These Roasted Rainbow Carrots are a delicious and decadent side dish. Crisp-tender caramelized carrots are seasoned to perfection, then drizzled with a simple lemon tahini dressing.
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Have you ever put together a recipe that looks almost too pretty to eat? These Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Lemon Tahini Sauce are that recipe. Very popular for both Thanksgiving and Easter.
The beautiful, colorful carrots topped with chopped bright green carrot greens, and drizzled with a lemon tahini dressing? I mean, it’s picture-perfect.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I said it looks almost too pretty to eat. We all know we’ll be eating it. It’s too good not to!
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📖Why This Recipe Works
- Simple Ingredients- You probably have most of what you need in your pantry already. Just 10 total ingredients are needed!
- Perfect Flavor- The sweet flavor of the carrots pairs perfectly with the smoky paprika and the nutty, tangy tahini dressing.
- Colorful Side Dish- We eat with our eyes and just look at all those colors! Side dishes don’t get more visually pleasing than this.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Rainbow-colored carrots, also called tri-colored carrots, are bunched together in an array of colors and typically include purple carrots, orange carrots, and yellow carrots.
They are found in most grocery stores with their tops still on. If your carrots don't have the greens still attached, you can substitute fresh herbs like parsley or chives.
Fresh Whole Carrots - Look for carrots that are less than 1 inch wide. If they’re wider than 1 inch, you can cut them in half lengthwise or even into quarters.
Be sure all the carrots are relatively similar in size so they cook at the same rate. You can use regular carrots in this recipe if you can't find multicolored carrots.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - Drizzling the carrots with olive oil helps them get that delicious caramelized exterior as they roast.
Apple Cider Vinegar - The ACV helps tenderize the carrots as they roast for the perfect texture that balances crunchy and soft.
Seasonings - We’re seasoning our carrots with a simple blend of garlic powder, paprika, and kosher salt. You can also add black pepper if you like.
Lemon Tahini Dressing - To serve your carrots, whip up a simple tahini dressing with tahini, lemon juice, warm water, and kosher salt. You can substitute orange juice for fresh lemon juice in this recipe.
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
⏲️How to Make Roasted Rainbow Carrots
Before getting started with the recipe you need to prep the carrots.
Remove the green tops and set them aside, but don’t discard them. Wash the carrots and green thoroughly. Then peel the carrots and place them onto a baking sheet. For thicker carrots, wider than 1 inch cut them in half.
Step 1 - Season and Roast
First, preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a bowl, whisk together oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, and salt.
Drizzle the seasonings mixture all over the carrots, then toss to coat. Be sure to arrange the carrots in a single layer and allow space between them on the baking sheet.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the carrots are fork-tender. I recommend checking them at 20 minutes, then adding time as needed so they don’t overcook. The size of the carrot will impact the cooking time.
Step 2- Make the Dressing and Serve
While the carrots are roasting, make the dressing! To do so, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, and half the water. Mix in salt and pepper to taste, then add more water as needed until your desired texture is reached.
Transfer the cooked carrots to a serving platter, top them off with chopped up carrot greens, and drizzle with the finished dressing. Serve immediately.
🥗What to Serve with Roasted Rainbow Carrots
These roasted rainbow carrots are beautiful enough to serve for the holidays, but simple enough that you can serve them for dinner any day of the week!
If you’re enjoying them for a holiday meal, serve them alongside Roast Turkey with Sage, Green Bean Casserole, Rustic Boursin Mashed Potatoes, or any of your favorite holiday recipes.
If you’re enjoying them with a weeknight meal they’re excellent with Grilled Flank Steak, Gluten Free Chicken Piccata, or a simple Pork Chop Skillet Dinner.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tip
Keep in mind that carrots of different shapes and sizes will cook at different rates. Adjust the recipe accordingly!
🌡️Storing Leftovers
Roasted carrots are best right away, but if you do have leftovers, they will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. Always store them in an airtight container. You can store the tahini dressing separately sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
When you’re ready to serve, warm in the oven until heated through, then serve with garnishes and the leftover dressing.
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💬Frequently Asked Questions
Not so different that it will matter. The flavor is essentially the same as regular orange carrots and any differences are super subtle. Basically, if you like regular orange carrots, then you’ll like rainbow carrots.
While that depends on your preferences, I highly recommend roasting them. The natural sugars in the carrots become deliciously caramelized under the high heat of the oven which brings out their natural flavor and gives them that perfect crisp-tender texture.
If your roasted carrots are tough or crunchy, then they’re likely just undercooked. I recommend checking that the carrots are fork-tender before removing them from the oven. The fork should slide in easily. If it does that, they’re good to go!
Yes, you can substitute baby rainbow carrots (or regular) in this recipe. However, the roasting time will be significantly shorter.
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📖 Recipe
Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Lemon-Tahini Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound rainbow carrots less than 1-inch wide
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup warm water
- kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees. Remove carrot greens and set aside. Thoroughly wash and peel the carrots. Place carrots on a rimmed baking sheet.1 pound rainbow carrots
- Whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the carrots and toss to coat. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until fork tender.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Move the carrots to a serving platter and garnish with chopped carrot greens and lemon sesame dressing.
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, and half the water. Add more water as needed. Salt and pepper to taste.¼ cup tahini, ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup warm water, kosher salt
Notes
- Parsley can be substituted for carrot tops.
- If the carrots are wider than 1 inch you can cut in half lengthwise or even quarters.
- Leftover carrots can be stored in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Sam says
I love roasted carrots ! And that lemon sesame dressing sounds delicious. Super excited to try this one, thank you!
Kate says
Beautiful way to prepare carrots! I love apple cider vinegar too so this is right up my alley haha. I've also never thought to actually marinate carrots before cooking, it looks really delicious!