These oven roasted carrots with thyme are a simple healthy side dish perfect for weeknight dinner or holidays. Made with just a handful of simple ingredients like carrots, thyme, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Post originally published November 2018; updated October 2023.
If you need a tasty but simple side dish for dinner or even Thanksgiving, you are going to love these roasted carrots with thyme. Especially in the cold weather months, we find ourselves roasting root vegetables often since they are such a great hands off vegan side dish.
Back in the days before I went vegetarian, I never really looked forward to the turkey on Thanksgiving. I am all about those sides like green bean casserole and homemade cranberry sauce! Since there is a ton of cooking to do on Thanksgiving day, it is nice to have a few simple side dishes like these oven roasted carrots with thyme that require little effort to make.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Carrots: we normally use fresh carrots for this easy recipe – you’ll need about 2 pounds of carrots. Rainbow carrots are great for adding more color! (They are so pretty, so we always try to pick up the rainbow ones from the farmers market when we see them.) You can also substitute with packaged baby carrots for easier prep.
- Olive Oil: we like to use extra-virgin olive oil, but you can also use avocado oil or for roasting the carrots.
- Thyme: we like to use fresh thyme for this simple side since the flavor of fresh herbs is often much better than dried. However, you can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme if that is all you have.
- Parsley (optional): for a pop of color, add some fresh chopped parsley for serving.
Can you roast carrots from frozen? Yep! You can use frozen carrots for this thyme-roasted carrots recipe, just toss the frozen carrots in the olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper and roast according to the directions in the recipe card. No need to thaw the frozen carrots before roasting or else they will get mushy!
Variations
- Rosemary: use rosemary instead of thyme for this recipe.
- Maple Glazed: add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to the carrots when you toss them in the olive oil to highlight the natural sweetness of the carrots. You could also use brown sugar instead of maple syrup.
- Curry: instead of thyme, toss the carrots in 1 teaspoon of curry powder before roasting for curry flavored roasted carrots.
How to Make Roasted Carrots with Thyme
- Prep the Carrots: preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and peel your whole carrots (cut off carrot tops if still attached) and then cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces, halving any thicker pieces from larger carrots. You can also use baby carrots if you’d like for easier prep.
- Season: toss the peeled and chopped carrots in olive oil, fresh leaves from the thyme sprigs, salt and black pepper.
- Roast: Spread carrots in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake until they start to turn golden brown and are fork tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Storage: store any leftover carrots in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds to serve.
What to Serve with Roasted Carrots
To make this recipe really special, you can serve these tender carrots with a sauce like my miso tahini sauce or this curry yogurt sauce drizzled over top. Roasted carrots make a perfect side dish for special occasions like brunch or even holiday dinners like Thanksgiving. A few main course dishes we like to pair with these carrots include: JUST Egg quiche, vegan baked ziti, or vegan lentil meatballs.
FAQs
A serving of these oven roasted carrots with thyme has 16 grams of total carbohydrates, but only 10.5 grams net carbs.
No, you don’t have to peel your carrots before roasting them in the oven on a sheet pan. However, I prefer to peel them first.
Use a high heat of 425 degrees Fahrenheit and the cooking time for your roasted carrots will only be about 25 minutes.
More Simple Side Dishes You’ll Love
- Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
- Curry Roasted Vegetables
- Oven Roasted Cabbage with Tahini Sauce
- Balsamic Herb Roasted Vegetables
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli
- Roasted Butternut Squash with Pepitas
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Roasted Carrots with Thyme
Ingredients
- 2 lbs carrots, peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
- Dash of smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut carrots into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
- Arrange carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat all sides of the carrots.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until carrots are starting to get browned and are tender when poked with a fork.
Notes
- You can also use fresh baby carrots or frozen carrots for this recipe. If using frozen, do not thaw before roasting.
- Feel free to substitute the thyme with rosemary for a different flavor profile.
- To serve, garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Nutrition
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