These roasted carrots with apricot glaze are an easy and unexpected side dish made with carrots that are roasted until wrinkly and glazed with the sweetness of jam along with the spiciness of chile oil (use as much or as little heat as you like). Definitely not your same old hum drum steamed carrots.
Roasted Carrots with Apricot Glaze
Ingredients
For the chile oil
- 2 cups olive oil or mild vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup crushed red chile flakes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the roasted carrots
- 3 pounds carrots scrubbed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil or mild vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1/4 cup apricot jam preferably smooth
- 2 tablespoons chile oil (see recipe above)
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 10 sprigs mint and/or a handful cilantro leaves picked and roughly torn chopped or torn
Instructions
Make the chile oil
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm 1/2 cup of the oil until it shimmers.
- Remove from the heat and add the chili flakes and salt. Let sit until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add the rest of the oil to the chile flakes. Let cool completely and store in a jar on the counter. The flavor will become more nuanced as it ages.
Roast the carrots
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). For easier cleanup, line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Cut the carrots into large chunks of equal size or leave them whole.
☞ TESTER TIP: Use carrots that are uniform in size to ensure even cooking.
- On the baking sheet, toss the carrots with the oil and salt. Spread the carrots evenly, leaving space between them so they don’t steam. Roast until tender, 35 to 55 minutes, depending on the carrots’ size.
- Meanwhile, while the carrots roast, in a small bowl, whisk together the jam and 2 tablespoons chile oil. Taste and, if desired, add more chile oil.
- When the carrots are golden brownand tender, toss them with the jam mixture and return to the oven for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, turn the almonds onto a second rimmed baking sheet and slide them in the oven to warm, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or cutting board to cool and, if desired, coarsely chop them.
- Transfer the carrots to a platter and scatter with the almonds and mint and/or cilantro. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I loved these spicy, sticky, and almost exotically flavored carrots and will be adding them to my veggie repertoire. There is so much going on here!
I left the carrots whole. My carrots weren’t that thick but they still took a very long time to become tender. Using whole carrots is quite easy and also lovely. Just note that the cooking time will be longer.
My apricot jam was chunky but I don’t think it made much of a difference as it ultimately melted into the carrots.
I made the chile oil recipe (without other spices) that followed the carrot recipe. It’s extremely easy, took only 6 minutes to pull together, and the results were great! However the chile oil is very, very hot.
The brightness of mint is really critical for creating a contrast with the sweetness and heat in these carrots. I used some mint and some cilantro but I might just stick with mint alone next time. That said, a sprig of mint can have quite a few leaves on it, so for me 10 sprigs would be too much.
I’ve never considered putting jam on cooked carrots but the combination of the jam with the chile oil was very good. I added a squeeze of lemon as suggested and mint.
I kept the carrots whole but if they’d been larger I would’ve cut them into large chunks. Watch the oven time after tossing the cooked carrots with the jam mixture. The carrots were darker in color than during the first roasting and I didn’t want to burn them.
We liked the chile oil flavor. I made the full recipe and will keep using it for other vegetables.
I’ll make the carrots again. We even enjoyed them almost at room temperature.
I liked this recipe quite a bit.
The instructions for the carrots were pretty straightforward. I cut mine into large chunks. After about 35 minutes, the smaller thinner ends were crispy and the larger chunks were browned and tender. I would suggest buying carrots that are uniform in size to ensure even crispness.
Also, I recommend using smooth jam, rather than chunky, to mix with the chili oil. I loved the spice level of the dish and really enjoyed the overall combination with the mint and almonds, but I would have been happier if there were fewer chunks of apricot.
As for servings, two of us ate them all and enjoyed every bite.
Originally published June 21, 2019
This was a super easy recipe to make as I keep chile oil in the refrigerator. I minced up my mint leaves as they were quite large. We enjoyed all the flavor and texture contrasts. I served the carrots with grilled chicken and rice pilaf. (The jam and chile oil mixture would be good warmed up drizzled on grilled chicken, too)
Wow, Deb! What a fantastic meal. Please let us know what you try the glaze on next.