The Best Roasted Broccoli and Carrots
Roasted broccoli and carrots make for a super easy, tasty side dish for your favorite main dishes. This savory combination of broccoli and carrots is mellow and perfectly seasoned, making it a yummy side for chicken or fish. It also makes a convenient side for meal prep bowls.
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Side dishes don’t get enough love.
Especially veggie side dishes.
Sure people wax poetic for days on days about carby sides like mashed potatoes and mac and cheese.
Heck, I’m guilty of that!
But roasted veggies like this roasted broccoli and carrots don’t get enough love.
Roasting veggies makes magic happen.
The sugars in the veggies caramelize to mellow out the taste of veggies like broccoli while enhancing the natural sweetness in carrots.
And those natural sweet flavors are perfect with the savory garlic and rich olive oil the veggies roast in.
The result?
A delicious side dish that begs you to appreciate it in all its glory!
Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies
Here’s what you need when making roasted broccoli and carrots.
- Broccoli – You can use precut florets or chop up a crown of broccoli.
- Carrots – We used baby carrots sliced in half (quartered if really big). You could also use whole carrots cut into about 1/4 inch rounds, or pre-cut crinkle cut carrots.
- Seasonings – We used red pepper flakes (optional), sea salt, and black pepper.
- Garlic – We used crushed garlic, though you could mince it with a knife.
- Olive Oil – This helps coat the carrots and broccoli as it cooks, giving the veggies a bit of a crispy outside.
For kitchen supplies, you’ll want:
- Large baking sheet
- Tongs (to mix the ingredients)
- Garlic press
How to Make Roasted Broccoli and Carrots
Before getting started, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
1. Slice the veggies.
If you are using baby carrots, slice them in half lengthwise. Thicker ones, cut into quarters.
If you are using whole carrots, peel the carrots and then cut into about 1/4 inch thick rounds.
Mince or dice about 3 garlic cloves. (You can add more or less if you prefer.)
Add the veggies to a large mixing bowl.
2. Toss the veggies with other ingredients.
Pour in the olive oil and sprinkle in the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
You can add these too taste, so if you do not want to add salt, you can omit it.
If you want it spicer or less spice, adjust how much of black and red pepper you put in.
We use about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of each.
Toss the spices, garlic, broccoli, carrots, and olive oil until well combined.
3. Roast broccoli and carrots and serve.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.
Use your tongs or spoon to evenly spread the carrots and broccoli over the sheet.
Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or until they reach your desired level of crispy and done.
Too much longer than about 20 minutes may burn your broccoli.
For reference, we have a convection oven. If you are using a regular oven, you may need to add a bit more time.
Remove the roasted broccoli and carrots when they are starting to singe and are fork tender.
The carrots will be what we’d describe as al dente – soft but with a bit of firmness in the center.
Serving Suggestions
Roasted broccoli and carrots have a garlicky flavor with a bit of spice.
They compliment just about any main dish you can think of that you want to add in some veggies.
We like to serve them when we make these stuffing stuffed chicken breasts and would even pair well with Easy Italian Grilled Chicken or Greek Chicken for a lighter meal.
And this recipe is perfect for meal prep!
You can serve portions with rice and chicken for a healthy, balanced meal all week long!
Storing
To store, scoop left overs into an air tight container and pop it into the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat them in the microwave until warmed.
We don’t recommend freezing roasted broccoli and carrots because they will soften quiet a bit during the freezing and thawing process.
Can I use frozen broccoli and carrots in this recipe?
This recipe calls for fresh broccoli and carrots.
Frozen broccoli and carrots likely have a different cook time and may not be soft yet still a bit crunchy at the end of the roasting process.
Tips and Tricks
- If you are using baby carrots in this recipe, you absolutely must cut them in half so they aren’t as thick. If you don’t cut them, they will take much longer to cook than the broccoli. If you don’t want to cut your carrots, then look for the carrots that are precut into crinkle cut coins.
- The seasonings are to taste. You can completely omit them or add more of one or more of them. You could also sub in garlic powder for fresh garlic if you prefer.
- Be aware the garlic and red pepper flakes can add a little spice to this dish. If you are a fan of mild, you will want to skip the red pepper flakes and cut the amount of garlic down.
- Keep an eye on the broccoli and carrots as they roast. We’d recommend starting at 15 minutes, especially if your oven bakes fast.
- If you like a bit of a sweeter flavor, you can add a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup.
- For added flavor, you can use about 1/4 cup of parmesan or similar cheese.
Other Vegetable Side Dishes
Looking for other veggie sides to try? Check these out:
- Garlic and Herb Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Garlic Green Beans
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Air Fryer Asparagus
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Equipment
- 1 Tongs
- 1 Garlic crusher
- 1 large baking sheet
- 1 Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby carrots or regular carrots
- 12 ounces broccoli
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut baby carrots in half lengthwise or quarters for thicker carrots. Slice any larger broccoli floret into a smaller size. Dice the garlic or crush it.
- Add the carrots, broccoli, garlic, spices, and olive oil to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Roast broccoli carrot combination for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender with a bit of firmness in the center and the florets have a bit of browning on the ends.
- Serve with your favorite main dish.