Honey Ginger Roasted Carrots
Skip to recipe
Roasted carrots are nothing new and adding a sweet element to them, like honey, is typical, but I wanted to add my own twist. To give them more of a bite, I added ginger to these Honey Ginger Roasted Carrots.
The ginger adds a spicy, slightly citrusy touch, but being from Florida, I couldn’t resist adding some orange juice and zest to punch up that citrus note. I love including it in dishes because it brightens up the flavor. Oranges also offer an opportunity to get the kids involved. In my kids cooking classes I let the kids squeeze the juice from the oranges for a fun hands-on experience.
Preparing the Carrots
I kept the carrots big for this recipe. Peel them with a Vegetable Peeler, cut them in half crosswise and then in half lengthwise, using a 7″ Santoku.
Keeping the carrots bigger allows you to better control the cook time. Also, make sure to blanch the carrots before roasting them. It helps get that rawness out of the middle and helps retain their color. When blanching anything, including things like green beans or thick asparagus, think of it this way. You wouldn’t put conditioner on your hair without the shampoo first, so blanching is just a step in the cooking process.
It's worth noting that if your carrots are already skinny, you really don’t have to cut them.
I stick to using orange carrots in this recipe instead of multi-colored. I love the multi-colored carrots, but their colors tend to become muted and dull when cooking with them. I think they’re better suited serving raw as a crudité.
Making the Glaze
Roasted carrots by their own right are delicious - the process deepens their flavor and enhances their sweetness. But, adding a glaze takes them to a whole other level.
To make the glaze, begin by using a 5″ Petite Santoku to mince some garlic and chop some shallot.
Using a tablespoon, scrap the papery skin off the fresh ginger and then use the Petite Santoku to mince it.
For tips on mincing ginger, take a look at Cutco’s handy step-by-step guide.
Mix the garlic, shallot and ginger with some olive oil, honey, orange juice and zest, kosher salt and pepper. With that, the glaze is ready.
Roasting the Carrots
Toss the carrots in the glaze, making sure to coat all of them and then place them on a baking sheet.
Roast the carrots at 350 F until tender, around 12to 15 minutes, turning them once about half way through. The cook time may vary depending on the size of your carrots and I like mine to still have a little bite to them. If your carrots are thinner, check for doneness half way through the cooking time.
Placed on a serving platter, these Honey Ginger Roasted Carrots make a beautiful presentation. You could even squeeze on some extra orange juice and top with some chopped roasted walnuts or goat cheese before serving.
Carrots never tasted so good!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut in half
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 navel orange, zested and juiced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Fill a large stockpot with water, add a pinch of salt and place over high heat to bring to a rolling boil. Prepare a bowl with ice-cold water. Add the carrots to the boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes. Remove carrots from the pot and place into ice-cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Prepare the glaze by adding all remaining ingredients into a large bowl. Toss the carrots in the glaze and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until carrots are tender (depending on the size of your carrots), turning once during cooking (I prefer a little bite to my carrots). If your carrots are in the thinner size check for doneness halfway through the cooking time.
- Remove from oven, place on a plate and serve.
Tip: You can skip the blanching process and roast for 18-20 minutes.
Recommended Tools
