Simple oven roasted carrots get an upgrade with this easy recipe! Fresh lemon zest and sumac, a crimson spice that’s a staple of the Mediterranean pantry, balance the carrots’ sweetness with lively, tangy flavor. The carrots are roasted over high heat so they’re deliciously tender and every-so-slightly charred at the edges. 

roasted carrots with sumac garnished with lemon zest and parsley on a serving plate.

This oven roasted carrots recipe is everything I need in a side dish. It’s versatile, comforting, and doesn’t ask for much in return!

To me, the perfect oven-roasted carrot, whether seasoned with turmeric and harissa or with sumac and lemon zest, has two things going for it. First, it’s very, very tender, and second, you need good caramelization.

Oven-roasted carrots need a caramelized layer to hold in the velvety center. That’s the trick: crisp and soft all at the same time. Luckily, it’s easy to nail this contradiction at home. In fact, your hot sheet pan will do most of the work for you. 

Rather than keeping the carrots whole, I cut them at a diagonal. This allows plenty of contact with the hot pan to make a nice crust. Covering them with foil in the first half gets that deliciously soft center. Finally, removing the foil at the end caramelizes and lightly chars the exterior. All of this to say: this easy roasted carrot recipe is completely fail-proof.

With tangy sumac, fresh lemon zest, and savory garlic powder to balance roast carrots’ natural sweetness, this recipe takes no shortcuts when it comes to flavor. It’s sure to become your new go-to side dish!

Table of Contents
  1. What You’ll Need
  2. How to Make Oven Roasted Carrots
  3. What to Serve with Oven Roasted Carrots
  4. You’ll Also Like: Roast Vegetable Recipes 
  5. Try our all-natural Sumac!
  6. Oven Roasted Carrots with Sumac Recipe
a close up of roasted carrots with sumac on a baking sheet.


What You’ll Need

To make these crispy oven roasted carrots, you really only need four things: Oil, salt, pepper, and carrots. You can keep it at that, but I love to dress it up with a few seasonings that bring a Mediterranean flair. 

  • Carrots: Grab large carrots if you can find them. Their bigger surface area gets nicely charred and caramelized.
  • Oil: A high quality extra virgin varitey makes a big difference in terms of flavor. Read all about cooking with olive oil in our guide, and find my favorite hand-selected Mediterranean olive oils at our shop
  • S&P: Salt and pepper are essential for enhancing the flavor. 
  • Sumac: Sumac is a household spice in the Mediterranean—you can learn all about it in our, “What is Sumac?” guide. The crimson flakes give a bright flavor that’s often compared to lemon zest, which balances the sweetness of the roast carrots. You can find it in the spice section of select grocery stores, or online at our shop
  • Garlic powder: Adds a savory element.
  • Lemon zest: Adds freshness and tang. 
  • Parsley: Used as a garnish, fresh parsley adds freshness and a nice pop of color. 
a close up of roasted carrots with sumac garnished with lemon zest and parsley on a serving plate.


How to Make Oven Roasted Carrots

A hot oven is your best friend when it comes to roast vegetables like carrots, green beans, and more. A few unfussy techniques make all the difference!

  • Get ready. Position a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 425°F.
  • Prep the carrots. Trim off the stems off of 2 pounds of carrots, then peel and slice on the diagonal into 2-inch pieces (this gives you a larger surface for charring). 
  • Season the carrots. Add the slices to a large mixing bowl, along with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon sumac, and a big pinch of salt and pepper (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon each). Toss to coat.
  • Soften the carrots. Spread onto a large sheetpan in one single layer so that each carrot slice is touching the surface of the pan. Cover tightly with foil and roast, covered on the center rack until the carrots are just tender, about 20 minutes. 
  • Char the carrots. Carefully uncover the pan, toss the carrots, and return to the oven. Roast, uncovered, until the carrots are nicely charred, about 20 to 25 mintues.
  • Finish and serve. As soon as you remove the carrots from the heat, sprinkle on the remaining 1 teaspoon of sumac and give everything a good toss in the pan. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with lemon zest and fresh parsley. 
a close up of roasted carrots with sumac garnished with lemon zest and parsley.


