Perfect Roasted Carrots seasoned to perfection for a marvelous side dish each and every time! This goof-proof recipe results in tender carrots with the perfect golden brown crust on the outside and plenty of flavor.
Many years ago, I posted my recipe for Apple Cider Glazed Carrots with Rosemary and while I absolutely love that recipe, I wanted to share a recipe for regular roasted carrots that is even easier.
I don’t mean to boast, but…
It’s entirely probably that I eat more carrots than any other person on this planet.
It’s true. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I go through a 5-pound bag of carrots every 3 to 4 days.
What can I say? Girl loves her vegetables, and root vegetables are some of my favorites.
Of course, I end up combining carrots with other fresh produce in my Easy Sauteed Vegetables Recipe or my Big Batch Roasted Vegetables.
Nevertheless, carrots are the light of my life.
The roasting process brings out their natural sweetness and the caramelized edges make for the best way of enjoying this stellar root vegetable.
So here we are, scoping out the easiest way of making perfect roasted carrots so that you can sneak them into any meal any time you’d like.
Whip them up any time you need a vegetable side dish or meal prep them in advance to incorporate them into mealtimes throughout the week.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients used to roast carrots.
Ingredients for Roasted Carrots:
Fresh Carrots: The star of the show! Use large whole carrots, small carrots, baby carrots, or heirloom carrots with the green tops still attached.
You can either leave the carrots whole for a rustic look or chop them for easy eating.
I leave the peel on because it is a great source of fiber, and it also provides a lovely texture on the outside of the carrots for a nice crisp.
Avocado Oil: A quality high temperature cooking oil with neutral flavor, avocado oil is perfect for roasting carrots or roasting vegetables of all types.
If you prefer cooking with olive oil, feel free to use extra virgin olive oil as a replacement for avocado oil.
Garlic Powder, Dried Oregano, Sea Salt, Black Pepper: This combination of seasonings brings spunk to the carrots, turning them into an absolutely joyful side dish.
Feel free to incorporate other seasonings like fresh thyme or other fresh herbs, chili powder, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, pure maple syrup, or garlic cloves
Now that we’ve covered the fresh ingredients for roasted carrots, I want to share some tips to ensure your savory carrots turn out marvelously each and every time.
Tips for Perfect Carrots:
Be sure to use plenty of oil. When not enough oil is used for roasting vegetables, the vegetables turn out dry and can burn on the outside without cooking through. Using enough oil ensures the outside of the vegetables are protected from the heat so that the inside can cook sufficiently and the outside can become appropriately crispy. Oil also helps to make the best flavor, as fat is flavor my friends!
Don’t skimp on the salt! One teaspoon of salt (as indicated in this recipe) may sound like a lot of salt, but I actually tend to add even more once the carrots are out of the oven. Salt truly does magical things both for flavor and for the quality of the bake.
Measure. I know it sounds elementary, but measuring the ingredients exactly as shown in the recipe (rather than freehanding it, as tempting as that is), ensures you end up with the best roasted carrots every time.
Roast in high heat! The trick to perfect oven roast vegetables is using a high temperature so that the outside of the veggies get that delectable crust rather than turning out mushy.
Roasted vegetable recipes require only a couple minutes of prep and so little effort that you can easily multi-task and prepare other delicious recipes while the carrots are roasting.
Let’s make this easy carrot recipe!
How to Make Oven-Roasted Carrots:
Rinse the carrots well and give them a good scrub. No need to peel them!
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice the carrots with a sharp knife and transfer them to a mixing bowl (or leave the carrots whole if you’d like!)
Add in the avocado oil, sea salt, garlic powder, dried oregano and pepper.
Toss everything together until the raw carrots are well-coated in oil and seasonings.
Spread the carrots over a large baking sheet, ensuring they land in a single layer.
Bake in the hot oven for 18 to 25 minutes, or until the carrots reach your desired level of doneness.
For perfectly caramelized carrots, remove them from the oven after 20 minutes, give them a shake the sheet pan or stir them around, then bake them for an additional 10 minutes, until fork tender.
The exact roasting time depends on how done you like your veggies and the thickness of the carrots. Thinner carrots will require closer to 15 to 18 minutes.
This will give them a nice golden brown crust and ensure they are nice and tender on the inside yet crispy on the outside.
Allow the carrots to cool for a few minutes on the sheet pan – this helps enhance the caramelized edges. Transfer carrots to a serving dish and serve alongside your main entrée. If you’d like, you can garnish the carrots with fresh parsley.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Pair roast carrots with any main course such as roast chicken, pork tenderloin, broiled salmon, pork chops, pot roast, you name it! These sweet carrots are here as a great side dish for dinner time, as well as any holiday dinner.
Plus, they are a great way to get in some vegetables for even the pickiest eaters! This amazing carrots recipe may just be your new favorite way of consuming veggies, as oven-roasting brings them to a whole new level.
If you enjoy oven roasted carrots and this perfect side dish, also check out some of my other favorite veggie recipes.
More Vegetable Side Dishes:
- Sauteed Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Butter and Garlic
- Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
- Creamy Cauliflower Casserole
- Green Beans and Beets with Balsamic Reduction
- Roasted Celery Root with Carrots Parsley and Dill
- Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Beets
Enjoy this healthy easy side dish anytime you have a hankering for vegetables, any special occasion, and include them in your next holiday meal!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs carrots, sliced
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice the carrots with a sharp knife and transfer them to a mixing bowl (or leave the carrots whole if you’d like!). Add in the avocado oil, sea salt, garlic powder, dried oregano and pepper.
- Toss everything together until the raw carrots are well-coated in oil and seasonings.
- Spread the carrots over a large baking sheet, ensuring they land in a single layer.
- Bake in the hot oven for 18 to 25 minutes, or until the carrots reach your desired level of doneness.
- For perfectly caramelized carrots, remove them from the oven after 20 minutes, give them a shake the sheet pan or stir them around, then bake them for an additional 10 minutes, until fork tender. The exact roasting time depends on how done you like your veggies and the thickness of the carrots. Thinner carrots will require closer to 15 to 18 minutes. This will give them a nice golden brown crust and ensure they are nice and tender on the inside yet crispy on the outside.
- Allow the carrots to cool for a few minutes on the sheet pan – this helps enhance the caramelized edges. Transfer carrots to a serving dish and serve alongside your main entrée. If you'd like, you can garnish the carrots with fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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