Gochujang Roasted Carrots (2024)

Perfectly roasted carrots are tender on the inside and beautifully burnished at the edges. These take it a step further with a sticky sweet gochujang glaze.

This recipe was originally published on December 14, 2018. It has been updated with new content and photos. Enjoy!

Temps have finally dropped and I’m all a twitter about fall baking. Actually that’s a lie. Honestly, between being busy and a little under the weather I haven’t been spending much time in the kitchen beyond usual dinner prep and the occasional PB and J. But when a beauty of a bunch of carrots shows up in the CSA box, well you’ve got to stop everything and roast those suckers up.

Gochujang Roasted Carrots

Roasted root vegetables is that dish that really needs no recipe, right? Toss veggies with oil and seasoning and cook until brown and toasty at the edges and tender all the way through. But over the years I’ve found this seemingly simple cooking method to be a tricky little mistress.

So today we’re going to throw some light on how to roast perfect veggies every time, oh and we’ll also toss in a spicy, earthy, sticky, sweet, gochujang glaze for interest and good measure.

Ingredients for Gochujang Roasted Carrots

• Carrots – duh. If you can find ones that have their tops, that’s great. But if not, no worries. Give them a good scrub and split the really big ones in half lengthwise. Then you’re good to go.
• Vegetable oil. Really any neutral oil with a high smoke point will do just fine here.
• Gochujang. This is a Korean, fermented chili paste. It’s funky, spicy, savory, and just a touch sweet. And along with some friendly, pantry staples (honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil) it makes up the sauce that will sizzle up around the carrots and turn into a savory, sweet, sticky glaze.

How to Roast Carrots

So the issue with roasted veggies, especially ones that lean on the heartier side of things (carrots, turnips, parsnips, etc) is that it’s difficult to get the outside lovely and brown and the inside tender all at the same time. I’m so over leathery and dry, or soft and mushy roasted veggies and I’m sure you are too. So let’s chat about how to get them perfect each time, and without a whole lot of fuss.

1. Cut everything the same size. It seems like a no-brainer, but one, big, fat carrot is not going to cook as quickly as one, skinny, mini carrot. So whatever size or shape, make sure there is some uniformity in your carrot brigade.
2. Spread into one even layer. If you have so many vegetables on your baking sheet that they’re crowding each other, then you need to get out a second baking sheet. The only way those veggies will get those brown and crunchy at the edges is if they have room for air to circulate around them.
3. Steam THEN roast. It seems counter-intuitive but if you want to make sure your carrots are tender all the way through then you must give them a head start. Lucky for us, this is pretty much as simple as throwing a little water in the pan and covering tightly with foil.
4. Give it time. Once you’ve steamed your way to tender perfection, now you need to unfurl the foil and let things gets roasty and toasty. This takes longer than you might think, as no browning can occur until some of the liquid evaporates. So practice patience.
5. Eat them up straight away. Not that leftover roasted carrots straight from the fridge are a bad thing at all, but you’ll never enjoy the same juxtaposition of tender and crunchy as you will when the veggies are just out of the oven.

Questions about Roasting Carrots

Q: Can I substitute a different vegetable?
A: Yes of course! Cooking times can vary greatly depending on how big or hearty the vegetable is, but options like parsnips, rutabagas, or turnips are all similar enough to carrots to work here.

Q: Where Can I Find Gochujang?
A: I buy gochujang paste from my local supermarket. It’s usually located in the International foods aisle, and packaged in a tub (although occasionally I’ve found it in a handy squeeze bottle).

Q: What Other Seasonings Can I Use On Roasted Carrots?
A: Some flavor combinations that go beautifully with carrots are maple and chili flakes, honey and lime, cumin and brown sugar, or chipotle and cinnamon. Just remember to pick flavors that naturally balance one another out – sweet with savory, spicy and herbal, tart and earthy and so on.

What to Serve With Gochujang Roasted Carrots

A good roasted veggie goes with a myriad of dishes. I like mine alongside some crispy pan fried chicken thighs, or as an easy meatless meal to go with a zucchini corn and quinoa salad.

But if you’re looking for other tasty veggie treats, check these out:

• Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
• Cheesey Mushroom Melts
• Winter Kale Slaw with Crunchy Breadcrumbs
• Roasted Delicata Squash with Maple Miso Butter

And if you make these or any other Jo Eats recipe I’d love you forever (like I’m not exaggerating – my love will be unconditional henceforth) if you snapped a pic and tagged me on the social media platform of your choice. I love seeing what you make and all of your brilliant spins on my recipes!

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