Roasted carrots are a super easy and simple crowd-pleasing side dish that you can prep in just a few minutes.
We all know that roasting improves almost any vegetable, and that absolutely holds true for carrots.
Give your carrots 30 to 40 minutes in the oven, tossed with a little butter, salt, and pepper, and they will come out tender, buttery, and perfect every time.
Ingredient Notes
- Carrots: Try to chop your carrots into pieces roughly the same size so they cook evenly. For very large carrots, slice the thick upper part in half lengthwise before cutting into chunks.
- Salted butter: I love the buttery flavor of carrots roasted in melted butter, but you can use the same amount of olive oil if you’d prefer.
How to Make Roasted Carrots
1. Prep carrots: Toss peeled and sliced carrots with melted butter, salt, and pepper. I like to do this in a bowl for more even coverage, but you can mix everything directly on your baking sheet if you don’t want another dish to wash.
2. Spread carrots out: Arrange carrots on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Too close and they’ll steam rather than brown, so make sure the slices are space out and have some room.
3. Roast: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing the carrots once halfway through, until carrots are caramelized around the edges and fork tender.
4. Adjust seasoning: Add additional salt and pepper if needed, serve and enjoy!
FAQ
Should roasted carrots be peeled?
Probably. You don’t have to peel carrots–the skins are totally edible, you just have to scrub your carrots well before cooking.
But for best results, I always recommend peeling your carrots. Carrot peels will shrivel as they cook, giving the carrots a somewhat unappealing wrinkly look. They can also become tough, and some people find them bitter once cooked.
Peeling carrots means you don’t have to spend as long scrubbing the skins clean, and you don’t have to worry about any texture or flavor issues from the skin.
What to serve with roasted carrots?
Roasted carrots go extremely well with cozy comfort foods. Some of my favorite recipes to pair with them are:
Can I roast carrots ahead of time?
Roasted carrots are best hot out of the oven, but if you’re meal prepping for the week and want to include roasted carrots on the menu, you can. They’ll just be slightly softer after refrigerating and reheating.
Can I roast carrots at the same time as my main dish?
Yes, if you’re cooking something like roasted chicken, you can cook your main and side at the same time. However, you will probably need to extend the baking time if you are cooking them at a lower temperature than this recipe calls for, and the carrots may not brown as much.
Roast the carrots on a rack below the main dish and extend the baking time as needed for the carrots to become tender.
More Easy Vegetable Sides
- Carrots in the Microwave
- Roasted Broccoli
- Oven-roasted Zucchini
- Corn on the Cob in the Microwave
- Roasted Green Beans
Recipe Notes
- Store leftover carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Easy Roasted Carrots Recipe
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots
- 2 tablespoons (28g) salted butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Peel and trim the tops from your carrots and slice them into 2-inch chunks. For larger carrots, slice the thick upper part in half lengthwise before cutting into pieces.
- Toss carrots with melted butter, salt, and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing the carrots once halfway through, until carrots are caramelized around the edges and fork tender.
- Add additional salt and pepper if needed, serve and enjoy!
Notes
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Dan says
Couldn’t have had a tastier roasted carrot than this. Thanks a ton for this recipe.
Tracy says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!!