ones. Nowadays though, frozen vegetables are something almost every household has.

As we move forward toward a more modern era, people are getting busier and busier, that they sometimes don’t have time to prepare their meals. Ready-to-eat, microwaveable or frozen meals are sometimes the best options on their hectic mornings. Below are some of the advantages of frozen veggies:

  1. Can be easily prepared
    If you suddenly want to sauté or bake some veggies to go with your steak or roasted chicken, you don’t have to rush to the grocery store to find fresh veggies if you already have the frozen versions. Using an air fryer, frozen veggies should be ready in about 12-20 minutes, generally. Other than that, cooking frozen vegetables as roasted, grilled, steamed or sautéed usually takes up to 5-25 minutes.
  2. Longer shelf life
    Fresh veggies, when not properly stored, can go bad quickly or they tend to become mushy, soft or soggy. On the other hand, frozen ones can last up to 8-12 months when being kept at a constant temperature, still retaining their crispness and nutrients.
  3. No preservatives
    Freezing vegetables requires no preservatives, which helps in maintaining their quality and retaining nutrients from harvest until consumption.
  4. More widely available
    Not all vegetables are in season all year round which means you couldn’t get your hands on those freshly picked vegetables anytime you want. If you’re looking for a veggie to star on your recipe, even when it’s out of season, you don’t have to worry as you can find it in the frozen section.
  5. Help save on waste
    Some stored vegetables in your fridge although they aren’t bad yet, they tend to be softer and unappetizing to look at. Others would rather throw them into the trash and buy fresher ones. Frozen vegetables help in saving waste as they still contain the crispiness and freshness we want, in cooking and eating them.

How to Cook Frozen Veggies in Air Fryer

In this recipe, I am using the Cascadian Farm Organic frozen vegetables containing frozen farro, broccoli, carrots and chickpeas. It is best to remember that there’s no need to defrost your veggies first before cooking, to achieve the right crispness, texture and flavor. This procedure will only make you move in just 10 easy steps.

Pre-packed frozen veggies:

Key Details

Yield:2 Servings
Prep & Cooking Time:15 Minutes
Flavor & Texture:Savory but not oily. Soft yet crunchy.
Ease:Beginner
Method:Air-fried

Ingredients and Alternatives

  1. Cooking Spray or Olive Oil (any oil available)
  2. Salt & Pepper
  3. Seasoning or Italian seasoning
  4. Other spices
Ingredients and Alternatives

Instructions

  1. Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (191°C).
  2. Prepare the basket by spreading some cooking spray or brushing it off with olive oil.
  3. In a medium bowl, add your frozen veggies and mix them with olive oil, salt & pepper and Italian seasoning. Add more spices if you like.
  4. Adjust the flavor according to your preference. Mix them well.
  5. Transfer the seasoned veggies into the air fryer basket and pop them into the fryer.
  6. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you can cook them all at once or if it’s smaller, you might need to cook them by batch.
  7.  Leave the veggies to cook at 375°F for 5 minutes.
  8. Remove the basket and flip the vegetables, then continue air frying for an additional 4-6 minutes until cooked through.
  9. Before the set time ends, check the veggies if they’re cooked enough according to how you want them to turn out.
  10. Once done, carefully remove the basket from the fryer and transfer the veggies into a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Advantages of Cooking Frozen Veggies in an Air Fryer

There are many ways to cook your frozen vegetables. You can sauté, steam, grill or roast them if you have enough time. But the quickest and easiest way to cook them is by using an air fryer. Below will help you understand the advantages of cooking frozen veggies in air fryers.

Airfryer:

  1. Quicker to Prepare

There’s no need for you to prepare your skillet, your griller, or a pot with water to steam your frozen vegetables. All you need is a single cooking machine, without using oil that much, put the veggies into the basket and pop them in, in the air fryer.

  1. Helps to increase your vegetable intake

With it being easy to prepare, it encourages you to take in vegetables, anytime you want.

  1. Saves more time.

You can save time and gas by not going to the grocery stores more often when you buy frozen vegetables in bulk and store them in your fridge.

  1. Maintain higher nutrients.

Freezing vegetables require no preservatives. They are usually picked or harvested at peak ripeness and then snap frozen within hours, thus maintaining maximum nutrient levels.

  1. Cuts down calorie intake.

Frying frozen vegetables in an air fryer doesn’t compel us to use oil hence; it cuts down our calorie intake by 70% to 80% and has a lot less fat.

Summary

Learning how to cook frozen veggies in air fryers is a great way for you to consume more veggies, especially now that we need a significant amount of nutrients in times like when there seems to be a rife of contagious diseases, worldwide.

If you’re still bothered by how long to cook frozen veggies in air fryers, you just have to think that it is still the best way of cooking them because it can lessen our exposure to the harmful effects of oil frying and at the same time, it helps to reduce food waste. By choosing frozen vegetables, you can easily control your portions by using only as much as you need, which in turn saves you money from not having to throw away leftovers.