Roasted Baby Carrots are such an easy and delicious side dish everyone loves! The roasting process accentuates the natural sweetness making them quite addicting.
If you’re looking for a vegetable dish that your kids will actually eat, make these Roasted Baby Carrots! They are great along side Mini Meatloaf, Slow Cooker Pork Chops and Gravy, Cornflake Chicken, and more!
Roasted Carrots
Carrots are good raw but often need some sort of dip to make you really want to eat them. After you try one of these roasted carrots, you’ll find yourself coming back for a second helping!
Ingredients for Roasted Baby Carrots:
- Baby Carrots– Try to get baby carrots that are relatively the same size. Or, you can also use large carrots, peeled, and cut into pieces the size of your thumb.
- Olive Oil– I prefer to use EVOO but vegetable or canola oil could work too.
- Kosher Salt– Kosher salt has a larger grain which makes it easier to evenly disperse and sprinkle. If you don’t have Kosher salt, use 1/4 teaspoon table salt (or more to taste).
- Fresh Cracked Pepper– Fresh pepper has a strong flavor which is more desireable, especially when you have a simple dish like this.
How to cook baby carrots:
Time needed: 25 minutes.
- Preheat Oven and Dry Carrots
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Dry the carrots on a towel so the oil will adhere.
- Toss Together
Place carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated and then spread out evenly.
- Roast
Bake for 20-25 minutes (giving them a toss halfway through) until carrots are fork tender.
FAQs
Baby carrots are made from large carrots. They are put into a machine that cuts the carrots into two-inch long pieces. The edges are then shaved down. The extra carrot pieces are fed to cattle or made into compost. Baby carrots were created to help farmers utilize cull carrots (broken or misshaped carrots) and were first seen in stores in 1989.
The white color that can appear on baby carrots is caused by dehydration. Soak the carrots in cold water for 10 minutes to brighten them up again if you want to eat them raw. They’ll be fine as is if you cook them up in soup or a sauce.
Raw carrots last for 3-4 weeks in the fridge. Cooked carrots last for up to 4 days in the fridge.
If baby carrots smell pungent, have a slimy texture, or visible mold, throw them out.
Carrots contain beta-carotene which the body can convert to Vitamin A which helps keep your eyes healthy. Since Vitamin A is fat-soluble, it needs to be eaten with fat in order to fully be absorbed. Carrots are also a good source of fiber, potassium, and antioxidants.
Yes! Eating an over abundance of beta-carotene containing foods (like orange fruits and vegetables) can turn your skin an orange color, a condition called Carotenemia. It isn’t dangerous and is treated by simply eating less beta-carotene rich foods. Fun fact– I got it when I was a baby from eating too much pureed squash and carrots.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THESE ROASTED CARROTS:
- Half-Sheet Pan– I LOVE these pans! They’re 10 years old and still going strong. I use them all the time for sheet cakes, cookies, roasting vegetables, baking chicken…
- Oil Vinegar Bottle– This makes drizzling oil on food so easy! I always keep it full of oil right next to my stove so I can easily add it to a pan for sautéing meat and vegetables.
LOOKING FOR MORE SIDE DISHES? CHECK OUT THESE:
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze
- Sauteed Broccolini
- 3-Ingredient Roasted Green Beans
- Quick and Easy Steamed Asparagus
Roasted Baby Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pound baby carrots
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Dry the carrots on a towel so the oil will adhere.
- Place carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated and then spread out evenly.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes (giving them a toss halfway through) until carrots are fork tender.
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