Perfect Roasted Carrots (Three Ways!)

Move over, sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts! I have a new favorite vegetable side dish—roasted carrots.

Like those other vegetables, carrots develop deep, concentrated flavor and golden, caramelized edges as they roast in the oven. So delicious! Carrots are also affordable and easy to keep on hand.

If you’ve ever been underwhelmed by steamed carrots (been there), I promise that they’re far more interesting in roasted form. Roasted carrots are an easy and healthy weeknight side dish, and would also add a welcome jolt of color to your Thanksgiving table.

Today, I’m sharing my recipe for perfect roasted carrots. I love variety and I know you do, too, so I developed two fun variations as well. One is a little spicy and the other is a little more indulgent, featuring a light honey-butter sauce. Who knew carrots could be so tempting?

1) “Basic” Roasted Carrots

I put “basic” in quotes because these are not boring! Roasting really brings out carrots’ best qualities. To make them, just toss carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake until they’re golden on the edges and tender throughout.

Serve these simple roasted carrots with traditional or heavy main dishes, like standard Thanksgiving fare, lasagna or mac and cheese.

2) Spiced Roasted Carrots

If you’re a fan of spicy sweet potatoes, you’re going to love these spiced roasted carrots. You’ll make them in the same way as the regular roasted carrots, but toss in a hefty amount of chili powder and ground cinnamon with the olive oil and salt. Those two spices might sound like an unlikely pairing, but work so well with the sweet and savory carrots.

I offered a range for chili powder so you can control the spice level. You could serve these with hearty Mexican dishes, such as enchiladas. I also incorporated these into a Moroccan-ish salad in my cookbook (page 62).

3) Honey Butter Roasted Carrots

If you aren’t sold on roasted carrots yet, these honey butter carrots will convert you. They’re sweet and salty and irresistibly buttery.

To make them, toss “basic” roasted carrots in a super simple honey-butter sauce. You can make the sauce on the stove in under 5 minutes with one tablespoon each of butter and honey. For maximum flavor, let the butter brown for a minute before removing it from the heat and stirring in the honey.

These carrots are perfect for serving at a special brunch or family meal, including Thanksgiving (they’d be delicious next to mashed potatoes). You could also serve them with this arugula and wild rice salad, stuffed acorn squash or lentil baked ziti.