Name: The Ultimate Hot Honey Pan Roasted Whole Carrots
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 bunches whole carrots with tops (about 1 1/2 lbs., all similar size); 1/4 cup olive oil; 2 rosemary sprigs (whole); 3 garlic cloves (smashed); 1 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup dark brown sugar; 3 tbsp red wine vinegar; 3 tbsp hot honey; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 2 tbsp parsley (finely chopped)

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

The Ultimate Hot Honey Pan Roasted Whole Carrots bring an unexpected flavor to tender carrots to create the most flavorful side dish. This side dish has become a family favorite at our annual holiday gatherings and I know you’re going to love it too!

An overhead view of a saute pan filled with hot honey roasted carrots next to a stack of plates, a pile of carrot tops, and a cutting board.

Why I love this recipe:

NOT YOUR AVERAGE CARROTS – These are definitely not your average carrots (um, no baby carrots here!). First of all, they’re whole, which makes the presentation so much better. Second, they aren’t one-dimensional sweet carrots. Scented with garlic and rosemary and hit with a little red wine vinegar on top of the spice of the honey – these are anything but ordinary!
PERFECT SIDE DISH FOR HOLIDAY GATHERINGS – The presentation of these carrots alone makes them worthy of a holiday table. Long and elegant, they’re perfect on a plate next to your turkeys and roasts. Maybe most important of all, you can easily make them ahead of time!
LESS THAN 10 INGREDIENTS – Yep, less than ten ingredients, most of which come from your pantry!

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this hot honey carrots recipe:

An overhead view of the ingredients necessary to make hot honey pan roasted carrots.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

The ingredients to make these hot honey carrots are easy to find and readily available at your local grocery store. If you can, I would highly recommend grabbing the carrots you can at your local farmer’s market for the best flavor.

Here are a few ingredient notes:

Carrots: A root vegetable, carrots are the star of the show here. Use whole carrots with their tops, as this type of carrots will be freshest and make for the nicest presentation because you can keep an inch of the greens at the top of the carrots. Most grocery stores carry bundles of these carrots in the organic section (sometimes there are even rainbow carrots). Look for bunches that are similar in size so that the cooking time will be the same.

Hot honey: Hot honey in this recipe is great because it provides an element of spice without being overpowering. I used Mike’s Hot Honey, which you can find at most grocery stores, specialty stores, and online, but you can certainly substitute your favorite hot honey. Better yet, you can make your own by cooking regular honey with your preferred chilies (red pepper flakes, gochugaru, chili powder, fresh chili peppers, etc.) and heat level, then straining it out. When using a spicy honey it’s important to know that the flavor that you taste will mellow as it cooks. *If you don’t want any spice, just use regular honey.

Vinegar: Red wine vinegar adds a dimension of flavor to the carrot glaze that rounds out both the heat and the sweetness. Substitute with another assertive vinegar such as white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar.

Brown sugar: Brown sugar is used to round out the heat and vinegar in this recipe. I use dark brown sugar because of its molasses notes, but you can certainly substitute light brown sugar or white sugar.

Peppercorns: Black peppercorns are used to subtly flavor the glaze by adding a mild heat. Coriander seeds or pink peppercorns would make interesting substitutes.

Rosemary: Rosemary sprigs, cooked in olive oil, is an effective way to flavor the cooking oil. This herb is particularly woody and stands up to the heat well without burning.

Garlic: Fresh garlic is another way to flavor the cooking oil. You only need to smash the cloves and peel the skins – no chopping required!

The Technique

What is pan roasting?

Pan roasting is when you start the cooking process on the stovetop and then transfer that pan to the oven to finish the cooking.

Why would you choose to pan roast something instead of just roasting it?

Good question! There are 2 primary reasons:

To brown something or achieve a level of caramelization that you can only achieve on the stovetop with direct heat that you can control. Then, once you’ve achieved that caramelization, you can finish cooking the interior of your food more gently in the oven (even if it’s in a high-heat oven). For example, if I am cooking a steak indoors, I am going to brown it in a pan on top of the stove over direct high heat and then transfer that pan to a 400 degree oven to finish cooking, in indirect heat, to the level of doneness that I prefer.
To flavor the oil that you are cooking in. So, in the case of this carrot recipe, I flavor the oil with rosemary and garlic before cooking the carrots, which I would not be able to do if I simply put the carrots on a baking sheet with rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves.

