Boring vegetable side dishes have no place on your dinner or holiday table, once you discover these roasted hot honey glazed carrots! Tender, sweet carrots get a makeover with a simple and delicious buttery, sweet and spicy glaze, that is perfectly balanced with the right amount of zest. The glaze requires no extra cooking, making this a delicious sheet pan side dish.
These glazed carrots are the perfect sidekick to your favorite potato recipes, including creamy garlic mashed potatoes, air fryer hasselback potatoes, and even a holiday sourdough stuffing, too!
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👩🏽🍳Why This Recipe Works
Minimal prep work: The most prep that goes into this recipe is cutting the carrots! The sauce requires no cooking or simmering beforehand, which makes for an easy dinner or holiday side dish.
A great way to eat vegetables: Carrots can be boring at times, which makes it hard to incorporate them into regular meal rotations. With a hint of spice, zest and sweetness, these carrots are packed with flavor and may even convert those who aren't too fond of veggies!
Easy cleanup: If you hate dishes, like me, then this is going to be a winner for you! Everything cooks up on one sheet tray, and the glaze needs one mixing bowl. No fancy kitchen gadgets, or multiple pots and pans!
🥘Ingredients
- Whole carrots: I like to use whole carrots for this side dish, as they not only look a lot nicer from a presentation standpoint, but they have a larger surface area which allows for delicious browning and caramelization. I opted for rainbow carrots that I found in the supermarket, but any thinner carrots will work.
- Calabrian chilli paste: Calabrian chilies originate from Calabria, Italy and have a spicy, salty, and smokey flavour. The chili paste usually is made with chilies packed in oil, but still packs a punch.
- Fresh lemon: I always recommend using fresh lemon, as you get a two-for-one with both the juice and zest of the lemon. The zest adds a delicious background citrus note, that is less tangy than the juice on its own.
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
📖Substitutions
- Whole carrots: You can use baby carrots if they are easier to find, or if you prefer them. Keep in mind that they will not caramelize as nicely as whole carrots and they tend to have a slightly higher water content than whole carrots.
- Calabrian chilli paste: You can substitute with pre-made hot honey, chopped fresno chillies, or even sambal oelek chilli paste.
- Honey: You can use maple syrup or brown sugar in place of honey.
🔪Variations
- Cheesy: Top the carrots with salty feta or crumbled goat cheese, for a delicious bright, tangy and cheesy variation of these carrots.
- Herby: Top with your favorite fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley, fresh basil or even some fresh mint!
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Preheat the oven - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Prep the garlic - Finely mince the garlic using a garlic press or a knife.
Cut the carrots in half, lengthwise down the middle, and arrange on a sheet tray. [photo 1]
Add the butter to a microwave-safe bowl, and melt the butter in 10 second increments until completely the butter is completely liquid. Add the honey, Calabrian chilli paste, garlic, lemon juice and zest, and salt to the butter, and combine. [photos 2&3]
Pour the honey butter over the carrots, and lightly toss so all the carrots are coated completely. [photo 4]
Bake the carrots for 15-20 minutes until they are tender, and have let some of their water out. Switch the oven to broil for another 5-7 minutes to caramelize the carrots and to thicken the glaze, and serve.
💭 Expert Tip
Adjust your cuts if using larger carrots: If you can't find the thinner variety of carrots in your grocery store, regular larger carrots will work just fine. I recommend cutting them carrots into lengthwise quarters to keep them easy to serve.
Peeling is optional: If you are using carrots that have a thinner skin, feel free to keep the skins on to keep in those extra nutrients - be sure to give them a good scrub!
Do not skip the broiling step: The carrots will let out a good amount of water while baking, so the the broiling step of this recipe is crucial to getting that delicious sticky, caramelized texture.
Adjust the heat level to your liking: If you prefer a milder heat level, feel free to reduce the amount of Calabrian chilli paste, and likewise, increase it if you like things spicier.
🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
- Prep the carrots by washing and cutting them 2-3 days in advance. Store the prepped carrots in a damp paper towel in a container or freezer bag in the fridge.
- I do not recommend making the glaze in advance, as the butter will harden in the fridge.
- Store leftover carrots in an airtight container in the fridge, for 2-3 days.
- Reheat carrots in the oven, or in the microwave.
⭐ Recipe FAQs
Your carrots will likely still be crunchy if you do not bake them long enough, or if the cuts are too thick. I recommend giving the carrots time to soften up in the oven before broiling them, to ensure they are cooked through.
No - you can cut your carrots diagonally into large slices if you prefer. Any shape will work, depending on your preference and how you wish to serve them.
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Roasted Hot Honey Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Whole carrots
- ¼ cup Salted butter
- ¼ cup Honey
- 1 tablespoon Calabrian chilli paste
- 4 cloves Garlic finely minced
- ½ Lemon zested, juiced
- Sea salt to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cut the carrots in half, lengthwise down the middle, and arrange on a sheet tray.2 lbs Whole carrots
- Add the butter to a microwave-safe bowl, and melt the butter in 10 second increments until completely the butter is completely liquid. Add the honey, Calabrian chilli paste, garlic, lemon juice and zest, and salt to the butter, and combine.¼ cup Salted butter, ¼ cup Honey, 1 tablespoon Calabrian chilli paste, 4 cloves Garlic, ½ Lemon, Sea salt
- Pour the honey butter over the carrots, and lightly toss so all the carrots are coated completely.
- Bake the carrots for 15-20 minutes until they are tender, and have let some of their water out. Switch the oven to broil for another 5-7 minutes to caramelize the carrots and to thicken the glaze, and serve.
Notes
- Adjust your cuts if using larger carrots: If you can't find the thinner variety of carrots in your grocery store, regular larger carrots will work just fine. I recommend cutting them carrots into lengthwise quarters to keep them easy to serve.
- Peeling is optional: If you are using carrots that have a thinner skin, feel free to keep the skins on to keep in those extra nutrients - be sure to give them a good scrub!
- Do not skip the broiling step: The carrots will let out a good amount of water while baking, so the the broiling step of this recipe is crucial to getting that delicious sticky, caramelized texture.
- Adjust the heat level to your liking: If you prefer a milder heat level, feel free to reduce the amount of Calabrian chilli paste, and likewise, increase it if you like things spicier.
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