Garlic Honey Roasted Carrots

Make your vegetable side dish swoon-worthy with these tender, sweet and delicious Garlic Honey Roasted Carrots. Just a few simple ingredients!

Lately, I’ve been really into vegetable side dishes that are as special (or MORE special) than the main dish on my plate. I love it when the vegetables like butternut squash noodles or balsamic asparagus are actually the star of the plate, and any meat or protein is kind of the supporting player.

This technique goes against everything I learned in culinary school, where it was always: start with the meat (like flat iron steak or lamb lollipops), then figure out some sort of vegetable to accompany it.

My new strategy is to find a really fresh piece of fish or chicken, sprinkle it with simple seasonings, and simply throw it in the oven.

Since those “recipes” like my sockeye salmon recipe take about 30 seconds of prep time, I have plenty of time to devote to the vegetable I’m about to give the royal treatment.

These Garlic Honey Roasted Carrots were SO SO SO good that I couldn’t even tell you what else we had for dinner the night we ate them. All I remember are the honey garlic carrots!

What you’ll need for these oven glazed carrots:

• carrots – you don’t want to use baby carrots or carrot chips for these roasted carrots with honey (although those will work for a carrot cake smoothie). You want beautiful, fresh, whole carrots. Make sure they’re all about the same size so they roast evenly.
• butter – this will form the backbone of the glaze for the honey roasted carrots.
• honey – this makes our glaze sticky and sweet! You can also use maple syrup instead of honey. Honey lovers should also check out my honey mustard pork chops and citrus dressing.
• garlic – you’ll need a hefty tablespoon of minced garlic to make this recipe nice and savory. Garlic lovers – don’t miss my roasted garlic spread!
• salt and pepper – of course! Montreal steak seasoning is another seasoning I’ll often use for these garlic roasted carrots to change things up.
• rosemary – fresh rosemary sprigs add a special, herby touch to these oven glazed carrots.

How to make roasted carrots with honey:

First, preheat the oven, and cut the carrots in half lengthwise and arrange them in a baking dish.

Then, melt the butter in a small saucepan, and stir in the honey until it’s dissolved. Then add the rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper and cook just until the garlic is a bit fragrant and soft.

Pour the butter mixture over the carrots, and then transfer the carrots to the oven and roast them about 25 to 30 minutes or until they’re tender.

Do I have to use rosemary for honey roasted carrots?

Don’t like rosemary? That’s totally fine. Thyme is perfect for these oven glazed carrots (and a butter board), too.

What should I serve with roasted glazed carrots?

A better question is what CAN’T you serve with these honey roasted carrots! But I think they go particularly well with rich meaty dishes like Instant Pot short ribs, smothered pork chops and baked ham with pineapple.

And like my mini Hasselback potatoes, roasted glazed carrots are also perfect alongside Greek chicken meatballs or bourbon glazed salmon.

If you happen to have any left over carrots, they can be chopped up and put in mini shepherd’s pies.