This lightly roasted carrots boast four ingredients – carrots, butter, salt and pepper – and a simple and perfect technique to roast them beautifully and bring out their earthy, natural sweetness.
Fried carrots. Sounds so easy right? Like you don’t even need a prescription? Not so. We’ve tried countless roasted carrot recipes over the past decade, and unfortunately all of them left us with unevenly cooked carrots that all just scrambled around on their plates.
Until this recipe. Simple perfection that takes just 10 minutes of effort to make an inexpensive, kid-friendly easy side dish that can be served alongside seasoned roast chicken, roast turkey with stuffing and veggies, or a roast pork loin.
Why our testers loved this
Our testers love that these are carrots “delicate, soft and perfect”quick and easy to make, an inexpensive healthy side dish that everyone loves and can be served with a variety of other dishes.
Notes on ingredients
- carrots-We recommend peeling the carrots for this recipe, but if you’re in a hurry you can just give them a good scrubbing. You can use baby carrots but leave them whole.
- Unsalted Butter–If you need to substitute regular salted butter here, reduce the amount of salt to 1/4 teaspoon in step 2.
How to make this recipe
- heat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Quarter the carrots so they are all about the same size toss them with butter.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread them out in a single layer Place on the baking sheet and cover with foil.
- Fry the carrots. Cover and cook the carrots for 15 minutes, then uncover and continue roasting until the carrots are tender. Taste and serve.
frequently asked Questions
Can I add spices to the carrots?
We think these roasted carrots are lovely just the way they are, although you can spice them up and use curry powder to make curried roasted carrots, or top them off with fresh tarragon or chives or whatever herb you happen to have on hand can, even fried sage leaves. For something more exotic, we love roasted carrots with dukkah.
Or you can multitask and throw in some thin slices of red onion or shallots (like the photo above) in the pan alongside the carrots and roast them at the same time.
Can I use baby carrots?
You can, but leave them whole and keep an eye on them while they cook, as their roasting time may need to be adjusted.
How long does it take to roast carrots at 425°F?
For this recipe, we found that it takes about 45 minutes of cooking time to get perfectly tender, lightly browned carrots. If you like it a little crispier, you can shorten the cooking time by 5 or 10 minutes when roasting uncovered.
Helpful tips
- To go further, peel and cut your carrots up to 4 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Heat in a 400°F oven or in a skillet over medium-low heat until heated through.
- If you have a lot of leftover roasted carrots, use them to make Roasted Carrot Soup.
More great roasted carrot recipes
☞ If you prepare this recipe or any other dish on LC, consider leaving a reviewA Rating in starsand your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Plain Roasted Carrots
These Easy Roasted Carrots are made with four ingredients—carrots, butter, salt, and pepper—and a simple and perfect technique to roast them beautifully and bring out their earthy sweetness.
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Set the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Slice each carrot in half crosswise, then slice each half lengthwise in halves or quarters, as needed, for evenly sized pieces. In a large bowl, add the carrots along with the melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat.
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Place the carrots on the parchment-lined baking sheet and spread in a single layer. Cover the baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
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Remove the foil and continue to sauté, stirring twice, until the carrots are well browned and tender, about 30 minutes longer.
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Transfer to a serving platter. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
- get ahead–Carrots can be peeled and sliced up to 4 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Storage-Leftover carrots can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Heat in a 400°F oven or in a skillet over medium-low heat until heated through.
- add spices–You can add your favorite spices to the carrot mixture before frying, or top it with fresh herbs after cooking.
Portion: 1portionCalories: 240kcal (12%)Carbohydrates: 33G (11%)Protein: 3G (6%)Fat: 12G (18%)Saturated Fatty Acids: 7G (44%)Polyunsaturated fat: 1GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 3GTrans fats: 0.5GCholesterol: 30mg (10%)Sodium: 256mg (11%)Potassium: 1092mg (31%)Fiber: 10G (42%)Sugar: 16G (18%)Vitamin A: 57183ie (1144%)Vitamin C: 20mg (24%)Calcium: 116mg (12%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
If you make this recipe, take a picture and tag it with a hashtag #LeitesCulinaria. We would love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook and others Twitter.
Recipe tester reviews
If you make this recipe, take a picture and tag it with a hashtag #LeitesCulinaria. We would love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook and others Twitter.