Roasted Carrots: an easy, mouthwatering side dish

Golden brown tender roasted carrots are a foolproof side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. Naturally sweet carrots are roasted with garlic until they're ultra-tender and brown, giving them an incredible flavor that goes with everything from roast turkey to lamb, chicken, or beef. All you need to make the perfect homemade roasted carrots is garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and of course, carrots!

Roasted carrots only take about half an hour to make, so they're ideal when you need a quick, flavorful side dish. Serve them at Thanksgiving, or enjoy roasted carrots all year round. Thanks to their versatility, there are very few dishes out there that won't go well with roasted carrots.

Top Tips for Making the Best Roasted Carrots

Use other fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, basil, cilantro, or sage to give your roasted carrots a flavor boost.

Cheese makes a tasty addition to roast carrots. Try parmesan, cheddar, or grana padano.

Add spices or seasonings to your carrots. Try Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, onion salt, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, Old Bay, Creole, or taco seasoning.

Sauces like pesto, tahini, ginger-soy, and peanut sauce are excellent ways to add more flavor to roasted carrots.

Another fun, delicious twist on roasted carrots is to use heirloom carrot varieties – they'll bring a stunning pop of color to your food spread!

How to Store Roasted Carrots

Once cooled, transfer roasted carrots to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How to Make Roasted Carrots

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Peel the carrots and cut the ends.

Cut the carrots in 2-inch diagonal pieces. Make sure the pieces are relatively the same size. This will ensure even cooking and beautifully tender carrots.

Put the carrots on a baking sheet. Season with salt, and pepper.

Add the olive oil.

Toss well to coat.

Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Cook for 20 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven.

Mix in the garlic.

Cook for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Toss the carrots with any juices, then place in a bowl for serving.

Garnish with parsley. Enjoy!