These Balsamic Roasted Carrots with Thyme are the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas side to your Holiday table! They only have 6 ingredients and can be ready in 30 minutes.
Why This Recipe Works
Carrots tend not to be a popular vegetable, especially cooked. Adding balsamic vinegar, lots of fresh thyme, and a good pinch of sea salt gives them great flavor and turns them into a delicious side dish even carrot haters will enjoy!
- This recipe is completely vegan but the carrots are also delicious sprinkled with parmesan or pecorino if you want even more flavor.
- So easy to make and take almost no time to prepare and cook.
- They're low maintenance but they're just like your favorite balsamic glazed carrots from a fancy restaurant!
Ingredients
- Carrots - You can use any kind you prefer. I like younger medium-size carrots but the recipe works just great with any carrots, even baby carrots.
- Cooking oil - I recommend using avocado oil instead of olive oil because it can withstand higher temperatures. You can use any other high-heat cooking oil if you don't have avocado oil.
- Thyme - You can use both fresh or dried thyme. See the recipe card for exact measurments.
- Balsamic vinegar - It's sweeter than other kinds of vinegar so it caramelizes slightly in the oven. I add it towards the end of roasting to prevent it from burning. Do not use balsamic glaze. You can add that when serving the carrots but it would burn in the oven.
- Maple syrup - This is what helps the carrots caramelize even more and it tastes amazing with balsamic vinegar. You can also use honey instead of maple syrup for honey balsamic carrots.
- Salt and pepper - I'm using sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. I don't use table salt because it's stripped of all the natural minerals and grinding your own pepper gives your dish much more flavor than using pre-ground pepper.
Balsamic glaze is reduced balsamic vinegar. It's cooked down into a thicker sauce which sometimes can have added sugar. It's great used as a garnish for toast, salads, sides, or anything else. It's sweeter than balsamic vinegar but still has its tang.
Step-by-Step Instructions
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Add the carrots to a baking sheet with fresh thyme, avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Toss everything and roast for 10-12 minutes.
Drizzle the carrots with balsamic vinegar and maple syrup, gently toss and roast for another 15 minutes. Take out the thyme springs and serve.
Serving and Storing
It's best to serve the carrots right away while they're still hot. I like to serve them with other sides that go well together or with a big salad. They're the perfect side to add to your holiday table at Thanksgiving or Christmas with potatoes, more veggies, and turkey!
Here are a few recipes these carrots would go great with:
- Delicata Squash Baby Kale Salad with Balsamic Fig Vinaigrette (you could also swap the squash for the carrots)
- Persimmon Salad with Goat Brie and Pomegranate Seeds
- Charred Green Beans with Pecorino Cheese
- Za'atar Roasted Cauliflower Steaks
- Vegan mashed Potatoes with Carraway Seeds
Storing - Transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to three days. You can reheat them in the oven or on a pan with a splash of water.
FAQs
Add more seasoning! I'm adding lots of fresh thyme here and balsamic but they'd also be delicious with rosemary or sage. You can sprinkle on garlic and onion powder for even more flavor.
I find roasting them yields the best texture. They're soft on the inside but nice and roasted on the outside. You can shorten their roasting time to keep them crunchier too!
Yes, I usually do but if you're using young carrots and clean them well, you don't have to.
📖 Recipe
Balsamic Roasted Carrots
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Balsamic Roasted Carrots with Thyme are the perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas side to your Holiday table! Ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 400g carrots, peeled and chopped into approx. 1 cm (0.5 inch) thick slices
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or other cooking oil)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A few fresh thyme springs (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp maple syrup (or honey)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425F (220C).
- Add the carrots to a baking sheet, drizzle with the avocado oil, season with salt and pepper, and add the fresh thyme.
- Toss and roast for 10-12 minutes.
- Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup and gently toss to coat.
- Roast for another 15 minutes.
- Pick out the thyme springs and serve with your choice of protein, a salad, grains, or mashed potatoes.
Notes
I’m adding the whole thyme to the carrots and taking it out after cooking. Some of the thyme might fall off the springs, that’s okay. You can use dried thyme for a more pronounced thyme flavor.
You can add the balsamic vinegar and the maple syrup with the oil in the beginning but I prefer to add it halfway through roasting because the vinegar and maple syrup will burn and reduce very easily. The carrots will end up more burned than glazed.
You can store the carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Stacey says
I love this recipe! Never thought that balsamic and carrots would go together. I also didn't realize there was a difference between the two balsamics. Thank you for sharing!
Stephanie Honikel says
This recipe looks amazing. Admittedly, carrots aren’t a favorite vegetable in our family. I’m willig to give this recipe a try to hopefully change everyone’s mind. Thanks for sharing.
Marysa says
I actually don't cook with carrots a whole lot, and this recipe sounds awesome. What a great combination of flavors.
Christie says
This looks and sounds like an amazing recipe- I can't wait to try it out!
Tiffany says
Yumm!!! You always have the best recipes!