Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe = Side Dish Perfection! • The Simple Parent (2024)

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Roasted Carrots are one of the most versatile vegetable side dishes! You can go savory or you can go sweet. This roasted carrots recipe is all about classic flavor. Do you remember the glazed carrots from your childhood and from holiday meals? They’re perfect for weeknight dinners with the family too!

Whether you call them brown sugar carrots, carmelized carrots, or maple glazed carrots, you’ll call these delicious! Plus, they’re so simple to make! Use them for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Thursday night dinner!

Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe = Side Dish Perfection! • The Simple Parent (1)

SWEET ROASTED CARROTS

Carrot side dishes are often seen at the holidays, but they pair so well with a variety of main courses that I started serving them as part of our weekly meals too! I’m a huge fan of cooked carrots so I enjoy making them different ways.

When I am cooking for the holidays, I usually make my classic slow cooker carrots. While they cook, I can work on other dishes I’m in charge of making. On weeknights, I don’t often reach for my Crockpot for a side dish. If I’m breaking out the slow cooker, it’s going to be a one-pot meal night!

So oven baked carrots are a great solution. I get the brown sugar cinnamon carrots I love and still have a fairly convenient recipe going.

Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe = Side Dish Perfection! • The Simple Parent (2)

HOW TO COOK CARROTS

There are a lot of different ways to cook carrots. If you’re interested in trying some different methods, we’ve got you covered! Try Maple Glazed Carrots for a sweet recipe or Buttery Cooked Carrots for more savory flavor!

Most of my carrot recipes lean towards the sweet side of things and use ingredients like brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup. But you’ll find some garlic thrown in there as well!

For this recipe, you cook the carrots in the oven at 425°F to roast them. It’s easy to do and you can work on the rest of the meal while they bake!

Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe = Side Dish Perfection! • The Simple Parent (3)

DO YOU PEEL CARROTS BEFORE ROASTING?

The truth is you don’t have to peel carrots unless you want to do it. Some people don’t like the texture or the taste of carrot skin, so most people do peel them. If you peel them and have never tried a Y-shaped Peeler, I highly recommend trying one! You can get a Y Vegetable Peeler here!

I often use baby carrots to avoid peeling and doing a lot of chopping. But if you use whole carrots for this recipe (and you can!) then it’s up to you if you want to peel the carrots before roasting them.

HOW DO YOU CUT CARROTS FOR ROASTING?

If you’re not using baby carrots, I suggest you cut your whole carrots before roasting them with this recipe. There are a few options.

You can slice the carrots. If you slice them, I recommend slicing them into slices that are about 1-2 inches thick. You’ll want them all to be similar in size so you get more even cooking.

You can also chop them into chunks or slice them length-wise to make carrot sticks. No matter how you cut them, make sure the pieces are all about the same size.

If you’re using baby carrots but would like more bite-size carrots to serve, you can cut them in half too before roasting in the oven.

Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe = Side Dish Perfection! • The Simple Parent (4)

HOW TO MAKE BROWN SUGAR ROASTED CARROTS

To get started, prep your carrots if you’re not using baby carrots. Then heat your oven and line your baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. You don’t have to do this, but it really helps make cleaning up easier when you’re glazing carrots.

Then mix all of the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Put the carrots in a larger bowl and once you’ve mixed your glaze, pour it over the carrots. Stir them around to get them coated with the glaze.

Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe = Side Dish Perfection! • The Simple Parent (5)

Spread the glazed carrots on the baking pan in a single layer and put them in the oven to roast! Cook the carrots for about 20 minutes or until they reach the desired softness and tenderness. I recommend flipping them over about halfway through the cooking time.

Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe = Side Dish Perfection! • The Simple Parent (6)

You can garnish them with parsley flakes and serve them with your favorite main dish!

SUGGESTED MAIN DISH RECIPES: Oven Roasted Lemon Pepper Chicken, “Fried” Chicken Legs, Crockpot Turkey Breast

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4 from 1 vote

Easy Roasted Carrots

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Calories: 158

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.

  • In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, melted butter, maple syrup, salt, and pepper together until smooth.

  • Put baby carrots in a large bowl and pour glaze mixture over them. Mix to coat.

  • Spread baby carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until desired tenderness. Turn the carrots halfway through cook time.

  • Garnish with parsley flakes, if desired. Serve warm.

Notes

You can substitute whole carrots for the baby carrots in this recipe. Slice or chop your carrots into similar sized pieces before roasting.

