My Favorite Carrots Recipe (2024)

Of all the carrot recipes on Inspired Taste, these garlic butter carrots are my absolute favorite! We roast them until golden brown and tender, then toss them with the most delicious garlic parsley butter before serving.

My Favorite Carrots Recipe (1)

These herby carrots are impressive. I’ve made them for the holidays and special occasions so many times!

They are also easy enough to make on a weeknight. If you’re tired of bland carrot recipes, this one is for you!

How to Cook Carrots – My Favorite Way!

Of all the ways to cook carrots, my favorite is oven roasting. Carrots don’t take long to cook in the oven — 25 to 30 minutes. And the oven does a magical job of bringing out the carrot’s natural sweetness.

For this carrots recipe, we roast our carrots tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper. I use a hot oven (425°F) and leave them in the oven until the edges start to wrinkle and lightly brown.

When our carrots come out of the oven, I toss them with the most delicious garlic parsley butter. It’s incredible.

My Favorite Carrots Recipe (2)

Making the Garlic Butter

I love tossing carrots in this flavored butter. It’s also perfect tossed with other cooked or roasted veggies and spooned over salmon or chicken.

We’ll melt butter in a small pan over low heat to make it. Then add a smashed garlic clove and chopped fresh parsley.

Allow the butter to bubble gently around the garlic and parsley for a minute, then set the infused butter aside. I remove the garlic clove before tossing it with the carrots.

My Favorite Carrots Recipe (3)

Make-Ahead Tips

These carrots are super easy to make ahead! Roast them 3 to 4 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.

For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months. To reheat, pop them in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or use the microwave for a super-quick fix.

The garlic parsley butter tastes best fresh the day you make it, but you can make it a few days ahead. Just store it in the fridge after it cools. The parsley might lose some bright green color, but it will still taste delicious.

What to Serve with These Carrots

These simple carrots with garlic butter always impress. We love to serve them next to Pan-Roasted Chicken, my mother’s Baked Salmon with Lemon and Dill, and our Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples. They are also perfect for topping grain or rice bowls.

My Favorite Carrots Recipe

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Our carrots recipe calls for garlic and parsley butter, but feel free to get creative! This recipe is more of a guide than a rulebook. Love basil? Toss it in! Want a kick? Add some red pepper flakes! Dill, cumin, or other favorite flavors are also delicious!

Makes 4 servings

You Will Need

1 ½ pounds carrots, peeled with ends trimmed (8 to 9 carrots)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon butter

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Directions

  • Roast Carrots
  • 1Heat your oven to 425°F (218C) degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.

    2Chop your carrots into sticks 2 to 3 inches long. If the thicker ends are wide, cut them in half lengthwise for even cooking.

    3Toss the carrot sticks with olive oil and salt on the prepared baking sheet. Spread them in a single layer. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring twice, until tender and lightly browned on the edges.

  • Make Garlic Parsley Butter
  • 1While the carrots roast, melt butter in a small pan over low heat. Gently crush a garlic clove with the back of a knife, remove the skin, and add it to the melted butter and the parsley.

    2Let the butter bubble gently for about 1 minute. Then, slide the pan off the heat and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes to infuse the flavors.

    3Discard the garlic clove.

  • To Finish
  • 1Slide the roasted carrots into a bowl with the garlic parsley butter. Toss then season to taste with additional salt as needed.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • To make this vegan, swap the butter for vegan butter, coconut oil or olive oil.

Nutrition Per Serving Calories 118 / Protein 1 g / Carbohydrate 15 g / Dietary Fiber 4 g / Total Sugars 7 g / Total Fat 7 g / Saturated Fat 2 g / Cholesterol 8 mg

AUTHOR: Adam and Joanne Gallagher

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My Favorite Carrots Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to get the most flavor out of carrots? ›

Raw is for rabbits. High heat and good browning make carrots taste sweeter and more delicious.

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.

What makes carrots taste good? ›

Their natural sweetness in enhanced by roasting so that the carrots' own sugars are caramelized. There is no reason to add any gloppy sweet sauces* (sorry, I'm channeling bad carrots from my childhood). At most, I may augment my roasted veggies with a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Is it okay to eat carrots every day? ›

You can have carrots daily and as part of a healthy, balanced diet. You are unlikely to get carotenemia (turning your skin an orange-yellow color) unless you eat too many carrots and other carotene-rich foods too often. Is chewing on carrots good for you? Yes.

What brings out the sweetness in carrots? ›

In his newest cookbook, Milk Street: The New Home Cooking, the former America's Test Kitchen host explains that shredding root vegetables like carrots, turnips, or yams makes them taste both sweeter and fresher. The more cells you rupture, the better the taste.

What makes carrots taste sweet? ›

Carrots are sweet because they contain natural sugars, primarily sucrose, glucose, and fructose.

What not to mix carrots with? ›

Mixing carrots and oranges can be very dangerous. This mix has been known to cause heartburn and kidney damage.

How does Jamie Oliver cook carrots? ›

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.

What carrots have the best flavor? ›

Favorite Flavorful Carrot Varieties
  • 'Danvers'
  • 'Purple Haze'
  • 'Cosmic Purple'
  • 'Dragon'
  • 'Scarlet Nantes'
  • 'Paris Market'

Why do carrots make my stomach feel better? ›

Fiber. Pectin is the main form of soluble fiber in carrots (8). Soluble fibers can lower blood sugar levels by slowing down your digestion of sugar and starch. They can also feed the friendly bacteria in your gut, which may lead to improved health and decreased risk of disease ( 9 , 10 , 11 ).

Why are some carrots tasteless? ›

Carrots or many other biennial crops, such as cabbage, will produce seed stalks the first year if young plants are subjected to cold weather. Carrots which produce seed stalks often lack flavor, are woody and have poor texture.

What is the healthiest way to eat carrots? ›

Carrots are a versatile vegetable. People can eat them raw, steamed, boiled, roasted, or as an ingredient in soups and stews. Boiling vegetables can reduce or eliminate some of the vitamin content. Raw or steamed carrots provide the most nutritional value.

Are carrots high in sugar? ›

Carrots are not high in sugar. A medium size carrot contains about 2.9 grams of sugar (4 grams = 1 teaspoon).

Why do my carrots have no flavor? ›

Even the most seasoned home gardeners deal with crop failures from time to time. The reason homegrown carrots lack a sweet, earthy flavor is due to terpenoids that become overpowering when carrots are harvested too soon or grown in excessively hot temperatures.

How can I enhance the flavor of my vegetables? ›

Grilling and roasting are excellent ways to heighten the natural flavor of vegetables. Ingredients like carrots, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, and beets become sweeter and caramelized after roasting, while throwing slices of eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper on the grill will bring out a smokier taste.

How do you cook carrots to get the most nutrients? ›

Carrots - To preserve beta-carotene, a substance that helps the body obtain vitamin A, carrots should be cooked for about five minutes over medium to high heat.

Why are my carrots bland? ›

Carrots maturing under warm temperatures or high moisture conditions lack good root color. These carrots also have poor flavor and texture.

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