Best eaten the same day they’re cooked but can be served at room temperature, the sweetness and earthiness of carrots get a boost when they are roasted at high heat. Here we take toothy chunks of carrots, parboil them, fast-roast them in the oven with allspice, and finish them off with a garnish of minced preserved lemon and fresh garlic. Wait until a dish is fully cooked before adding a decisive seasoning like preserved lemon—it’s hard to go back. –Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift
Why Our Testers Loved This
Our testers loved that these roast carrots were easy enough to make on a weeknight, yet still tasted special. They found that the allspice and preserved lemon balanced the sweetness of the carrot perfectly.
What You’ll Need to Make This
- Carrots–You don’t have to peel the carrots but do give them a good scrub. Don’t use baby carrots here.
- Allspice–This spice brings a warm flavor to the sweet carrots that makes it a perfect autumn or winter side dish. If you’re unfamiliar with the flavor of allspice, start with 1/2 teaspoon. You can always add more when you season at the end.
- Preserved lemon–If preserved lemon isn’t available, plain grated lemon zest can be used. It’s not the same, but the dish will still be delicious.
How to Make This Recipe
- Heat the oven to 450°F. Have a rimmed baking sheet ready.
- Boil the carrots. Cook the carrots in boiling salted water until just fork tender. Drain.
- Roast the carrots. Toss the carrots with oil and spices, then roast until golden and tender.
- Finish the carrots. Sprinkle garlic and preserved lemon over the hot roasted carrots and season to taste.
Common Questions
Preserved lemons are just that–lemons preserved in salt. In a reversal of the usual use of citrus, the peel becomes tender enough to eat and the segments are typically discarded. They’re a Moroccan tradition that lacks nothing in terms of puckeriness and knows no borders in terms of culinary versatility.
They’re a cinch to put up at home provided you have some lemons, a little salt, a jar, and five minutes of effort–well, five minutes of effort plus a month of patience.
Sure. You can boil the carrots and set them aside to drain for up to several hours before sliding them into the oven. These roasted carrots are also quite nice when served warm, as opposed to hot from the oven, so if they need to linger on the counter a few minutes while the rest of dinner comes together before going from baking sheet to serving dish, all is not lost.
Roast carrots are always welcome alongside a classic roast chicken or simple roast turkey, and since these particular carrots have a distinctly Moroccan vibe, they’d be wonderful served with any of our Moroccan recipes, such as this Moroccan leg of lamb, za’atar chicken, and salt-roasted potatoes.
Helpful Tips
- If purchasing preserved lemons, look for them near the olives and cheese, or at a specialty grocer. You can also order preserved lemons online.
- These carrots are suitable for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
More Great Roasted Carrot Recipes
Write a Review
If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
Roasted Carrots with Allspice
Ingredients
- 3 pounds carrots, cut on the diagonal into 2-inch (5-cm) chunks
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground allspice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- peel of 2/3 to 1 whole preserved lemon, inside pulp removed and discarded, peel rinsed under cold water and finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
- Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the 3 pounds carrots and cook for about 10 minutes or so, until nearly fork-tender but still have some firmness. Drain thoroughly.
- On a baking sheet, toss the carrots with enough 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to coat them generously, then toss them with the 1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground allspice and Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking and turning often, until nicely seared and browned here and there.
- Remove the pan from the oven and, while the carrots are still in it, add the 4 large garlic cloves and the peel of 2/3 to 1 whole preserved lemon and toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
- Make them in advance–You can boil the carrots and set them aside to drain for up to several hours before sliding them into the oven. These can also be served warm or at room temperature.
- Preserved lemon substitute–If you don’t have any preserved lemon, you can substitute grated lemon peel.
- Dietary–This recipe is suitable for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets.
- Storage–Leftovers will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
The recipe was easy to prepare, having few ingredients. At the size recommended in the recipe, I found that the carrots needed 15 minutes of cooking time in the boiling water. I found that after the recommended cooking time in the oven that the carrots were well cooked and tender, but had not browned to a huge extent. The result was a fragrant mix of carrot, lemon, and garlic, in which the garlic did not taste too raw. The allspice lent a subtle spiciness to the dish without being overpowering.
I’m not generally a fan of cooked carrots, and I feel that I’ve found a recipe that improves them significantly. My only criticism was that the three tablespoons of olive oil recommended left the carrots a bit too oily, and so I would recommend tossing the carrots in slightly less oil.
This roasted carrots with allspice recipe makes a very simple dish, perfect for a weeknight. The sweetness of carrots with the sour/salty preserved lemon paired very well. I started off with very light olive oil and allowed the carrots to roast. I added the extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and preserved lemon rind towards the end of the cooking time.
Roasted carrots with allspice are wonderful. The spices and preserved lemon blend nicely with the sweetness of the carrots. This would make a wonderful Thanksgiving side dish. I’d make this again.
Spices are a beautiful thing, especially their ability to transform a simple veggie dish. In this case, the allspice lent an exotic, almost smoky flavor to the carrots while the preserved lemon added yet another layer of complexity. I left the carrots in their rustic, unpeeled state and loved that the big chunks worked perfectly as a side dish to my Moroccan roast chicken (another Leite’s recipe).
Next time, I probably wouldn’t parboil them, as I prefer the crispness that comes with roasting alone. And I also had a hard time getting the minced garlic and zest to stick to the carrots so I may add them while there is plenty of oil in the pan.
First, I was cooking for more than 20 hungry firefighters, so I increased the amount to 10 pounds of carrots and adjusted the other ingredients in corresponding amounts. Sampling the carrots after the allspice was added was a nice bonus for the cook. The aroma of the carrots roasting was very festive.
I diverted from the script slightly by adding the garlic prior to roasting. Again, the aroma was marvelous. I added the preserved lemon as prescribed. I ended up with two full trays of roasted carrots. On one tray, I squeezed less than half of a regular lemon over the top, then tossed the carrots lightly. Both trays were top drawer.
The first quote I heard from one happy diner was, “What’s with the carrots? These are the real deal!” The dish received many other compliments as well and there were no leftovers. They had fantastic flavor and texture, which is not always easy to do.
Three pounds of carrots sounds like a lot, but you really do need that much to serve this recipe to as many as six people. The rich citrusy flavor from the lemons really complements the sweetness of the carrots and allspice. The earthy, savory garlic flavor adds a nice contrasting element, but I’d add it (and the preserved lemon) to the pan about 10 minutes before the carrots are done — just to get a wee bit of the edge off the garlic (and to warm the lemon).
My preserved lemons didn’t seem that strong, so I had no problem using closer to the peel of one whole lemon. I used the pulp in a marinade for a roast leg of lamb we had later. I wonder if adding the allspice nearer to the end, along with the garlic and lemon would heighten its flavor a bit, too?
I omitted the allspice and added dried tarragon and a splash or Worcestershire. It turned out wonderfully!
Terrific to hear it, Jonathan.
These were excellent! I made them along with the slow-roasted pork shoulder with stuffed squash for an early Christmas dinner party and they were an absolute hit! Super easy to prep in advance and I liked the preserved lemon surprise at the end. Yum!
Terrific, Amy! So lovely to hear. But we can’t take the credit, that’s due to Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Leave it to her to turn out a terrific, inventive recipe for something as humble as the carrot…