Please note: All nutritional values are estimates. Exact values depend on the specific products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 158 kcal

Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe = Side Dish Perfection! • The Simple Parent (8)

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Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe = Side Dish Perfection! • The Simple Parent (2024)

FAQs

What not to mix carrots with? ›

For the same reason, one shouldn't mix orange with carrot as when taken together, they may cause heartburn and excess bile reflux. Only a few fruits are starchy in nature. These include green bananas and plantains.

Why are my roasted carrots tough? ›

Undercook them, and the texture is tough and dense. Overcook them, and they're dry and wrinkled. The secret is to soften the carrots slightly by boiling them briefly before roasting. The texture will be firm-tender with just the right amount of caramelization on the outside.

What cooks faster, carrots or potatoes? ›

Typically potatoes take longer to cook than carrots. To make sure the vegetables are finished at the same time, cut the potatoes smaller to speed their roasting along.

How do I roast carrots Delia? ›

Next, put the garlic cloves and salt in the mortar, crush to a purée, then whisk in the oil. Now toss this mixture around with the carrots and spices, then spread it out on the baking tray. Pop it into the oven on a high shelf and roast until the carrots are tender when tested with a skewer – 30-40 minutes.

What makes carrots taste better? ›

Or, to bring out their fresh, woody flavor, add some anise. If you're roasting your carrots, toss them in olive oil first. This will help keep the moisture in them. To bring out the sweetness in your carrots, season them with orange or lemon juice or a little brown sugar and butter.

What brings out the Flavour of carrots? ›

Citrus Not only are oranges the perfect colour match for carrots, but the citrus really brings out the sweet flavour of carrots. Simmer carrots until tender then drain and toss in a pan with some butter, sugar to taste and lemon or orange juice for delicious citrus glazed carrots.

Is it best to parboil carrots before roasting? ›

Roasting Tips

Parboiling skin-on carrots and parsnips lets you soften them without them losing too much moisture.

How to roast carrots in Jamie Oliver? ›

Method. Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Toss your carrots with a good lug of olive oil, a splash of vinegar, salt and pepper, the thyme sprigs and the garlic cloves. Place in a roasting tray or earthenware dish, cover tightly with tinfoil and cook for 30 to 40 minutes until just tender.

Why are my carrots not roasting? ›

Make sure your oven is fully preheated, and try not to overcrowd the pan. If the carrots are too close together, they'll steam instead of roast. Also, a higher oven temperature can help with browning.

What vegetable takes the longest to cook? ›

Root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and turnips take the longest, followed by hard squash and cruciferous vegetables like butternut squash, cauliflower and broccoli. Tender items like cherry tomatoes or zucchini come next, then cooking greens, which have the shortest roasting time.

Do you cook carrots or onions first? ›

If sautéing more than one vegetable at a time, what vegetables do you sauté first? Start with the hardest vegetables first, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, or cauliflower. Onions also need quite a while to cook, whereas zucchini and squash need less time, and garlic needs even less.

Do potatoes and carrots cook at the same rate? ›

Do potatoes and carrots cook at the same rate? Yes! Potatoes and carrots take a similar amount of time to cook. Just be sure to cut them about the same size.

What happens if you don't peel carrots before roasting? ›

That's likely because carrot skins can turn bitter and dry when they're cooked. For some, the flavor difference is barely noticeable, but for others, the earthiness is a complete turn-off. Carrots' glossy exteriors may also turn dusty and dry in the heat of an oven.

Why are my roast carrots soggy? ›

As they cook, vegetables give off moisture, and when arranged too close together it results in a soggy outcome. Follow this tip: To achieve beautiful browning and crisp, roasted perfection, vegetables need some breathing room. Arrange vegetables in a single layer and don't overcrowd the pan.

Why do my roasted carrots burn? ›

The reason this hack works is because carrots are a very dense root vegetable that doesn't have a ton of moisture. Since it has a lack of moisture, roasting it will just burn the item before the inside can cook. This is the same for things like broccoli – the top part burns before the stem can cook.

What are carrots not compatible with? ›

You should NOT plant carrots with DILL, CELERY or other root vegetables like POTATOES and PARSNIPS . Root crops all require high levels of phosphorus in order to thrive and planting root vegetables too closely together will lead to competition and a weaker yield when it comes to harvesting.

What foods should you avoid with carrots? ›

If you know that you are allergic to carrots, you should avoid eating them and also check food labels for any hidden carrot ingredients. Cross-reactive foods, such as celery, parsley, and parsnips, should also be avoided as they could trigger a similar reaction.

What do carrots cross react with? ›

Carrot allergens are highly cross-reactive with especially birch tree pollens and celery. The allergy might be prevented in carrot sensitized people by avoiding any intentional or un-intentional consumption of carrot.

References

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