Honey Roasted Carrots Recipe - Easy Veggie Side Dish! (2024)

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Carrots might sometimes be the underdog of the veggie world, but these Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots are a game-changer! With just 5 simple ingredients, they’re easy to whip up and make a delicious recipe you won’t want to miss.

Honey Roasted Carrots Recipe - Easy Veggie Side Dish! (1)

These honey balsamic carrots are a simple yet flavorful side dish. The carrots are roasted until tender, bringing out their natural sweetness, which is enhanced by a glaze of honey and balsamic vinegar. This combination creates a perfect balance of sweet and tangy. A touch of garlic adds depth, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley gives a fresh finish. They’re easy to make and go well with a variety of main dishes, making them a great choice for an easy weeknight dinner or a holiday table.

Why You’ll Love This Honey Roasted Carrots Recipe

So Much Flavor: Roasted carrots with honey are naturally sweet, and the touch of balsamic vinegar adds great depth and a touch of acidity. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and tangy!
Super Easy: Veggie side dishes shouldn’t take much time and this recipe is no different. You’ll have this whipped up in no time with only 10 minutes of active prep time.
Goes With Everything: Great veggie side dishes should be versatile and go with anything you’re making with dinner. These roasted honey glazed carrots go with any protein you can cook up from steak to pork chops to chicken! They can also make an interesting addition to any vegetarian meal.

Honey Roasted Carrots Recipe - Easy Veggie Side Dish! (2)

What You’ll Need

Carrots: I suggest using large fresh carrots and cutting them in half, longwise. You could also use rainbow carrots or baby carrots.
Balsamic Vinegar: Adds a rich, slightly tangy flavor. If you don’t have balsamic vinegar, use 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
Olive Oil: Helps in roasting. Canola or vegetable oil could be used instead.
Honey: Pure maple syrup or agave nectar are good alternatives.
Garlic Cloves: Balances the sweetness in the recipe. Garlic powder is a good alternative.
Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper: Seasoning to enhance all the flavors.
Chopped Fresh Parsley: Dried parsley or even fresh thyme or cilantro could also be used.

How to Make Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

Each step in this process is designed to ensure that the carrots are perfectly cooked and flavored, making them one of your new favorite veggie side dishes. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions.

Honey Roasted Carrots Recipe - Easy Veggie Side Dish! (3)

Honey Roasted Carrots Recipe - Easy Veggie Side Dish! (4)

Prep: Preheat oven to 375˚F. Wash, peel, and halve your carrots lengthwise. Place the prepped carrots on a roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet and set it aside.
Combine: In a small bowl, combine your balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk everything together until it is thoroughly incorporated.
Brush: Brush the carrots with about 2/3 of the glaze.
Roast: Roast the carrots for 15 minutes.
Flip: Flip the carrots over and brush with remaining glaze. Continue to roast your carrots for another 15 minutes or until they’re fork tender. The cooking time will depend on the size of the carrots.
Serve: Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the roasted honey glazed carrots to a serving plate, garnish them with chopped parsley, and serve.

Tips and Tricks

Use Fresh Carrots: We’ve all been guilty of leaving carrots in the fridge a little too long. You know what they look like… They’re a little limp and bendy. Don’t use those! In fact, throw them in your scrap bag for making stock later on! You’ll get the best results by using fresh, firm carrots.
Don’t Overcook: Different sized carrots need different roasting times. Check out the FAQ section further down the page for my recommendations on how long to cook various sizes.
Cook the Rainbow: If you want to make this honey roasted carrots recipe really fancy, use a couple different colors of carrots! I love getting heirloom carrots at the farmer’s market when they’re in season and enjoy purple and white carrots along with the traditional oragen.

What to Serve With Honey Roasted Carrots

A great way to serve carrots is to top them with fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese alongside a nice roast pork tenderloin, pot roast, or even roasted rack of lamb. I love to pair them with other sides, like potatoes and roasted sugar snap peas. Since carrots are sweet, a great side to pair them with is tart brussel sprouts.

Honey Roasted Carrots Recipe - Easy Veggie Side Dish! (5)

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep them refrigerated for about 2 to 3 days.
To reheat roasted carrots with honey, I place them on a baking sheet and pop them in a 325˚F oven for about 5 minutes, or until they are heated through.

FAQs

Do I need to peel the carrots before roasting them?

This is up to you. I usually peel mine for a cleaner look, but it’s not a must – just give them a good scrub with a vegetable brush to clean off any dirt before you start cooking.

How long should I roast carrots?

I’ve found that roasting time for carrots or root vegetables largely depends on their size and thickness. For large whole carrots, 30 minutes at a higher temperature will do the trick. For baby carrots, 15 to 18 minutes is enough time. However, the best way to know they’ve been roasted long enough is to stick a fork into the thickest part of the carrot. If it slides in and out without needing any force, they are perfect.

More Veggie Side Dishes

Easy Roasted Vegetables
Garlic Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Brussel Sprouts And Radishes
Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes

Print Recipe

5 from 13 votes

Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

These Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots are the sweetest and easiest side dish around! Perfectly caramelized with a tender center, they're always a hit with everyone at the table.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: honey roasted carrots, honey roasted carrots recipe, roasted carrots, roasted carrots with honey, veggie side dishes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 185kcal

Author: Katerina | Easy Weeknight Recipes

Ingredients

10 large carrots, washed, peeled, and cut in half longwise
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
3 cloves garlic, minced, or use ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
Place the prepped carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper; whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
Brush the carrots with ⅔ of the glaze and roast them for 15 minutes.
Flip the carrots over; brush them with remaining glaze and continue to roast for 15 minutes more or until fork tender. Cooking time will depend on the size of the carrots.
Remove from oven. Transfer them to a serving plate, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve.

Nutrition

balsamic vinegarcarrotshoney

Honey Roasted Carrots Recipe - Easy Veggie Side Dish! (2024)

FAQs

Should you boil carrots before roasting? ›

There is, however, a trick to getting roasted carrots right. Undercook them, and the texture is tough and dense. Overcook them, and they're dry and wrinkled. The secret is to soften the carrots slightly by boiling them briefly before roasting.

How to make Gordon Ramsay carrots? ›

Cooking instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan, then add the carrots and parsnips and toss to coat in the oil. Add the thyme, cinnamon, star anise and some seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning the vegetables frequently, until golden brown and almost cooked through.

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What happens if you don't peel carrots before roasting? ›

Because a carrot's skin isn't as thick as other root vegetables (like potatoes) or winter squashes, carrots are perfectly safe and delicious to eat without peeling so long as they are properly cleaned. When it comes down to it, peeling carrots or keeping the skin on is a matter of personal preference.

Why are my carrots not getting soft in oven? ›

The solution: Turn the oven temperature up to 400°F to 425°F. The high heat will quickly coax out all those naturally sweet flavors while keeping the vegetable tender-crisp.

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What makes carrots taste better? ›

Or, to bring out their fresh, woody flavor, add some anise. If you're roasting your carrots, toss them in olive oil first. This will help keep the moisture in them. To bring out the sweetness in your carrots, season them with orange or lemon juice or a little brown sugar and butter.

What meat pairs best with carrots? ›

Roasted carrots go with all proteins – chicken, pork, lamb, beef, seafood.