This is a simple technique to use that adds layers of flavor to your dishes. Bonus? No additional cleanup!

Let’s Make These Ultimate Hot Honey Pan Roasted Whole Carrots Together: STEP BY STEP

Be sure to check out the full recipe details and ingredient list in the recipe card below.

Steps 1 & 2:

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, begin prepping your vegetables. Remove the tops of the carrots, leaving one inch of green at the top, and reserve the tops for another recipe (or your compost). Peel the carrots and set them aside. Then, smash the garlic cloves and remove the skins. Finally, chop the parsley and head over to the stove.

Second, preheat a large sauté pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, rosemary sprigs, and smashed garlic cloves. Let them cook for a few minutes, and then add the carrots in a single layer and cook for about 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

A cutting board with a pile of peeled carrots, chopped parsley and smashed garlic cloves.

Whole carrots cooking in a saute pan on the stovetop.

Steps 3 & 4:

While the carrots are cooking, make the glaze by whisking the honey, vinegar, brown sugar, and peppercorns together in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the hot honey mixture to the carrots and gently turn them, so that they are fully coated and then transfer the pan to the oven and roast for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.

A cutting board with a glass bowl of hot honey glaze next to a whisk.

Whole carrots cooking in a saute pan with glaze being poured over them.

Steps 5:

Finally, remove them from the oven, turn around to coat them with the glaze again and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Overhead view of a saute pan with honey roasted carrots just out of the oven.

Chef Natalie Marble in her home kitchen.

Natalie’s Expert Tips

Make sure your carrots are similar in size to ensure even cooking. If you end up with some larger carrots and some thinner carrots, just know that you will have to remove the thinner ones from the pan to allow the larger ones to cook through. Then, when the larger ones are cooked through, add the thinner ones back to the pan.
Take the time to cook the rosemary and garlic in the olive oil before adding the carrots, as this provides a great layer of flavor.
Cook the carrots until they are crisp-tender. You don’t want mushy carrots (I’m convinced this is why many don’t like ‘cooked carrots’), but you also shouldn’t have trouble cutting them (fork tender). It’s a delicate balance, but you want to get it right.

A close-up view of a pan of roasted whole carrots with a pile of carrot tops and white mini gourds in the background.

Serving Suggestions

Of course these are perfect for a holiday table – alongside a turkey, prime rib, leg of lamb, or tofurkey – whatever your pleasure!
Add them to these delicious recipes: Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potato Puree with Roasted Garlic, Classic Potatoes Anna, and Beet and Butternut Squash Salad, and you’ve got your holiday side dishes. Easy peasy!
Perfect this time of year for a weeknight dinner or an evening entertaining friends with this Spatchcocked Chicken with Figs and Shallots, these Juicy Ground Pork Meatballs with Apple Cider Sauce, this Cast Iron Ribeye Steak, or this Creamy Wild Mushroom Pappardelle!

Storage & Reheating

STORAGE: Store these carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

REHEATING: To reheat in the oven, place the carrots and glaze into an oven-proof pan or baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Place in a 375-degree oven until warmed through. On the stovetop, place the carrots and glaze into a sauté pan and heat over medium-low heat until warmed through. And finally, you can also reheat the carrots in the microwave in 30 second intervals until they are warmed through.

FREEZING: These carrots will freeze well in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hot Honey Roasted Carrots

Yes. Swap the honey for pure maple syrup. To make the maple syrup spicy, cook it gently with your chili of choice, and then let it cool before using.

Pierce them with the tip of a knife. If the knife meets no resistance, all the way to the middle, they are done.

I hope you love these Ultimate Hot Honey Pan Roasted Whole Carrots! If you make it, be sure to leave a rating so I know how you liked it!

Recipe Card

Did you make this recipe? I want to know!

I’d love to hear from you! Consider leaving a comment and rating below.

My readers love to read your reviews, adaptations and suggestions! Have a question? I’ll personally respond within 24 hours. Please share any photos on instagram and tag me @nataliemarblecooks so I can see your creations!

Nice to meet you!

I’m Natalie and I love to create seasonal and interesting elevated food for busy everyday real life! Dinner doesn’t have to be boring and I’m here to help. This is where busy meets delicious!

The Ultimate Hot Honey Pan Roasted Whole Carrots