Honey roasted carrots with herbs and pistachios. If you want to learn and understand the best ways in which to cook the carrot and maximize the carrot flavor in the cooking process, I will help you master this wonderful ingredient with practical tips and special cooking techniques. Side dish perfection!
Why I love carrots
I love carrots - it's by far my favorite vegetable! Why are carrots the only vegetable that doesn't taste like a plant? And why am I convinced that carrots are secretly superheroes disguised as veggies? They make excellent desserts aka carrot cakes, boost vision, and have the superpower to turn your pee orange! What more could you ask for?
Carrots are so universal, healthy and cheap. If you don't like them raw or plain boiled, but unsure how to cook them, I will show you how to cook carrots to perfection without mushy mess. A lot of people don't cook carrots correctly, and most probably ate them in soups where they are just a mushy mess. But if you bake them in the oven, an air fryer or on the grill and wow - they are really delicious when not over cooked paste.
How to make carrots tasty
In this post I will walk you through the process of how to roast or grill carrots, why they taste so much better when cooked properly. I will also explain what ingredients bring out the best carrot flavor and how to pair up some quite unusual ingredients so that the carrots taste fantastic. And as a bonus, you will learn how to shop for best tasting carrots and how to store them.
One trick I learned is to add some roasted pistachios and honey on top of cooked carrots to create an unforgettable crunch. As a result, the flavor is richer and the texture is literal perfection of somewhere between soft and chewy.
Mastering the carrot is not only possible, but is extremely delicious. You have been warned!
Ingredients for Honey Roasted Carrots
Carrots: Opt to choose young carrots or carrots with the stems and leaves still attached to them. The flavor difference as well as juiciness of good quality carrot is immensely better with those compared to the gigantic cheaper carrots in the store.
Honey: I used regular honey, you can also choose Hot honey for some heat.
Pistachios: Besides roughly chopped pistachios, you can use toasted pine nuts, crushed peanuts or slivered almonds.
Olive oil: Only EVOO will produce the top flavor for grilled or roasted carrots.
Herb mixture: Salt, coarse ground pepper, garlic powder
Herb sauce: Olive oil, brown sugar, chopped parsley, cilantro, basil, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, oregano, paprika and salt. And garlic!
How to shop for carrots
I love shopping for carrots. Better carrots are often in the organic section and those are perfect for grilling or roasting. The usual grade carrots are so big that they have lost all their natural sweetness, and taste almost metallic. There's a pretty significant difference in taste between the young topped carrots and the gargantuan carrots for $0.50 a pound. One is nice roasted by itself as a side dish, the other I use purely for aromatic purposes in sauces or stocks.
Why buy better carrots
Fresh pulled carrots of any type are always going to taste better than old carrots that have been sitting in their plastic bags for weeks when you finally buy them, losing quality all the time.
Good young carrots also should not need any added sweetener (unless it's honey of course), and you won't have to peel good loose carrots - just scrub them well. When you roast the carrots - the flavors are concentrated, so if they are big old carrots to start with they're just going to get worse.
How to grill carrots
Carrots will be the star side at any meal if you use this simple grilling method.
- First preheat your grill over high heat - you want it to be at least 475-500 F Inside.
- Once carrots are drizzled with oil and sprinkled with herb mixture, place them on the grill and close the lid.
- Let the carrots cook for 4 minutes, then lip them over and grill for an additional 4 minutes.
Top grilling tip: It's imperative to this recipe to have the grill super-hot when you place the carrots on the grill. You will get a soggy carrot if you slowly cook it and you won't get the pretty char lines.
How to roast carrots with honey
One of my favorite dishes is oven-roasted carrots with a sweet and salty (honey and apple cider vinegar) flavor plus nuts. To begin with, heat a cast iron pan with olive oil in it and roast carrots for 400F for 20 minutes. You can also use sheet pan for the oven method.
- Tossing the carrots with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, and lining the baking sheet with parchment prevents the oil from burning.
