PERFECT Roasted Carrots Recipe Every Time! - Crazy for Crust (2024)

FAQs

Should you boil carrots before roasting? ›

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. The texture will be firm-tender with just the right amount of caramelization on the outside.

You're Using Too Much (Or Too Little) Oil

But skimp on that oil and those vegetables will be too dry. Luckily, it's easy to find Goldilocks' just right amount. The solution: Before hitting the sheet pan, place the vegetables in a large bowl and add a tablespoon of oil.

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.

As with many vegetables, roasting carrots brings out their sweet inner nature. Peel the carrots or don't peel the carrots—it's up to you. Peeling takes a bit more time, obviously, but also leads to a more consistent final texture to the dish.

Using the wrong pan

Yes, you can roast vegetables in a casserole dish or even a cake pan. But the high sides make it harder for the water inside of the vegetables to evaporate during baking, setting you up for sogginess. Instead? Use a simple rimmed baking sheet.

If you don't end up with crispy vegetables, it is likely because you overcrowded the pan, which will make the vegetables steam instead of roast. Your oven may also be at too low of a temperature.

Why are my roasted carrots hard? If your carrots are still hard, then they are likely undercooked. They should be good to go with somewhere between 20-30 minutes of roasting time, but add time as needed so that they're nice and soft.

Arrange in one layer.

Once the vegetables are properly coated with oil, spread them out evenly across your baking sheet in one layer. If the vegetables are arranged too closely together or are on top of one another, they will steam, making them mushy rather than caramelized.

#1 Roasted

This is our CSA members' favorite way to enjoy our farm's fresh carrots. Slice or keep them whole if baby sized and toss with salt and pepper as your most basic preparation, or optionally add garlic, dill or honey to change it up. Roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees until tender. So, so, so sweet!

Scrub and trim the carrots, leaving a little of the green tops on. Parboil in a pan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then drain and tip into a large roasting tray. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of oil, season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then toss to coat and roast for 1 hour.

Why do my carrots taste bland? ›

There are a few possibilities for why your carrots aren't as sweet as they should be. You are right to think about your soil--a crop of carrots can deplete a soil of nutrients. Be sure to rotate crops in your garden, rather than planting carrots in the same place year after year.

Carrots maturing under warm temperatures or high moisture conditions lack good root color. These carrots also have poor flavor and texture. Plant carrots so they mature under relatively cool temperatures that average less than 80 degrees F. Avoid excessive soil moisture.

Sometimes I've burned vegetables when roasting them until they were tender. Blanching veggies before roasting them allows them to caramelize a bit without burning. So, try this — enjoy the bounty.

Place the carrots in boiling water. Blanch the carrots for 5 minutes, starting when the water returns to a boil. Drain the hot water and run cold water over the carrots for 4 to 5 minutes. Or you can microwave the carrots in a bowl with water and covered with a lid or a plate on high for 2 minutes.

If you're not eating them raw, boiling carrots is the healthiest way to eat them. The only other ingredient needed to boil them is water which adds no fat, calories, or carbs.

Do you know that eating cooked carrots will give you a better dose of nutrition than consuming them raw? Well, carrots contain beta-carotene, also called carotenoids which are better absorbed by the body in the form of cooked carrots.