This recipe for honey roasted carrots follows the same great roasting technique used in my baked baby potatoes and roasted pumpkin recipes. This method for roasting carrots brings out their delicate sweetness, warm earthiness and gives them the perfect texture and shine. Perfect to use in a roasted carrot salad or to serve as a simple side with ribeye steak or panfried salmon fillet.
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Should you steam carrots before roasting?
There is no need to steam them before roasting.
The most important part is making sure they are covered while roasting so that the honey and sugars in the carrot don't start burning while the carrots are still raw.
The best way to do this is to add a little bit of water to the roasting dish and cover tightly with foil or a tight fitting lid.
The point is to steam and roast at the same time.
This gives you control over how tender or al dente you want your vegetables to be and what degree of caramelisation you want.
When the vegetables are cooked to your liking you can always brown them more under the grill without the lid or foil covering.
The same principle can be used for any other vegetables that require longer roasting times.
Best way to cut carrots
The most important rule to remember is the following.
However you cut them, if you cut them, they all need to be similar in size.
This ensures that the carrots cook evenly and you don't end up with half raw and half overcooked.
If you are using baby carrots, keep them whole and simply wash them well keeping the skin on. They will cook much quicker than large carrots and have tender skin.
When using larger carrots peel them and cut them into roughly equal-sized chunks or long batons or sticks.
Professional tips
- When buying carrots try and find small to medium-sized ones. They will be tastier and cook quicker.
- If you buy carrots with the fonds or tops still on them don't throw it away. It can be washed and used like parsley in a salad with carrots
- If you decide to grill the carrots to give them more caramelisation be carful not to burn the, as honey will easily go black in the blink of an eye. Stir an move them around to make sure they colour evenly.
- You can mix the ingredients together ahead of time and roast them the next day. likewise you can cook it in advance and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Perfect for meal prep.
Ingredients needed
- Carrots - Any type as long as their not severely damaged or oversized.
- Honey - Clear wildflower honey works best. Also, try buckwheat honey.
- Herbs - I used thyme. Use any other hard herb instead.
- Garlic - Use young organic garlic if possible.
- Oil - Regular quality olive oil works well. Alternatively, use canola or avocado oil.
- Seasoning - Fine sea salt and black pepper. See the variations section for other spices to add.
Useful equipment for this recipe
Instructions
- Turn your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit or 220C Celsius.
- Wash and peel your carrots unless you're using baby carrots in which case you will only wash it. Place into a suitable baking dish.
- Roughly chop the garlic and tear of the thyme leaves from the stalks adding them to the carrots along with olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Give it all a mix -through so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Add ¼ cup or 60 grams of water to the carrots and close with a tight-fitting lid or foil. This will create steam that lets them cook without browning too quickly.
- Cook for 25 to 35 minutes depending on the size of the carrots. Carefully oven the carrots halfway through cooking to see how they are cooking and also to give them a mix so they cook evenly.
- When they are done they should be tender, caramelised slightly, shiny and smell like heaven. If you want them to have a darker appearance simply place under the grill for a few minutes stirring once or twice until you are happy with the colour of your honey roasted carrots.
- Serve immediately or cool down before storing airtight in the fridge for later use.
Variations
- Bacon - Add smoked bacon pieces or wrap baby carrots in thinly sliced pancetta.
- Spices - Give it some exotic touches by adding cumin, coriander seeds, fennel seeds or cinnamon sticks. You can also add chopped chillies if you want it to be hot.
- Herbs - Change they thyme to rosemary, sage or curry leaves.
- Vegetables - Add pumpkin pieces, parsnip, celeriac, sweet potato or potatoes to make a roasted root veg medley.
- Make it vegan - Honey is not strictly vegan as it's from animal origin. Replace the honey with maple syrup or agave nectar instead.
Alternative cooking methods
- Barbecue - Simply wrap all the ingredients in a double layer of foil. Cook directly on hoot embers that's been spread out. You don't want the embers to be too hot. Add a few embers on top of the foil parcel and turn often. This method is advanced and should only be tried by those that know their way around a fire and cooking on it.
- Wood-fired oven - Prepare the same way you would normally. Make sure the dish you are using can withstand high temperatures up to 450 degrees Celsius or 840 degrees Fahrenheit. Add twice more water and check more often as the carrots will cook a lot quicker. For professional restaurants or experienced home cooks.
- Air fryer - Air fryers cook at the same temperature as ovens do so use the same cooking instruction as in the recipe. Because you will need a smaller dish I suggest you wrap the ingredients in foil as described above.
- Microwave and pan-fry - Place all the ingredients in a microwave-safe dish and loosely close with a lid. Microwave on high for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Remove the carrots from the cooking liquid and pan fry in a touch of canola oil or butter until slightly browned. Add the juices to the pan and let it reduce until shiny and sexy.
Serving suggestions
Serve as a side dish for one of the following:
Or add to one of the following dishes:
Frequently asked questions
Once cooked let it cool down and seal airtight before placing into the fridge. Freezing will ruin the texture so, refrain from doing that.
It will keep for 5 days in the fridge.
Yes, simply reheat in the microwave, oven or in a frying pan.
Other recipes you might like
If you're looking for easy sides or how to cook them properly then you'll find the following recipes useful.
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Recipe
Honey Roasted Carrots Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Turn your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit or 220C Celsius.
- Wash and peel your carrots unless you're using baby carrots in which case you will only wash it. Place into a suitable baking dish.
- Roughly chop the garlic and tear of the thyme leaves from the stalks adding them to the carrots along with olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Give it all a mix -through so that all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Add ¼ cup or 60 grams of water to the carrots and close with a tight-fitting lid or foil. This will create steam that lets them cook without browning too quickly.
- Cook for 25 to 35 minutes depending on the size of the carrots. Carefully oven the carrots halfway through cooking to see how they are cooking and also to give them a mix so they cook evenly.
- When they are done they should be tender, caramelised slightly, shiny and smell like heaven. If you want them to have a darker appearance simply place under the grill for a few minutes stirring once or twice until you are happy with the colour of your honey-roasted carrots.
- Serve immediately or cool down before storing airtight in the fridge for later use.
Notes
- Make it vegan by replacing the honey with agave nectar.
- Can be made in advance and store airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Do not freeze as it will spoil the texture when defrosted.
- Use these honey roasted carrots in this roasted carrot salad.
- If you want more caramelization on the carrots brown them under the grill when done cooking to avoid them drying out.
- Never roast carrots open and dry on a baking sheet. It dries out the exterior while a lot of the flavour evaporates. Carrots are high in volatile aroma compounds that add to their flavour. Keep these intact by avoiding the evaporation of the juices within the carrot.
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