Sweet and spicy roasted rainbow carrots are a delicious and colorful side dish that's easy enough for a weeknight meal, yet perfect for your holiday table.
Who knew that simple roasted carrots could be so tasty and impressive? Full of flavor and texture, these sweet and savory colorful carrots make the perfect side dish to pair with any protein - beef, fish, poultry, you name it.
A simple glaze made with spicy harissa, honey and cumin perfectly complements the natural sweetness carrots as they roast to perfection in the oven. I love to use multicolored carrots to make this easy recipe particularly stunning.
Top them off with some chopped pistachios for added texture and you've got yourself and elegant side dish that's perfect for entertaining. This makes a fabulous Thanksgiving side!
Ingredients
Rainbow carrots - for this recipe I use about 2 bunches of fresh rainbow carrots with the greens still attached. You can easily find these in the organic section of most grocery stores or at your local farmer's market. The different colors just really make this simple side dish visually stunning. It's important to select carrots that are smaller in size. About a half inch in diameter is ideal. Thicker carrots will take longer to roast and the glaze will burn before they become tender. You can absolutely use regular orange carrots or even a bag of baby rainbow carrots to cut down on prep time.
Harissa paste - Harissa is a North African hot chili paste. It's made with simple ingredients like red chilies, garlic, vinegar, and spices - perfect for adding smokiness and heat to almost anything.
Honey - adds sweetness to balance the heat from the harissa. Also helps to caramelize the carrots while roasting. You can also sub in maple syrup for a bit of a different flavor profile and to make it completely vegan.
Cumin - adds earthiness that pairs beautifully with the carrots
Salt and black pepper
Pistachios - topping the roasted carrots off with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios adds wonderful texture to the dish. If you prefer to keep it nut free, add some soft fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro for garnish.
Method
Trim the carrots by cutting off the greens and leaving a little stem. Peel or give them a good scrub and trim off a bit of the tapered end. Dry thoroughly. If you're using a bag of baby carrots, you can skip these steps.
Whisk together harissa paste, honey, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper to make a glaze. Different brands of harissa paste have varying levels of heat. Taste the glaze and if it's too spicy for you, add a bit more honey and olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the carrots to a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and pour over most of the glaze. I like to reserve about ¼ of it to drizzle over the finished carrots for more concentrated flavor but that is totally optional.Toss until all of the carrots are thoroughly coated in the glaze and arrange them in a single layer.
Cover with aluminum foil and roast in a 425 degree f oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and roast the carrots for another 10 minutes until caramelized and slightly burnt around the edges.
Transfer to serving dish, drizzle with remaining glaze and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
Tips for recipe success
- Use carrots that are about a half inch in diameter for even cooking.
- I like to use a ceramic roasting pan as the honey in the glaze will burn a little bit. If using a baking sheet, line with parchment or aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
- Taste the glaze before you coat the carrots. If it's too spicy for you, add more honey and olive oil to mellow it out.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Enjoy warm, chilled or at room temperature.
What to serve with roasted rainbow carrots
This easy side dish pairs perfectly with any protein making it perfect for a weeknight dinner or any of your holiday meals. Here are a few of my favorites to serve them with.
- Garlic Herb Crusted Eye of Round Roast Beef
- Sous Vide Top Sirloin Cap
- Spatchcock Garlic Herb Roast Chicken with Baby Potatoes
Harissa and Honey Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 pounds rainbow carrots
- 2 tablespoons harissa paste
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup roasted, salted pistachios chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees f.
- Trim carrot tops, leaving a little piece of stem. Wash, peel and trim the tapered end. Dry thoroughly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together harissa paste, honey, olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Taste and check for seasoning and heat level. Add more honey, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add carrots to a baking dish and pour over the glaze, reserving about a tablespoon. If you're using a sheet pan, line it with parchment or aluminum foil.
- Use tongs to thoroughly coat the carrots in the glaze and arrange them in a single layer.
- Cover tightly with foil and roast for 20 minutes. Remove foil and roast for another 10 minutes until caramelized.
- Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with remaining glaze and top with chopped pistachios.
Jazz
Love the flavors AND textures in this dish. And it was simple to make. Thank you!
Erique
I had some carrots in the refrigerator that I needed to use before they went bad and I can came across this recipe. I loved how quick and easy this recipe is and my carrots turned out perfect (yummy). I made mine a little spicy. The chopped pistachios give the carrots an amazing texture. I can't wait to make this recipe again.
Nija
Made this tonight and it was fantastic. Spicy, Earthy and Sweet. We subbed agave for the honey, worked well. Delicious!
Robin
I'm constantly looking for new ways to prepare vegetables so this recipe was timely. The combination of harissa paste, honey and pistachios was amazing - the lack of leftovers was proof!
Marta
I loved everything about this recipe. The harissa added more flavor interest than salt and pepper alone and the texture from the pistachios (my favorite nut) really endeared me to it. I will certainly make this often.