What to Serve with Oven Roasted Carrots

These oven roasted carrots’ sweet and slightly citrusy flavor are a perfect match for savory roast meat and a crisp, fresh green salad. For a leisurly weeknight, roast chicken thighs in your oven at the same time. For a fancy date night or dinner party, throw the carrots in your oven as you grill lamb chops (perhaps with a glass of red wine in-hand).

A crunchy salad works best with the tender roasted carrots. In the warmer months, cucumber tomato salad is my easy go-to. When tomatoes aren’t their best, try a crisp lemon parmesan lettuce salad or maroulosalata (Greek lettuce salad)

You’ll Also Like: Roast Vegetable Recipes 

Browse all Mediterranean recipes.

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Try our all-natural Sumac!

This tangy, smokey, slightly sour spice is just what you need to give your pickled onions some extra zing.

a jar of sumac from the mediterranean dish.
4.91 from 10 votes

Oven Roasted Carrots with Sumac

Kate Kardel
roasted carrots with sumac garnished with lemon zest and parsley on a serving plate.
Simple oven roasted carrots get an upgrade with this easy recipe! Tangy sumac, a Mediterranean pantry staple, balances the carrots' sweetness with zesty flavor. They're are roasted over high heat so they’re deliciously tender and every-so-slightly charred at the edges. 
Prep – 5 minutes
Cook – 40 minutes
Total – 45 minutes
Cuisine:
Middle Eastern
Serves – 6 people, as a side
Course:
Side Dish

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds large carrots
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons sumac
  • Zest of 1 lemon, for garnish
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Get ready. Position a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 425°F.
  • Prep the carrots. Trim off the stems, peel, then slice into 2-inch pieces on the diagonal (this gives you a larger surface for charring). Add to a large mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic powder, half of the sumac, and a big pinch of salt and pepper (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon each).
  • Soften the carrots. Spread the carrots on a large sheet pan in one single layer so that each carrot slice is touching the surface of the pan. Cover tightly with foil and roast, covered on the center rack until the carrots are just tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Char the carrots. Carefully uncover the pan, toss the carrots, and return to the oven. Roast, uncovered, until the carrots are nicely charred, about 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Finish and serve. As soon as you remove the carrots from the heat, sprinkle on the remaining 1 teaspoon of sumac and give everything a good toss in the pan. Transfer the carrots to a serving plate and garnish with the lemon zest and fresh parsley.

Video

Notes

  • If you have particularly large carrots, you may need to use two sheet trays. Roasting the carrots in one layer is essential–it will allow them to char and caramelize without getting steamed and limp.
  • Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.

Nutrition

Calories: 125.2kcalCarbohydrates: 14.8gProtein: 1.5gFat: 7.4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.9gMonounsaturated Fat: 5.1gSodium: 105.4mgPotassium: 494.3mgFiber: 4.3gSugar: 7.2gVitamin A: 25371.4IUVitamin C: 10.7mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 0.6mg
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4.91 from 10 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Mary says:

    Hi there,
    is it possible to make this ahead of time and then reheat or is that a bad idea?

    thank you,
    Mary

    1. TMD Team says:

      Hi, Mary. We’ve never tried this, but I think it could work. After you make them, allow them to cool and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, spread the carrots out in a single layer on a baking sheet and warm them in the oven at about 325 degrees F until heated through.

      1. Mary says:

        thank you so much! if I am successful I will try to send a comment back.

  2. Ellen Lawler says:

    5 stars
    These were easy to make and delicious. I served them with grilled lamb on
    Easter Sunday.

  3. Pam says:

    5 stars
    We raise our veggies and our carrot are always our prized winter vegetable! Your recipe intrigued me because it was so simple and easy to make. The sumac was more than complimentary to the carrots!! My gosh woman, this recipe is so magnificent! I cant stop making it!

    1. TMD Team says:

      Yay! So glad it was such a hit for you, Pam!

  4. B. Carr says:

    5 stars
    These were absolutely delicious!

  5. Amy says:

    4 stars
    These roasted carrots were easy to throw together and cook on a busy weeknight! I served them with your delicious baked chicken legs recipe and a simple green salad. I accidentally added all the sumac and missed the instructions of dividing and adding a bit after roasting, but still came out tasty. 😊 I also added some toasted pine nuts to garnish.