Oven Roasted Carrots

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These easy oven roasted carrots make for a great vegetable side dish for any occasion. Made with a handful of ingredients, these healthy baked carrots are so simple and quick to cook in the oven, so they are great for a family weeknight dinner, but tasty enough to serve at Christmas or Thanksgiving.

If you’re looking for an extra side dish to add to your Easter menu, Thanksgiving spread or even weeknight family dinner, try these oven roasted carrots. Like most vegetables, carrots get sweet and caramelized when roasted. That means your picky eaters will be tempted to nibble on them, and everyone else will love their golden edges and tender bite. If you love roasted veggies, be sure to check out my Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Roasted Delicata Squash an Roasted Beets Arugula Tomato Feta Salad.

They’re simple enough for kids, but look fancy enough for guests!

What ingredients do you need to make baked carrots

You can throw this recipe together with just a handful of ingredients. It’s basically carrots, salt, pepper and olive oil. It doesn’t get any more basic than that. But because the ingredients are so minimal, I recommend you use high quality ingredients. What does that mean?

• Whole carrots, not the pre-cut baby carrots. The flavor is much more intense in the whole carrots, and they’re not treated with any chemicals to preserve them after they’re cut. So they’re healthier too.
• Extra virgin olive oil, not vegetable oil. This helps the carrots get the crispy edges, but also gives them a unique flavor that you wouldn’t get from neutral oils like vegetable, canola or grapeseed.
• Kosher or sea salt, but table salt is acceptable. Along with pepper, it’s really the only seasoning you’re using, which is why I recommend the big flaky salt.
• Sweetener? Not really! I don’t add any sugar, honey or other sweeteners to carrots because roasting them brings out their sweet flavor. Now, if you have really picky eaters, adding sugar to carrots or any roasted vegetable definitely sweetens the deal. That’s how you hook ’em 😉

RECIPE VIDEO TUTORIAL

How to roast carrots in the oven

Give the carrots a good toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. You can do this in a mixing bowl or right in a rimmed baking sheet. Use about 1 tablespoon for every pound of carrots and adjust as you see fit. I usually end up adding more than that. But it’s a good place to start.

Next, roast at the standard roasting temperature of 400°F. This ensures that the carrots are cooked on the inside before they get too crispy and caramelized on the outside. Depending on how large you cut the carrots, they will take anywhere from 20 to 25 minutes.

When the oven roasted carrots are cooked, you can hit them up with freshly chopped parsley or another garnish you have on hand.

Tips for making oven roasted carrots

• Cut the slices large. You’ll notice that the carrots shrink in the oven, so err on the side of large chunks. I also love cutting them diagonally because the presentation looks fancy and unexpected.
• Cut the carrots evenly. To ensure even cooking throughout for all the carrots, try to cut them evenly. This is not always easy when using a bag of organic whole carrots with each carrot varying in size. What I usually do is use the wide part of the whole carrots for roasting and leave the skinner part of the carrot for snacking.
• Peel the skin for best taste. This is not mandatory because the skin is edible as long as it’s washed and scrubbed well. But, I find that the outside skin of carrots tends to have a bitter taste, so for roasting I recommend peel the skin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are oven roasted carrots healthy?

These baked carrots are a great healthy vegetable side dish. You only need a couple of tablespoons of oil and a little salt and pepper to make these. Cooked carrots are actually healthier for you than raw! When cooked, they release more vitamin A, as well as being easier to digest.

What are the health benefits of carrots?

Carrots are a highly nutritious vegetable. They are a great source of vitamins A and K1, potassium, fiber and antioxidants. They are a weight-loss friendly food and have been linked to reduced risk of cancer, lower cholesterol and contribute to eye health.

Can you make oven roasted carrots ahead of time?

If you are planning a large meal, you can make these carrots a day before. Cook them, let the cool completely, and then put them in an air tight container in the fridge. To reheat them, place in a medium heated oven just to heat them through.

What to serve with roasted carrots

This recipe is easy to throw together and adds a healthy side dish with a pop of color. Add it to your Easter menu, or Thanksgiving spread or serve it as a side to a weeknight dinner. Plus it’s easy to make ahead of time for a holiday gathering. It goes really well with these main dishes:

• Garlic Butter Steak Tips
• Air Fryer Chicken
• Almond Crusted Chicken
• Baked Macaroni and Cheese
• Panko Crusted Salmon
• Pomegranate Roasted Chicken

That’s basically all you need to know to make oven roasted carrots. It’s all about using whole carrots, tossing them with high-quality olive oil, and roasting them at the right temperature for a beautiful colorful side dish!

For more side dishes:

• Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts
• Green Bean with Almonds
• Thanksgiving Stuffing
• Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
• Healthy Mashed Potatoes
• Sautéed Mushrooms
• Cheesy Oven Roasted Asparagus

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Oven Roasted Carrots recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!