Easy to make, this simple side dish of Roasted Potatoes and Carrots is a regular in our house. In fact, I make this an embarrassing amount because it’s so satisfying and quick as well. It’s perfect paired together with simple main dishes, and I have a sheet pan dinner variation with sausages listed in the recipe for you as well.
We make this simple side dish at least once a week throughout the colder months. Carrots and potatoes cook at a similar rate and their flavors combine well. This makes them the perfect duo for a super easy side dish
Also, I love that this side dish is a two-for-one and you only need a simple main dish to complete your meal. Whatever you choose to pair these roasted potatoes and carrots with, I know they’ll be a super easy hit.
Our personal favorite dishes to serve these with are my Tuscan Chicken, Creamy Garlic Chicken, and Pizza Chicken. And don’t miss my sausage variation below in the tips that make this a one-pan meal.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes – I’ve used almost every potato you can imagine in this recipe, but I love Yukon gold overall. They’re the perfect combination of fluffy but not as dry as russets. Red potatoes are also really good, but they won’t brown very well since they’re a moister potato when cooked. I’ve also used pink, purple, and anything else fun I’ve found at the farmer’s market – so the sky is the limit!
- Carrots – again any color of carrot you desire works here, but I usually just use regular carrots. If you can find local carrots at any point through the year, they’re on a whole new level of flavor. The only thing I don’t recommend is using baby carrots which runny on the soggy side and don’t roast well.
- Olive oil – is perfect for roasting these veggies and is readily available. But I’ve used melted butter, ghee, and leftover bacon fat to roast these. Any fat you use in cooking will work here from lard to tallow and even avocado oil.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic adds a nice savory flavor, but there’s an option in the recipe for granulated garlic as well which is also good. I don’t recommend jarred minced garlic with its intense flavor.
- Herbs – both fresh and dried options are listed below in the recipe. But our favorites are in order: fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, dried Italian seasoning, and Herbs de Provence. This recipe is also great without herbs just as simple veggies!
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Preheat the oven. If you’re using fresh herbs, start by removing the woody stems and mincing them.
Step 2: For the potatoes you want to keep the size to around 1.5″. For medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, I cut them in half. Then lay each half flat side down and cut them in half lengthwise, (quartering the potato).
From there you cut across the quarters to create pieces that are roughly 1.5″ x 1.5″ x .5″ thick.
Step 3: Next peel the carrots and slice them into 1/4″ slices.
Step 4: Add the potatoes and carrots to a baking sheet along with the garlic, salt, pepper, herbs, and olive oil.
You can use parchment paper to line the baking sheet for easier cleanup, most parchment paper is rated 420-450ºF.
Whenever I use parchment paper at high temperatures, I try to make sure there isn’t any extra paper hanging over the sides of the pan to burn and I haven’t had a problem.
Step 5: Toss the potatoes and carrots together with the olive oil herb mixture being sure to evenly distribute the garlic.
Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until just tender and lightly browning.
Ways to serve this
- Serve these potatoes and carrots with my Tuscan Chicken, Creamy Garlic Chicken, or Pizza Chicken.
- If you have room in your oven for 2 sheet pans, this side dish pairs perfectly with my Sausage and Peppers. Both sheet pans cook at 450ºF for 25-30 minutes and I love making these 2 recipes together for family dinners or entertaining. Depending on your oven, you may need to add a few more minutes of cooking time with 2 sheet pans.
- Serve these as a side dish to my Air Fryer Ribeye or Tuscan Steak. Make it an extra special meal by adding my Mushroom Cream Sauce or Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce.
- For something different serve this with my Lemon Garlic Butter Baked Cod or Sun-dried Tomato Turkey Burgers.
FAQ’s
Yes, potatoes and carrots cook at roughly the same rate when they’re cut right. I find slicing the carrots 1/4″ to the 1.5″ potato cubes to be a good ratio for even cooking.
You do not need to boil potatoes before roasting for this recipe. You can boil potatoes, toss them with oil, and roast for a crispier outcome. But in this recipe the carrots and potatoes go into the oven raw without any prior cooking, the oven does all the work.
Storing leftovers
- To store – place any leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Make ahead – this side dish is best made fresh, but the leftovers do reheat decently. You can prep the carrots 2-3 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Reheating – place any leftovers into a non-stick skillet and add a touch of water. Reheat covered for 1-2 minutes, then remove the lid to let the water evaporate and the veggies brown up a bit if desired. You may need to add a bit of oil if they’re sticking. Potatoes get drier as they sit in the fridge so the water helps to revive them as you reheat them. You can also microwave to reheat.
- To freeze – place any leftovers into an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating. Or you can reheat from frozen as directed above adding water as necessary to defrost them in the pan without sticking. Both carrots and potatoes have a slight change in texture after they’re frozen, but they’re still good.
Tips & Tricks
- Keep in mind the flavor profile you’re going for in your dinner to mix up the different cooking fats you use. Bacon fat for instance adds a lot of smokey bacon flavor that makes this side dish more prominent. I prefer a less intrusive flavor when pairing these vegetables with most other dishes. But if you pair it with something simple like pork chops/chicken seasoned with salt, the bacon flavor is a nice addition.
- One of my favorite variations of this side dish is to make this a one-pan-wonder sheet pan meal. I often add fully cooked bratwurst sausages over the top of the potatoes and carrots in the last 10 minutes of cooking time. This is a favorite weeknight meal because it’s so simple I can make it even after a super busy day.
- You can also add raw sausages but add them in at the beginning of the cooking time. Italian sausage links and chorizo are some of our most repeated combos. Raw sausage links that are 4 to 1 pound take about 25 minutes to roast at 450ºF.
More Side Dish Recipe Inspiration
I hope you enjoy these Roasted Potatoes and Carrots! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Roasted Potatoes and Carrots
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes - about 4 medium, or other potato of choice
- 1 pound carrots - peeled and sliced 1/4" thick, about 4-6 carrots
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil - or melted butter, ghee, lard, bacon fat etc.
- 1/2 tsp sea salt - or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary - or thyme, or 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF
- Line a baking sheet parchment paper if desired for easier cleanup. Most parchment paper is rated for 420-450ºF.
- Cut the potatoes into pieces that are roughly 1.5" x 1.5" x .5" thick. Toss the potatoes and carrots together on a baking sheet.
- Add the garlic, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, and herb of choice to the pan. Toss together well to evenly distribute everything. You could mix the garlic with the olive oil first to make this a touch easier.
- Spread the potatoes and carrots evenly and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until fork tender and lightly golden brown.
- Serve immediately.