How to Roast Carrots ♥

Say hello to my very favorite way to cook carrots, just tossing them with a little oil and seasoning, then roasting in a hot oven until cooked, ranging from "barely cooked" (as pictured, best for meal prep) to "dark and toasty". Written especially for new cooks and others curious about tips and tricks for roasting vegetables.

Fresh Vegetables, Fast & Casual. Just Carrots + Pantry Ingredients! A Summer Favorite When Served at Room Temperature with Fresh Dill. Year-Round Kitchen Staple. An Easy Side Dish for Weeknight Suppers. Budget Friendly. Little Effort, Big Taste. Easy Meal Prep. Low Carb. Low Fat. Weight Watchers Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real. Naturally Gluten Free. Whole30 Friendly. One of My Very Favorite Carrot Recipes.

Skip Straight to the Recipe

Just Carrots + Oil + Salt + Pepper.

What happens when you combine these four common ingredients with oven heat and oven time? Roasted carrots! Roasting vegetables is the most hands-off method for cooking vegetables, carrots are especially easy.

And if you like roasted carrots, you'll love this guide, How to Roast Vegetables, you'll never need a recipe again.

The Short Version: How to Roast Carrots

Roasted Carrots couldn't be simpler. You prep the carrots (think trimming and peeling) and toss with a little oil (the rule of thumb is just one tablespoon of oil for every pound) and salt and pepper. Then you roast at 425F/220C for 15 to 45 minutes, checking and turning every 15 minutes and every 5 minutes as the carrots get close to done. Yes, it's that easy!

The Detail: How to Roast Carrots

The detailed recipe is written in traditional recipe form below but here are the highlights in a few easy steps. If you're new to roasting vegetables, I've included lots of detail so you get it right the first time. You can definitely do this!

SETUP Allow about 1 minute for this step. Set the oven to 425F/220C. While it heats up, line a rimmed baking sheet (something like this sheet pan) (affiliate link) with foil or parchment, this makes cleanup a little easier.

CARROT PREP Allow about 7 - 8 minutes for this step and the next few steps, everything up to putting the carrots in the oven. Wash the carrots. Get out a cutting board, a sharp knife and a vegetable peeler. (FYI skip those pricey peelers. My favorite is an old-fashioned peeler with a swivel head, similar to this vegetable peeler.)

Line up three or four carrots on the cutting board. With one cut, cut off the carrot tops, that's the thicker end where the carrot leaves once were or maybe still are. Repeat with the remaining carrots. If you like, repeat the process, cutting off the tips of the carrots, only if they're gnarly.

Mostly, you'll want to peel the carrots too but if the skins are pretty and thin, you can skip that step. If you can, collect the carrot tops and peelings for composting. I love our pair of melamine compost bowls. They are My Most-Used Kitchen Tools!

DECIDE HOW (and WHETHER) TO CUT UP THE CARROTS For this photo, I left the carrots whole, this is my preference to add color and drama to simple suppers like fish or grilled chicken. Other times, I cut the carrots into chunks, other times into lengths. It really depends on how you want the carrots to look. It does help to keep the carrots roughly similar in size and thickness, this encourages even cooking. If you're going to cut chunks or even lengths, line up three or four carrots again, cut them all at once.

COAT THE CARROTS WITH OIL, SEASON WITH SALT & PEPPER Place the carrots in a bowl and drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Get in there with your hands and stir the carrots around well, really getting in there so all sides are coated with oil.

ARRANGE THE CARROTS ACROSS THE BAKING SHEET Once the carrots are well-coated, dump them onto the prepared baking sheet. But don't leave them all piled up in the center. Instead, take a minute or two to spread the carrots across the baking sheet, leaving as much room between the individual pieces as possible, allowing the oven's heat to circulate around the carrots. A single baking sheet can handle two pounds of carrots, any more, use a second baking sheet.

ROAST THE CARROTS FOR HOW LONG? It depends. First, the smaller the pieces of carrot, the faster they'll roast. If you've used more oil than single tablespoon per pound that's specified, the faster the they'll roast. If you've increased or lowered the temperature from the 425F/220C specified or if your own oven runs hot or cold, the faster/slower they'll roast.

But timing also depends your personal taste. Here's mine, but you'll need to think about and decide what you're aiming for. Here goes. I like to roast whole carrots only until they're barely cooked, that way I can reheat them to add to plates later. I like to roast carrot lengths (that look kinda like carrot fries) until they're beginning to turn brown but can retain their shape when lifted with a fork. I like to roast bite-size carrot chunks (about an inch big) until they're browning in spots and beginning to turn wrinkly.

