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These honey-glazed roasted carrot slices with cayenne are an easy carrot side dish recipe you can enjoy for dinner tonight or serve on your holiday table. The inch-thick oval-shaped carrots emerge from the oven slightly sweet, slightly spicy, and perfectly seasoned.
There is no better way to enjoy a vegetable than to roast it. Typically, I like to do just veggies + olive oil + salt + pepper roasted in a very hot oven to highlight the natural flavors of the vegetables. It's why I'm so obsessed with my sheet pan oven roasted mixed vegetables recipe.
Sometimes, the dish needs a little kick. Enter honey and cayenne pepper! They play off of the natural sweetness and earthiness of the carrots so beautifully, it’s a match made in heaven in this carrot side dish recipe.
Ingredients for this recipe
- Carrots
- Olive Oil
- Honey (local honey if you can get your hands on it)
- Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper
If you're looking for even more simple side dish suggestions, be sure to check out my sauteed garlic green beans, buttery mashed potatoes, and braised Brussels sprouts with bacon.
How to make Honey Glazed Roasted Carrots
This is just a very brief overview, find more detailed instructions in the recipe card below!
- Peel and chop the carrots. Into pieces that are about an inch wide.
- Mix together the olive oil, honey, kosher salt, pepper, and cayenne (just a pinch or two).
- Coat the carrots. In the spicy honey mixture.
- Cook the carrots. In a hot oven on a preheated pan. Check out the recipe card to see how long to roast carrots.
- Serve with salt. Just a little flaky salt to finish. It sets off the whole dish!
That’s all it takes to make this easy and comforting vegetarian side dish. Between the roasting, the root vegetables, and the spice of cayenne, these carrots are a welcomed and warm addition to any dinner.
Of course, you can totally make a meal out of these carrots (guilty as charged) but they also pair perfectly with pot roast. Or roast chicken! Maybe alongside a pot pie for an extra serving of veggies.
Other great veggie side dishes
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Sheet Pan Oven Roasted Mixed Vegetables
- Mashed Potatoes (those are a vegetable, right?)
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
- Creamed Kale
Honey Glazed Roasted Carrot Slices (Fork Tender!)
Equipment
- Rimmed Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon honey (local if you can get your hands on it)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Flaky sea salt for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large rimmed baking sheet into the oven as it preheats.
- Meanwhile, peel and chop the carrots into 1-inch chunks. Set aside.
- In a large glass bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add in the carrots and stir to coat.
- When oven is preheated, (carefully) pour the glazed carrots onto the hot baking sheet. Carefully spread into a single layer.
- Roast carrots in preheat oven for 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes. Or until carrots are fork tender and show some charring.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and parsley before serving.
- Store any leftover carrots in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Notes
- If you don’t like spice – don’t worry! These carrots are just as delicious without cayenne and it can simply be omitted.
Maria says
These are my family’s favorite type of carrots! I make them so often they are always gone and there’s no leftovers!