Easy to make roasted whole carrots using baby carrots, fresh herbs and a bit of olive oil.
This delicious side dish is perfect for holiday meals or everyday dinners and can be ready in less than 30 minutes!
Roasting Carrots
Oven roasted carrots couldn't be any simpler. You just peel your carrots, add a bit of olive oil, fresh herbs and salt and pepper.
Then pop into the oven and let the oven do all the work. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots creating a delicious vegetable side dish.
These carrots are perfect for holiday dinners and are delicious served alongside your holiday ham. But since they are so easy to make, they are perfect for everyday dinners too!
The bright vibrant color of the carrots just adds such great color to your meal and I always enjoy eating a rainbow of colors!
If you love carrots, you'll also want to try these honey glazed carrots.
Key ingredients
- Carrots - I used whole baby carrots. They are often found in the organic section of most grocery stores. You can also find them at farmers markets. Whole regular sized carrots will also work, but you will want to cut them into carrot sticks.
- Avoid pre cut baby carrots that you find in a bag. These baby carrots are whole sized carrots that are cut down into uniform sizes. They are usually soaked in a bleach solution to help preserve the carrots. This process removes a lot of the flavor of the carrots.
- Olive oil - Used to drizzle over the carrots
- Fresh herbs - I used fresh thyme, but rosemary, fresh sage or parsley would also work.
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper - Coarse sea salt is perfect with these carrots
Step by step directions
- Peel and trim carrots. It's okay to leave a bit of the green on top!
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet
- Drizzle olive oil over carrots
- Roll carrots around so they are coated with the oil
- Sprinkle with herbs and salt and pepper
- Place in a preheated 425°F oven until carrots are soft and slightly browned
- Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your carrots (15-20 minutes)
- Remove from oven and serve
Recipe tips
- Carrots vary in size, so cooking times will vary. If using very small carrots, check after 10 minutes. Larger carrots will cook in 15-20 minutes
- Use the tip of a sharp knife to test if carrots are cooked
- Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired
- Sprinkle a bit more salt just before serving
Frequently asked questions
Peeling the carrots is all up to you. If you have young carrots, the peel is often thinner than an older carrot and don't need to be peeled. Just be certain to wash them well.
If you prefer a more uniform carrot with a smoother finish, peel the carrots.
Carrots vary in size so the roasting time will vary. The smaller the carrot, the quicker they will cook. Keep a close eye on your carrots to make certain they don't burn.
Serving suggestions
These oven roasted carrots are delicious with just about any meal. Some favorites to try include:
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my vegetable recipes!
Roasted Whole Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 bunches baby carrots (12-14 carrots)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme
- pinch coarse salt
- pinch freshly ground pepper
- fresh thyme sprigs (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Peel and trim carrots2 bunches baby carrots
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Drizzle olive oil over carrots. Rotate carrots on tray so they are coated with the olive oil.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sprinkle with fresh herbs, salt and pepper½ teaspoon fresh thyme, pinch coarse salt, pinch freshly ground pepper
- Place in preheated 425° oven for 15-25 minutes
- Once carrots are cooked through and slightly browned or caramelized, remove from oven
- Add thyme sprigs and an additional sprinkle of coarse saltfresh thyme sprigs
Notes
- Carrots vary in size, so cooking times will vary. If using very small carrots, check after 10 minutes. Larger carrots will cook in 15-25 minutes
- Use the tip of a sharp knife to test if carrots are cooked
- Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired
- Sprinkle a bit more salt just before serving
- Use whole baby carrots. They are often found in the organic section of most grocery stores. You can also find them at farmers markets. Whole regular sized carrots will also work, but you will want to cut them into carrot sticks.
- Avoid pre cut baby carrots that you find in a bag. These baby carrots are whole sized carrots that are cut down into uniform sizes. They are usually soaked in a bleach solution to help preserve the carrots. This process removes a lot of the flavor of the carrots.
David @ Spiced says
Love this recipe, Kathy! It would be the perfect addition to an Easter dinner. 🙂 We often roast carrots here, too...but only as a way to use up leftover carrots. I like the idea of roasting these with the greens on top, too!
Kathy says
They are so easy to make, which makes them perfect for everyday too!
Valentina says
So pretty for spring, Kathy! I love the presentation with the little bits of the stem left on. And of course nothing better than fresh carrots with fresh herbs. 🙂 ~Valentina