These Easy Roasted Carrots are one of my go-to side dishes. They're simple, flavorful, and always a hit with the family. If you need a quick veggie that pairs with almost anything, this one belongs in your regular rotation!
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Why We Love These Easy Roasted Carrots
- Ridiculously Easy: Just a handful of ingredients and minimal prep makes this recipe perfect for busy nights or last-minute sides.
- Naturally Sweet and Caramelized: Roasting brings out the carrots’ natural sweetness with a golden, tender finish that’s hard to resist.
- Versatile Side Dish: They pair beautifully with everything from roast chicken and ham to pasta or casseroles.
- Family Approved: No need to hide the veggies. The natural sweetness and tender texture make these carrots a hit with little ones, no convincing required!
- Customizable: Use your favorite herbs, spices, or a drizzle of honey or balsamic to make it your own.
- Great for Meal Prep: They reheat like a gem and add a pop of color and flavor to any lunch or dinner throughout the week.
Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe Ingredients
- Carrots: You can use whatever carrot is in the crisper drawer of your fridge. If you are looking to see what to get before you head to the grocery store or farmer's market, then I would suggest getting full size carrots. You'll be able to cut them into chunks and I think they are easier to work with.
- Olive Oil: If you like you can use melted butter.
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Dried Thyme: I love the combination of carrots and thyme together. It's such a nice balance between the sweet carrots and the earthy thyme. You can omit it or substitute it with your favorite herb. Parsley, basil, oregano, or rosemary would all be great choices.
Flavor Variations:
- Italian Seasoning
- Honey Garlic
- Basil and Balsamic
- Garlic Parmesan
- Cinnamon and Maple Syrup
- Taco Seasoning
- Chili Powder
- Cumin and Paprika
How to Make Oven Roasted Carrots
- First, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or lightly greased with olive oil.
- Next, peel and cut the carrots. Cut the carrots into chunks about 1½ inches in size and then cut the thick pieces in half crosswise. Try to make them all the same size and thickness for even cooking.
- Now, in a large bowl toss the chopped carrots with the olive oil, salt, black pepper, and thyme.
- Spread the carrots out in a single layer on prepared sheet pan.
- Roast the carrots for 30-35 minutes and until the edges are caramelized and the centers are tender.
I'll let you all in on a little secret, if you don't like certain vegetables, try them roasted. You may be surprised with the outcome. My kiddos didn't like cooked carrots, until I roasted them. They love these roasted carrots. Once they know they actually like them cooked, they are now more willing to try carrots and different veggies in other ways.
What to Serve with Roasted Carrots
These roasted carrots make a perfect side for just about anything. Serve them alongside roasted chicken, ham, pot roast, or even a cozy casserole. Here are some of our family favorites:
- Crock Pot Honey Ham
- Herb Roasted Spatchcock Chicken
- Chicken and Noodles
- Honey Mustard Chicken Breast
- Baked Rigatoni Casserole
- Instant Pot Beef Tips and Gravy
- Easy Turkey Meatloaf
If you love carrot side dishes don't miss my recipe for Honey Garlic Glazed Carrots. So delicious and incredibly easy!
Storing Roasted Carrots
Storing: Place leftover cooled carrots in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Reheating: Reheat these carrots in a low oven, toaster oven or quickly in the microwave.
Heather's Favorite Tools for this Recipe
- These nestled mixing bowls are my favorite for prepping ingredients.
- Long ago, I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant and I still prefer their baking pans to any others. Find yourself a consultant, host a party and treat yourself to something. These aluminum sheet pans from Nordic Ware are a great option too.
- Pre-cut parchment paper is a life saver and so easy. No cutting my fingers!
Tips for Oven Baked Carrots
- Line your sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, it will prevent any of the good crispy edges from sticking to the pan and clean up will be a breeze.
- Cut the carrots is like size pieces, meaning the majority of them are all the same size. When they are all the same size they will cook evenly. If some pieces are large and some are mini, the large pieces will still be hard and raw when the smaller pieces could get overcooked.
- Make sure to coat the carrots well and evenly with the oil and spices. It's what helps the carrots develop the caramelized and crisp edges.
- Don't overcrowd the sheet pan or the carrots will steam instead of roast. If needed, use two sheet pans and rotate them when the carrots are half way through cooking.
FAQs
Roast carrots that are about 1 ½ inches in size at 400°F for 30-35 minutes until fork tender. Smaller pieces will be done sooner and larger pieces will take longer.
Boiling carrots before roasting is not necessary, it's just more work. However, if you want to give them a quick boiling beforehand you certainly can.
To get evenly sized pieces, start by cutting the carrot into 1 ½ inch sections making more manageable pieces. You can do diagonal cuts for a pretty presentation. Then, slice the thick pieces in half crosswise. The goal is to make sure all the pieces are about the same thickness so they roast evenly and finish cooking at the same time.
This is personal preference, I usually prefer to peel my carrots. However, if the carrots have a thinner skin then I'll leave the peel on and give them a really good scrub to make sure all the dirt is gone. Either way the carrots will turn out tasty and delicious.
More Veggie Side Dishes:
- Roasted Asparagus
- Garlic Parmesan Green Beans
- Roasted Ranch Potatoes
- Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Broccoli
- Easy Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob with Husks
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes
- Crispy Oven Fries
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Easy Roasted Carrots
Ingredients
- 8 large carrots, cut into 1½ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss carrots with olive oil, salt, black pepper and thyme.
- Place carrots on sheet pan in a single layer.
- Roast carrots for 30-35 minutes and until the edges are caramelized and the centers are fork tender.
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