SERVE Ah, I do so hope you love roasted carrots as much as I do! They're so great hot of the oven, straight to your plate or wait, straight to your mouth? My husband thinks it funny LOL to grab a fork as soon as veggies come out of the oven, picking a few bites straight from the baking sheet and if I'm honest, I do this too! But the reason I usually roast two pounds of carrots at a time is to make sure we have leftovers, because they make great meal prep, the vegetable portion of a quick lunch, etc. Roasted Carrots never go to waste.

You Might Wonder Be Wondering ...

Have another question? Ask away, I'll do my best to answer!

Do carrots and other vegetables always get roasted at 425F/220C? No! We roast carrots and other vegetables at high temperature, 375F on the low end and 500F on the high end but typically 400F or 425F. (In Celcius, that's 190C on the low end and 260C on the high end but typically 200C or 220C.) My sister, for example, meal preps roasted vegetables, just adding a tray of vegetables whenever dinner is in the oven, using the temperature specified by what's for dinner.

Is a bowl really required for oiling and seasoning the carrots? No. But I recommend it. Lots of recipes call for just drizzling oil over the vegetables right on the baking sheet. It does work. But a lot of the oil ends up on the baking sheet, not the vegetables which means you need to use more oil. It's just easier to toss the carrots with a small amount of oil when the vegetables and oil are both contained by a bowl. And mostly, I use the bowl for something else while making dinner so it's really not an "extra" bowl for dishwashing. That's my pitch! Do what works for you!

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HOW to ROAST CARROTS

Hands-on time: 5 minutes up front with occasional attention throughout
Time to table: about 40 - 55 minutes
Serves 4

Just Carrots + Pantry Staples

1 pound (450g) carrots, trimmed and peeled (if peeling is needed)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste, be generous

Heat the oven to 425F/220C. Line a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan with foil or parchment.

Trim and peel the carrots, then decide whether to leave whole or cut in chunks or lengths.

In a bowl, toss the carrots in the olive oil, really getting in there with your hands to coat well. Add the salt and pepper, toss with your hands again.

Roast for 20 - 30 - 45 minutes or until soft through the middle and beginning to brown. Toss with fresh dill, serve and enjoy!

SIMPLE VARIATIONS
After roasting, sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs, fresh dill is especially good and summery.
Before roasting, add a tablespoon of maple syrup to the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Before roasting, add a half teaspoon of spice to the olive oil, salt and pepper. My favorite is ground cumin but other ideas are aleppo pepper, nutmeg, curry, cinnamon.
Before roasting, add a teaspoon of "something wet" to the olive oil, salt and pepper. Ideas include hot sauce, bbq sauce, teriyaki sauce, etc.

FOR MORE INFO If you "skipped straight to the recipe," please scroll back to the top of this page for ingredient information, ingredient substitutions, tips and more. If you print this recipe, you'll want to check the recipe online for even more tips and extra information about ingredient substitutions, best results and more. See https://www.aveggieventure.com/2006/07/roasted-carrots-with-dill.html .

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Serving (assumes 4): 76 Calories; 4g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 79mg Sodium; 11g Carb; 3g Fiber; 5g Sugar; 1g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 2 & PointsPlus 2 & SmartPoints 3 & Freestyle 1 & myWW green 1 & blue 1 & purple 1 & future WW points CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving = 1 generous serving (2g protein).

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Skillet-Stewed Green Beans with Tomato & Basil Apple Juice Slaw Greens with Sour Cream Roasted Carrots with Dill Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar Arugula Pesto Quick-Cook Kohlrabi Parade-Day Gin & Tonics Easy Cheesy Zucchini Warm German Potato Salad Old-Fashioned Green Tomato Pie Almonnaise (Vegan Mayonnaise Made from Almonds) Homemade Bread & Butter Pickles Toad in a Pattypan Hole Farmers Market Quiche with Crispy Potato Crust Crustless Quiche with Greens & Garden Vegetables Red, White & Blue Potato Salad Marinated Tomatoes

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Looking for healthy new ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of super-organized quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Asparagus-to-Zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables. Join "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg to explore the exciting world of common and not-so-common vegetables where recipes range from seasonal to staples, savory to sweet, salads to sides, soups to supper, simple to special.

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