These oven-roasted carrots make a great side and pair perfectly most main dishes. Give them a try and watch them disappear.

How can I get my kids to eat more vegetables – that is a common question from parents. It’s not just kids though. Many adults don’t eat vegetable, either. If you didn’t grow up eating vegetables, or if your mom wasn’t exactly the best chef, there’s a good chance you don’t eat them as an adult.

The way that food is prepared has a huge impact on whether or not it tastes good. If you make a vegetable that you didn’t like, it’s important to ask yourself if it could be the way it was cooked. That way, rather than giving up on the vegetable altogether, you try a different preparation method the next time.

I’ve been served many vegetables that I didn’t like in my time. I’m having flashbacks of canned beets as I write this. That’s even true for carrots. I’ll eat them steamed or as part of a slow-cooker pot roast meal, but it’s definitely not my favorite. You give me roasted carrots though, and I’ll be back for seconds and thirds.

Carrot Nutrition

Before I dive into the recipe, I have to share all of the amazing nutritional benefits that carrots have to offer. They get their bright orange color from beta-carotene, a carotenoid that the body can convert to vitamin A. They are also rich in other plant compounds that acts as antioxidants in the body.

In addition to those carotenoids, carrots contribute two nutrients that most people need more of in their diets – fiber and potassium. The recipe I share below provides 3 grams of fiber and ~8% of the daily value for potassium per serving, in addition to several B-vitamins and vitamin K.

One medium carrot is only ~25 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, with only trace amounts of fat (0.15 grams) and ~45 mg of sodium.

How To Make Oven-Roasted Carrots

Roasting takes longer than opening a can or steaming in the microwave, but it’s totally worth the wait. In my opinion,  that’s true for just about all vegetables. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the carrot, so they taste absolutely delicious without much seasoning at all. I add a bit of salt and pepper, but that’s really all you need. The preparation time, however is exactly the same.

These cook at 425 degrees F, so you’ll want to pre-heat your oven. To make these oven-roasted carrots, first rinse the whole carrots, then use a peeler to remove the skin. You don’t have to peel the skin, but I find it is easier to remove the dirt and any residue by peeling than by scrubbing them clean. I typically run them under water one more time to remove any small pieces of peel that might be stuck to the carrot.

Next, slice the carrots into ~3 inch strips. Try to cut them so that they are all similar in size so that they cook equally. Put the carrots into a large bowl as you slice them. Once all of the carrots are in the bowl, drizzle them with olive oil, then use your hands to mix the carrots, making sure that the oil is evenly distributed over the carrots.

Transfer to a sheet pan in a single layer, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. These carrots will bake I the oven for ~25 minutes. Depending on the size of your slices, you might want to cook them another 5 minutes. It also depends how crispy you like them on the outside.

These oven-roasted vegetables are delicious without any added seasoning, but you can add your favorite herb or seasoning to them as well.  Rosemary and thyme are two of my favorite flavors paired with carrots. If you want to try, remove the carrots from the over after ~15 minutes, sprinkle with the herb or spice, then return to oven for the additional 5 minutes.

These oven-roasted carrots make a great side and pair perfectly most main dishes. Give them a try and watch them disappear.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Easy, Oven-Roasted Carrots

These oven-roasted carrots make a great side and pair perfectly most main dishes. Give them a try and watch them disappear.

Author: Heather Mangieri, RDN

Ingredients

• 6 medium carrots
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with Parchment and spray with cooking spray.
• Clean, peel and slice carrots into ~3 inch strips (French fry shapes) and place in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Toss well to coat the carrots with oil.
• Transfer to the sheet pan, forming a single layer. Bake ~25 minutes. Check carrots. Bake an additional 5 minutes, if needed

Notes

• Recipe Makes: 4 servings        
• Serving Size:  1 ½ cups (~20 carrot fries)

• Nutrition Facts (per serving): 80 Calories, 12 g Carbohydrates, 3 g Fiber, 1 g Protein, 4 g Total Fat, 0.5 g Saturated Fat, 160 mg Sodium, 4% daily calcium, 8% daily potassium
• Meal Planning Servings: 1 CHO; 0 PRO; 1 FAT

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