- Sealing the carrots under aluminum foil will keep their moisture in while their interiors turns out tender and creamy.
- Uncovering the baking sheet to finish roasting the carrots with direct exposure to the oven's heat makes their surface moisture evaporates.
Honey roasted carrots are so good! The flavor is rich, the texture is amazing.
Honey Roasted Carrots with Herb Sauce and Toasted Pistachios
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium carrots washed, peeled and cut in half, lengthwise
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Herb Sauce
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 4 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
Pistachios
- ¼ cup roughly chopped pistachios
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat your grill over high heat. You want it to be at least 475-500 F. If using oven, preheat to 400 F.
- Or, preheat oven to 400 F. if roasting carrots in the oven.
Prepare the carrots
- In a large bowl add the carrots. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and toss. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and garlic powder over top and toss again.
Honey mixture
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, honey, chopped parsley, cilantro, basil, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, oregano, paprika and salt. And garlic powder!
Cook pistachios
- Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the pistachios and stir frequently for about 2 minutes to toast them. Remove from the heat and the pan so they don't burn. Set aside.
Grill method
- Place the carrots on the grill and close the lid. Let the carrots cook for 4 minutes. Flip them over and grill for an additional 4 minutes.
- Remove from the grill and drizzle with the honey sauce and garnish with the pistachios.
Roast in the oven method
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Place the carrots on the baking sheet or cast iron skillet.
- Drizzle the honey mixture on top of the carrots and toss until the carrots are all coated.
- Cover with foil and roast 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue roasting until tender and brightly colored, about 10 minutes.
To serve
- Drizzle with more honey and top with pistachios.
FAQ
Is grilling better than roasting carrots?
Grilling and roasting carrots have their own unique benefits and produce equally delicious results. Grilling imparts a smoky flavor to the carrot, while roasting carrots brings out their natural sweetness.
Do honey roasted carrots taste better than raw?
Honey roasted carrots are actually more nutritious than raw carrots. Because carrots are so fibrous, cooking makes the nutrients more accessible.
Tips on honey roasted carrots
- Do you peel the carrots? Yes, peel the carrots.
- Split carrots lenghtwise: Don't cook them whole - slice them length wise to ensure they cook faster.
- Use sheet pan: In order to get the proper browning and avoid mushiness you need a sheetp an rather than a casserole. You want the carrots as spread out as possible.
- Use good quality olive oil: If you are not using a good quality olive oil, you are missing out on some major carrot flavor opportunity! Try using one and see if you like it!
- Cook on high heat: Hotter and shorter cook time. I usually do 400F for 20 minutes.
- Parboil then grill/roast: Alternatively, you can parboil them to cook most of the way through, then just toss on the grill to char and finish off. Or roast in the oven at 375.
Should I parboil carrots before grilling?
If your carrots are always either undercooked or charred to oblivion, you can make a simple adjustment by parboiling them right before grilling. Your family will love them and the flavors will be great.
Honey sauce for carrots
If you want to play around with seasoning for carrots, try this mixture: olive oil, chopped parsley, cilantro, basil, honey, apple cider vinegar, oregano, paprika and salt. And garlic powder!
This is the sauce that you will ladle over the cooked carrots to make them irresistible. Carrots with Honey and Toasted Pistachios are yum!
Enhance carrots flavor with pistachios
I love to use pistachios to add earthy flavor to my carrots. Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the pistachios and stir frequently for about 2 minutes to toast them. Remove from the heat and the pan so they don't burn.
Whether you grilled or roasted the carrots, sprinkle them with toasted pistachios for that final flavor punch.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Reheating instructions: For best reheating results, reheat in an air fryer at 330 for 3-4 minutes.
Mouthwatering carrot recipes
Delicious grill recipes
Moroccan Chicken Thighs on the grill
.
Linda says
I just love this recipe with the carrots and pistachios. They go hand-in-hand so well I had no clue on until I try.
Olya says
It's a great combo because both have a crunch