Roasted whole carrots not only offer a stunningly gorgeous presentation, but also come with the bonus that you don’t need to chop anything!
When I saw the most adorable little rainbow carrots at Trader Joe’s, I knew I was going to have to toss them in my cart. This happens only occasionally at TJ’s.
Anyone who has ever shopped at TJ’s is probably sensing the strong sarcasm in my last sentence. The kids and I always joke about it because we go in with a list that has four items on it and we leave with a cart full. Sigh. You might recognize this ailment from similar shopping trips at Target.
I knew I’d be developing a roasted carrot recipe for you guys with these, and I decided to keep it basic. My post on how to make acorn squash was surprisingly popular, so I’m planning to sprinkle in some more basics here and there. Tools in your cooking tool box.
Since I’ve shared a couple of roasted carrot recipes in the past, but never shown you how to make roasted whole carrots, I thought now would be a good time to cover that basic skill.
PS: Looking for those other roasted carrot recipes? You’ll love roasted carrots with cumin and roasted carrots with thyme and nutmeg.
How to make whole roasted carrots
I typically roast vegetables at 425°F or even 450°F, but I turned down the oven a little bit, to 400°F, for these carrots. You want them to get nice and tender all the way through without getting too done on the outside.
The great thing about these roasted whole carrots is that they look super glam due to the pretty shape and the tops still attached, but they actually require LESS work than roasting cut up carrots. WIN-WIN, am I right?
Once you have the technique down, you can experiment with adding other flavors like honey, mustard, brown sugar, rosemary, thyme, maple syrup or anything your heart desires!
If you’re as obsessed with roasting vegetables as I am, make sure to check out my list of over FORTY roasted vegetable recipes!
If you’re craving slightly more indulgent carrots, try my brown sugar glazed carrots (with bourbon!).
These carrots would be great on this salad (from Inspired by Charm) or this beautiful salad from Delicious Everyday.
Roasted Whole Carrots
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (1 pound) whole carrots, peeled, washed, and dried
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste (I recommend roughly 1/4 teaspoon of each)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- On a rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring once, until fork tender and browned on outsides.
- Serve immediately - I like to add parsley for color and freshness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!Husband’s take: He was mystified by the purple carrots for a minute but he loves them!
Changes I would make: None are necessary but once you have this down, try adding dijon mustard or maple syrup to the mix!
Difficulty: So easy, especially if you buy the already peeled and prepped carrots like I did.
Went to Trader Joe’s for the first time and I couldn’t resist these beautiful carrots either. And roasted this way, my kids thought they tasted like French fries! So good!
Score! That’s amazing!
I wanted to bring these to a friend’s house for a party about an hour away from my home. Her kitchen will probably be busy with other people. Do you have any recommendations for traveling with them and if I should anything to them since they won’t be served immediately?
They’re going to lose a little of their texture…but if you could pop them back in the oven even for 5 minutes on a high temperature (425F), that would help reheat them and freshen them up. I hope that helps!
this article is very helpful to me. thank you
Good, thank you!
delicious preparations
it looks like a chili. I saw it for the first time