Charred & Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Honey Thyme Glaze

Published:  05/29/2019

You can use tri-colored carrots or use traditional orange for these complex-flavored carrots that will wow your dinner guests.

These carrots are first charred on the grill and then roasted in the oven to create crisp-tender carrots that are flavor enhanced by caramelizing and flavored with thyme and honey.

When you roast the carrots at high heat they caramelize beautifully. And their flavor is enhanced by the initial char on them before roasting. What exactly is char? Bon Appetite says, “Char is all about balance. When we talk about charring a piece of food, we are, in fact, asking you to burn it”to take something over the edge between caramelized and carbonized. The difference is that you're allowing that to happen, and stopping the process at a point where the bitterness you've developed will be a welcome contrast to the other flavors in the mix. Foods with a lot of natural sugar in them, like carrots, sweet potatoes, corn, beets, and peppers, taste great with a bit of char because those newly-introduced bitter notes actually heighten your experience of their sweetness. You're creating complexity. Per Bon Appetite .

If you do not have a grill I provide you with alternative instructions for roasting them in the oven. And if you roast them in the oven you can cut the carrots into pieces.

Charred & Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Honey Thyme Glaze
2 lb. rainbow carrots, tri-colored or orange, washed, peeled, leave 1 inch of green stem frond
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
2 tsp honey
¼ tsp water
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced

Trim the tops and any fibrous ends of the carrots. Then, wash and peel the carrots patting with a paper towel to dry. This peeler has consistently been highly ranked by various cooking magazines. You can cut carrots in half lengthwise if thick enough to still be at least 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick so all carrots are equal diameter. In a large bowl, toss the carrots with extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic. Lightly season the carrots with salt and pepper.
 

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Place the carrots on the grill perpendicularly and grill for about 10-12 minutes with the lid down, turning once or twice during cooking. The carrots should develop some sear marks before turning. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with foil. I love my commercial baking sheet. They are ranked #1 in baking sheets on Amazon.

And, in a small bowl mix together the honey, water and thyme

When the carrots are lightly charred on all side, remove from the grill and place on the foil lined baking sheet.

Turn oven on to 450 degrees F.

Pour the honey thyme mixture over the carrots on the baking sheet and make sure mixture is even distributed on all carrots and spread the carrots out evenly so there is space in between.

Roast the carrots in the oven at 450 degrees F about 20-25 minutes or until fork tender (i.e., can be pierced with a fork with a soft crunch in the middle).  Baking times will vary based on the size of carrots and personal preference for doneness. Stir and flip halfway through baking to ensure all sides cook evenly. Yields 4 servings. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Oven Directions

You can make these with whole, halved or carrots cut into ½ inch pieces. If you do not have a grill, line a baking sheet with foil. Toss the carrots with the oil, garlic, honey, salt, pepper and thyme until well-coated. Arrange in an even layer and bake in the oven until browned and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Baking times will vary based on the size of carrots and personal preference for doneness. Stir and flip halfway through baking to ensure all sides cook evenly.