Roasted Carrots

We’re going back to the basics with this side dish: all you need is salt, pepper, and olive oil to make perfectly tender, caramelized carrots. While we love the simplicity of this roasted veggie side, once you’ve got the roasting down, you can experiment with them however you please. Use them to complete your holiday dinner, Sunday dinner, or any quick weeknight meal. Here’s how to make them the best they can be: 

How to roast carrots:
While this side dish is ultimately very simple to make, there are a few things you want to nail when making this recipe. Here are some of our top tips:
— How do I cut my carrots? You’re going to want to quarter your carrots for this roasting recipe. If the pieces seem big, don’t worry—they’ll shrink up after roasting in the oven!
— How long do I roast my carrots? Roast your carrots until they’re tender when pierced with a fork and lightly caramelized. How long this takes will depend slightly on the size of your carrot pieces—for us, it took around 30 minutes in a 400º oven.
— How do I caramelize my carrots? Our top tip: don’t overcrowd your pan. If you do, the liquid released from the carrots will prevent them from caramelizing. 

How to season your carrots:
We went with the basics in this recipe: olive oil, salt, and pepper. But, feel free to throw in any of your favorite herbs or spices as well. Once you’ve got this easy method down pat, you can experiment as much as you’d like. Try our garlic-Parmesan roasted carrots, miso roasted carrots, or create your own flavor combo. Add a bit of honey for added sweetness or red pepper flakes for added heat—really, you can’t go wrong with these carrots.

How to serve roasted carrots:
This simple recipe is the most versatile side dish. It goes great with rich holiday mains like roast turkey, brown sugar glazed ham, pot roast, and tomato-butter roast chicken, and just as well with quick weeknight dinners like marry me chicken and air fryer pork chops. 

Storage.
If you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container for up to 6 days in the fridge.