Brilliantly colored carrots are tossed with fresh garlic and thyme, roasted to an ethereal crispness, then drizzled with a bright lemon-tahini sauce. These roasted carrots with tahini are a refreshingly savory veggie side dish.
If you're looking for a savory diversion from the typically sugar-sweet, honey drenched carrot recipes out there, these crisply roasted carrots with tahini sauce are just for you. By roasting the carrots, you caramelize their natural sugar content into a chorus of complex flavors. Yes, of which sweetness is one--but also an umami-rich earthiness that honors the grounded energy of this root vegetable.
Snappy ginger, nutty tahini paste, and plenty of oven fried garlic chips round out this side dish, giving it an understated uniqueness that still plays nicely with any other flavors you might have on your table.
I actually came up with this recipe as a holiday side dish, wanting something that would be a little more elevated than usual, without being so out there or strongly flavored that it would take away from other more traditional flavors of the meal. To fit right in while also standing out. To do things just a little differently, but still be right at home in the larger picture.
Wait am I talking about myself or the carrots…😏
Existential metaphors aside, these roasted carrots with tahini dressing were as much of a hit with my family at our Christmas dinner as they were a few weeks prior when I recipe tested them at home.
Picture the two of us leaning on the kitchen counter, inhaling an entire pound of roasted carrots for lunch on a random Monday and you get the idea how good these are. I can only hope that this recipe inspires the same lack of self control in you as well!
ingredients for thyme roasted carrots with tahini sauce
ingredient notes & swaps
- Using full length, regular carrots for this dish gives a nice appearance, but truthfully, any shape or cut of fresh carrot will work just fine, including baby carrots! Smaller carrots will roast more quickly, so adjust the time accordingly. The most important thing to consider with your carrots is to make sure they are peeled, as the crispy cornstarch coating will not adhere as well to their tougher, drier outer skin.
- Tossing your carrots in cornstarch prior to roasting will take their crispness to another level. The starch gets to work right away, absorbing surface moisture from the carrots, then later, sets into a rigid yet thin crust once heat enters the equation.
- Toasted sesame seeds have a deeper, nuttier flavor as compared to their untoasted counterparts. If you have raw seeds on hand, just heat them in a dry pan over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes, tossing and stirring frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant.
- Just like sesame seeds can be either toasted or raw, tahini may be made from roasted or raw seeds. I like using tahini that is more lightly roasted, such as this organic version of Krinos Traditional Tahini. It has a moderate thickness which makes it ideal for drizzling and a smooth texture that makes for a perfectly glossy dressing.
thyme roasted carrots with tahini sauce
Brilliantly colored carrots are tossed with fresh garlic and thyme, roasted to an ethereal crispness, then drizzled with a bright lemon-tahini sauce. These roasted carrots with tahini are refreshingly savory.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
for the carrots
- 1 ½ pounds carrots
- 6 medium garlic cloves (I used 2 jumbo and 2 small)
- 2" knob fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- Salt + Cracked black pepper, to taste (about ½ teaspoon each)
- Handful of fresh thyme sprigs
- Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
for the tahini sauce
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
- Salt + Cracked black pepper, to taste (about ¼ teaspoon each)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375℉. Rinse and dry the carrots, then trim the ends (I like to leave some little stemmy nubs on top because they look so carroty that way!) and peel the outer skins. It's okay to do this a little imperfectly, the idea is just to expose the layer under the skin so that our crispy cornstarch mixture will stick better. Slice each carrot half lengthwise, or if they're large, into quarters.
- Peel the garlic cloves and thinly slice them, then peel and grate the fresh ginger.
- Whisk the 3 tablespoons of olive oil with the cornstarch in a small bowl, then season it with salt and black pepper.
- Place the carrots in a wide shallow bowl for this next part as it makes tossing them easier. Drizzle the cornstarch mixture over the prepped carrots.
- Toss the carrots and use your hands to rub the cornstarch mixture all over them in a thin, even layer.
- Now add the sliced garlic, grated ginger, and fresh thyme sprigs.
- Toss the mixture again, just enough to distribute the aromatics. I usually give another shake of salt and black pepper at this point because why not!
- Spread the carrots on 2 parchment paper lined baking sheets. Using 2 baking sheets is important for getting the carrots nice and crispy! We want them all to have adequate space and air exposure. Roast for 20 minutes, then increase heat to 400℉ and roast for another 5-10 minutes until very hot and crisp. You'll notice the carrots take on a light bubbly appearance and the thinner ends may get roasty brown-which means-flavor!
- While the carrots finish roasting, combine all of the tahini sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Whisk the tahini sauce ingredients and check the texture. You want it to be thick but drizzle-able, like a creamy salad dressing. If it is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, whisking after each addition, until the consistency is right where you want it. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, black pepper, or spice depending on your preference.
- Remove the carrots from the oven and pick out the large thyme sprigs. I like to set them to the side to use as a garnish on the plate, where they can continue wafting their woodsy aroma. People can even strip some of the crispy leaves right on top of their carrots if they like!
- Transfer the thyme roasted carrots from each baking sheet to a serving platter or dish, drizzle with your creamy tahini sauce, and shower with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with the remaining tahini dressing on the side.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: sides
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: vegetables
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 302
- Sugar: 8.5 g
- Sodium: 122 mg
- Fat: 23.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.6 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
FAQs
what's the secret to perfectly roasted carrots?
There are a few factors to keep in mind for crispy oven-roasted carrots:
- Dry the carrots well. Surface moisture on any vegetable will become steam in the oven, which softens textures and inhibits maillard reactions - the caramelization of natural sugars and amino acids that produces complex savory flavors.
- Use oil. Oil has the ability to help foods get hot more quickly and more evenly, resulting in a uniformly cooked and nicely crisped surface.
- Use high heat. Maillard reactions require high heat to occur, and 375℉ is the perfect range for many roasted vegetables. It's all about striking the balance of achieving a caramelized surface while also thoroughly cooking the carrots' interiors.
- Toss with cornstarch. The (not so) secret pro move for unbeatable crispness! A coating of cornstarch before cooking negates any surface moisture the carrots may have and also forms a light yet crisp exterior when heated in the oven.
can I use this tahini sauce on other things?
Absolutely! In fact, I have yet to meet a vegetable that this sauce doesn't taste amazing with. Broccoli, green beans, potatoes, or any roast vegetable medley will shine when this sauce is drizzled over top. Use leftover tahini sauce to dress up a grain bowl, toss over a salad, or dip any protein into. Or, do what I did and dunk pita crackers right on into it for a snack.
Looking to make it a meal? These roasted tahini carrots shine alongside main courses like Crockpot Chicken Legs and Pickle Brine Chicken Thighs.
dig in!
Enjoy & let me know what you think 🌙 💛
