Roasted Carrots

Roasted Carrots are proof that you can take the most humble of vegetables, add hot oven roasting and spices, and end up with something wildly delicious. They’re a wonderful side dish for meats like Prime Rib and Roasted Pork Tenderloin.

People are always shocked by how good these are. 

We make this roasted carrots recipe once a week for our family dinners, but I also serve them when we have friends or family over.

The response is always the same. They had no idea that the “boring carrot” could be so delicious, and they decide that they want to start making it themselves.

Like many other roasted vegetables, the high and dry heat of the oven does some pretty amazing things to this humble root vegetable, bringing out the natural sugars. Blog readers comment all the time that my Butternut Squash Soup is the best they’ve ever had, and it’s all from incorporating Roasted Butternut Squash into the mix, bringing all those caramelized flavors in. Roasting is the best!

For this recipe, I like to accentuate the flavor with a handful of spices, but even those can be omitted or changed to other flavor profiles. 

Step by Step Overview:

All we need to do is trim and cut the carrots, toss them in oil, salt, and spices, and then roast until tender!

Trim and Cut

Begin by cutting off any scraggly ends from the bottoms with a knife:

Then cut each one into sticks, about 3″ long and 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick.

What I do is cut long carrots into 3 sections, then cut the narrowest end in half (or if it’s really thin, sometimes not at all), the middle section in half or into quarters (depending on the diameter of the carrot), then cut the thickest top portion in half, then each half into thirds:

Aim for the pieces to be relatively close in size.

Do you have to cut it?

Note that you can also make whole roasted carrots here, or even use baby carrots, but there will be less surface area and browning per piece, and the carrots will need to be similar in size. I find the cut pieces to be more consistent and delicious, but both options work.

Once you’ve cut up all the pieces, place them into a mixing bowl:

Make the Spiced Oil

In a separate bowl, combine olive oil with paprika, ginger, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, and kosher salt. You may also use other seasoning mixes like Cajun Seasoning or Sazon Seasoning, or add black pepper and red pepper flakes to make it spicy.

If you wish to add fresh herbs of your choice, like chopped rosemary or fresh thyme leaves, add them here to the oil.

Note that I do not bother adding any brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or other sweeteners here because I think there’s enough natural sweetness in the carrots. Roasting brings out their natural sweet flavor. But if you wish to add sugar, do it here as well.

Adding the spices, and any other desired flavorings, directly to the oil helps the flavors to disperse more evenly over the carrots.

Pour the spiced olive oil all over the carrot sticks:

Spread It Out On a Tray

Spread the pieces out on a sheet pan, in a single even layer:

For the best roasted carrots, what’s pictured above is about as crowded as you want the pieces to be. If you have too many, it’s better to split them between two sheet pans.

Also, I do not use parchment paper or aluminum foil, as roasting on an uncoated pan is the best way to maximize those golden brown caramelized edges.

How Long to Roast in the Oven

Roast the carrots for 30-35 minutes at a high temperature of 425F, tossing the pieces around halfway through the roasting process. They will shrink down quite a bit:

They should also be caramelized on the edges, and if you look closely, the skin should be wrinkled, with a tender interior.

For more great roasted vegetables, try Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Roasted Parsnips. Enjoy!

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