These roasted carrots and potatoes are the perfect side dish for just about any occasion. Roasting carrots and potatoes deepens their flavor and brings out their natural sugars. This simple process gives these roasted carrots and potatoes a wonderful caramelization that gives them a sweetness and a richly brown exterior.
Why This Side Dish Recipe So Ideal
- Family-Friendly. Seems like everyone loves carrots and potatoes; and roasted carrots and roasted potatoes are even better!
- Versatile. This veggie side dish goes perfect with chicken, beef, pork and even fish. It is perfect for weeknights and for holidays and special occasions.
- Easy. You don't even need to peel the carrots or the potatoes for this recipe. Give them a good scrub and your are ready to cut into chunks. This cuts the preparation timely tremendously.
- I like to cut by potatoes into quarters or wedges depending upon their size. I cut my carrots into chunks or 3 inch lengths. I then cut the thicker sections horizontally in half or into quarters. It depends upon their size how many times you need to chop them. The goal is to make sure all the pieces are cut uniformly in size.
- Parboiling. Boiling the carrots and potatoes in salted water for just 5 minutes gets the cooking process started. Then when they are baked on the sheet pan at a higher temperature, the roasted carrots and potatoes don't dry out or get rubbery by the time they are done cooking. If you'd rather use an Instant Pot, cook them on high pressure for 2 minutes.
What to Know About the Ingredients
- Potatoes. Make sure to choose baby potatoes not the larger Yukon gold potatoes. These smaller potatoes will get done at the same time as the carrots.
- Carrots. I recommend not peeling your carrots to save time and get those outer nutrients. However, you can peel them if you want. Make sure to choose a good quality carrot or organic carrots when not peeling them. You can use baby carrots, if you prefer. Make sure to cut your potatoes a similar size.
- Pantry Staples. The remaining ingredients to make this delicious recipe for roasted carrots and potatoes are everyday ingredients you most likely have on hand - butter, oil, balsamic vinegar, dried thyme, salt and pepper.
Tips for Great Results
- Read through the whole recipe before you begin.
- Cut the carrots and potatoes into equally sized chunks.
- Parboil your veggies to give them a head start. They will roast faster without drying out.
- Leave space between the roast carrots and potatoes on the baking sheet so they get roasted and not steamed.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. This is the ideal temperature to caramelize the vegetables without overcooking them or drying them out.
- Occasionally test the roasted carrots and potatoes as you near the end of the baking time. You want to make sure they get this beautiful caramelized exterior and tender interior without burning. The size and seasonality of the vegetables will determine the cooking time.
Variations
- Use 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup in place of the honey.
- Use an equal amount of dried rosemary in place of the thyme.
- Use fresh herbs in place of dried. You will need about 3 times the amount of dried herbs.
- Garnish with fresh parsley for a colorful dish.
- Add halved frozen brussels sprouts to the roasted vegetables combination.
- Cut a small red onion into wedges and combine that with the veggie mixture.
- Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic to the melted butter in step 4. Cook for 30 seconds, then continue with the remaining instruction. You will need about 2 cloves of garlic to get the amount you need. You can always add more too! This garlic press is one of my favorites.
- You can double the recipe but you may need to use 2 sheet pans so there is adequate space between the vegetables.
Serving Suggestions
- Deliciously Lean and Tender Rump Roast
- Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Amazing BBQ Ribs in the Oven – Fast and Fuss-Free
- Juicy Smoked Whole Chicken
- Oven Baked Salmon
📋 Recipe
Roasted Carrots and Potatoes
Roasting carrots and potatoes brings out the sugars and deepens the flavor of these vegetables for the perfect side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds small gold potatoes, scrubbed
- 6 medium carrots, scrubbed approximately 1 pound
- Kosher salt
- 1-½ tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut off the ends off of the carrots (you do not need to peel them). Cut the carrots and potatoes into large, equally sized chunks.
- Place the potatoes and carrots in a large stock pot. Cover with water and generously add salt. Bring to boiling and boil 5 minutes or until barely starting to soften and still very firm. Using a colander, drain the vegetables and let stand in the colander to dry slightly.
- In the same stock pot, melt the butter. Stir in the honey, oil, thyme and vinegar. Return the carrots and potatoes to the pot; stir until they are well coated in the liquid mixture.
- Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange carrots and potatoes on the baking sheet. Pour any remaining liquid from the pot over the vegetables.
- Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until caramelized and tender.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 319kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 112mgPotassium: 1009mgFiber: 7gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 15455IUVitamin C: 39mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 3mg
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