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.
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.
When to Skip Peeling Carrots. “Juicing and roasting carrots are good times to avoid peeling,” says Hilowitz. “If you are making a rustic dish, then leaving the peel on could potentially enhance the look and experience of the dish.
What’s Great About This Recipe
Simple – This recipe’s deliciousness is more about the method than adding a million ingredients to it. It’s just carrots, oil, salt, and spices.
Versatile – I recommend spices to use here, but this is one of those great recipes where you can flavor the carrots however you want. Try other spice mixes or herbs.
Batch Size Is Adjustable – The cook time is the same no matter if you’re cooking for one or cooking for a family, so make as little or as much as you want to. Just make sure you do not overcrowd the baking sheet, and use multiple trays as necessary.
Visually appealing – I recommend roasted rainbow carrots for the most pretty presentation. The deep purple, orange, and cream colored pieces look nice together. If you want to add variation in flavor, you can also make roasted carrots and parsnips, just cut the parsnips into the same size pieces.
If you’d like to prep the carrots in advance, you can cut them up ahead of time and whisk up the spiced olive oil in advance, so all I have to do is mix the two together, toss them on a sheet pan, and put the tray in the oven.
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!
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 Peel Carrots? | Food 101 | Well Done
FAQ
Do you need to peel carrots before roasting them?
Should you pre peel carrots?
Are unpeeled carrots better?
Should you peel carrots before roasting?
As with many vegetables, roasting carrots brings out their sweet inner nature. Peel the carrots or don’t peel the carrots—it’s up to you. Peeling takes a bit more time, obviously, but also leads to a more consistent final texture to the dish.
Should you wash carrots before peeling?
“However, since carrots are grown in the ground, washing/scrubbing is important if you do choose not to peel,” he adds. Of course, you should always wash your produce to reduce your risk of illness and pesticides, so hopefully, that’s nothing new. Why Peel Carrots? If we can just skip the carrot peeler, why do you have to peel carrots?
Should you peel carrot skin?
While you can remove your carrot skin if it’s very dirty or has been bruised, there’s no need to peel your carrots. Carrot skin is just as edible as any other part of the carrot, and removing the skin just means you’re removing some of the nutrients. Make sure you always wash your carrots thoroughly, regardless of whether you peel them or not.
Can you eat raw carrots if you don’t peel them?
Assuming you don’t peel your carrots, 1 cup of raw carrots will also provide you with essential nutrients including: Carrots’ nutrition also features small amounts (1 to 4 percent) of most other essential vitamins and minerals, like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.