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Roasting carrots in the oven brings out their sweetness, which is enhanced further with a tangy balsamic and maple glaze. Serve these balsamic roasted carrots as an easy weeknight side dish.

EatingWell.com, May 2019

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How to Make Oven-Roasted Carrots

Prep the Carrots

Getting carrots ready for oven roasting is fast and easy. Unless your carrots are garden-fresh, they will need to be peeled before roasting. Trim the tops and the bottoms of the carrots to remove any remaining greens and withered tips. If your carrots are small, you can leave them whole. Otherwise, you can cut them into 1-2-inch pieces. Cutting them into pieces on a slight diagonal or "on the bias" as opposed to straight across gives them a nice finished presentation. The most important tip to remember here is to keep the pieces the same size so they cook at the same rate.

How Long to Cook Carrots in the Oven

Carrots cut into 2-inch pieces will cook for 16-18 minutes in a 400-degree oven. Carrots cut into smaller pieces or thin, whole carrots may take a few minutes less. You can stir the carrots once during cooking time to get even browning. Carrots contain sugar which can burn easily at hot temperatures. Stirring the carrots and also keeping the oven around 400 degrees will help prevent burning.

How to Jazz Up Oven-Roasted Carrots

Oven-roasted carrots taste great on their own with just a pinch of salt and pepper, but their simple, sweet flavor tastes great with other flavors too. We add maple syrup and balsamic drizzle to our roasted carrots to give them a sweet and tangy finish. We add this combo at the end of cooking so the carrots get coated in flavor without burning. Once out of the oven, you can toss roasted carrots with chopped fresh herbs, chopped, toasted nuts and seeds, or you can toss or drizzle them with a sauce like pesto or tahini.

Additional reporting by Hilary Meyer

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

Directions

Instructions Checklist
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk vinegar, maple syrup and 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl; set aside.

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  • Combine carrots, salt and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.

  • Roast the carrots until starting to brown and almost tender but not completely cooked through, 16 to 18 minutes. Drizzle the balsamic mixture over the carrots, and, using a spatula, toss to coat completely. Continue roasting until the carrots are tender and glazed, about 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts, if desired. Serve immediately.

Equipment

Large rimmed baking sheet

Nutrition Facts

about 1/2 cup
130 calories; protein 1.1g; carbohydrates 15.6g; dietary fiber 3.2g; sugars 9.6g; fat 7.3g; saturated fat 1g; vitamin a iu 18944.3IU; vitamin c 6.7mg; folate 21.5mcg; calcium 44.8mg; iron 0.4mg; magnesium 15.6mg; potassium 382.5mg; sodium 226mg; thiamin 0.1mg; added sugar 3g.

2 vegetable, 1 1/2 fat

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