Garlic Roasted Carrots are very easy to make and they cook quickly on high heat in your oven. It's a great side dish recipe for when you want to eat well but are short on time. Bonus that the high cooking temperature caramelizes the carrots and makes them taste amazing!

A white bowl filled with easy garlic roasted carrots.

This is a recipe that we eat at least once a week. Sometimes I'll make them for breakfast and serve them with fried or scrambled eggs. But most often, we eat them for dinner with quick-cooking chicken thighs.

We always have a bag of carrots in the fridge. So when it's 6:00 and my belly is rumbling and my toddler is telling me she's starving and life feels all-around chaotic, I reach for that bag and make garlic roasted carrots. While it's not a fancy recipe, there are never any leftover carrots. Easy. Healthy. Delicious.

Why make garlic roasted carrots

  • In 5 minutes you can have these carrots in the oven. 15 minutes later and they'll be on your plate.
  • Those darker spots you see make the carrots extra sweet.
  • The simple mix of garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning gives the carrots the right amount of flavor but also keeps them neutral enough so that they go well with most mains.
  • A little butter (or some vegan butter, if dairy isn't your thing) makes these carrots extra delicious. We put a little on the pan after they come out of the oven. It will quickly melt so you can toss the carrots in the freshly melted butter. That way you can use just a little but the flavor is quite pronounced.

Sliced carrots on a baking sheet with spices and garlic.

Tips for making the best roast carrots

This is an easy roasted carrots recipe, but there are a few tricks you should know so that they turn out the best.

  1. Garlic paste – either use a Microplane to grate the garlic or mince it into a paste. Larger chunks of garlic will burn at the high temperature required to cook these carrots quickly. Garlic paste can withstand the heat!
  2. High heat – 500 degrees isn't a typo. The carrots can handle the high heat for 15 minutes without easily burning. If you're opting to cook them for longer than 15 minutes, keep a close eye on them.
  3. Use lots of oil – this recipe calls for a tablespoon of oil and I don't recommend reducing that amount. Coating the carrots well in oil helps them to cook.
  4. Give them room on the pan – Piling any vegetable on a pan will cause it to steam when it goes into the oven. If you want steamed veggies, use a pot. If you want roasted veggies, give them lots of space on the pan. Use two pans, if needed!

Garlic roasted carrots on a baking sheet.

How long to roast carrots

Typically, carrots are roasted at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.

But this is a quick roasted carrot recipe. To get these babies on your table as quickly as possible, we crank the heat up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. The carrots will become nicely roasted with lots of dark caramelized spots in only 15 minutes.

A close up of garlic roasted carrots on a baking sheet with a spoon.

What to serve with garlic roasted carrots

Garlic roasted carrots are an easy side dish that goes well with so many mains. Here are a few of our favorites:

If you feel like a bigger meal, add some Greek Lemon Potatoes or Smoky Roast Potatoes. Both are delicious!

A bowl full of garlic roasted carrots with a spoon taking a scoop.

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A white bowl filled with easy garlic roasted carrots.

Quick Garlic Roasted Carrots

  • Author: Kristen Stevens
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Roasted
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

Garlic Roasted Carrots are very easy to make and they cook quickly on high heat in your oven. They are a great side dish recipes for when you want to eat well but are short on time. Bonus that the high cooking temperature caramelizes the carrots and makes them taste amazing!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. carrots (about 12 medium carrots), cut 3/4″ thick on the diagonal
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon each: salt and Italian seasoning
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated with a Microplane or minced to a paste
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon butter (vegan or ghee, as needed)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees – see notes.
  2. Add the carrots to a baking sheet that is at least 13″ x 18″ large. If you only have smaller baking sheets, use 2 instead.
  3. Toss the carrots with the olive oil, salt, Italian seasoning and garlic and spread them out evenly on the sheet pan. Roast the carrots for 15 minutes, mixing the carrots around the pan halfway through cooking. If you'd like more dark caramelized spots on the carrots you can leave them in the oven for up to 5 more minutes.
  4. Remove the carrots from the oven and, if using, add the butter. Let it melt for 1 minute then mix it into the carrots.

Notes

Roasting the carrots at high heat lets them get beautifully caramelized in a short amount of time. If your oven tends to be on the hot side, watch them closely near the end, or cook them at 475 degrees. If your oven will only broil at 500 degrees, set the temperature to just under 500.

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A white bowl filled with easy garlic roasted carrots with the recipe title on top of the picture.