Roasted Broccoli and Carrots

You'll come back to this Roasted Broccoli and Carrots side dish again and again. Crispy, salty, and you can spice up as you like!

When I first came across a roasted broccoli recipe early in my cooking life as a mom (possibly this one from Bon Appetit magazine?), I thought it was a miracle. Suddenly my broccoli was crispy, salty, and spicy, and I couldn’t get enough of it. Over time, I've tried the same technique with all sorts of vegetables. Turns out, almost anything is better roasted! But the version I always come back to is Roasted Broccoli and Carrots.

Why Make This Recipe

Two Vegetables are Better Than One: Vegetables of different colors often have different, but equally valuable, vitamins and nutrients. This is why kids today are taught to “eat the rainbow.” So pairing carrots with broccoli makes for a super healthy dish (two colors in one dish!).

Easy-to-Learn Recipe: Once you learn the technique in this recipe, you won't even need to refer back to it in the future. And, you can use the same technique to roast all sorts of vegetables in the future.

Reduce Waste by Using Broccoli Stems: This recipe calls for both broccoli stems and florets, so you use almost the entire vegetable.

🥣 Instructions

Though this is an easy recipe, it is one that will vary slightly depending on your oven and the pan you use.

1. Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F (210 Celsius).

2. Slice florets off a head of broccoli into large bite-sized chunks, and put in a large bowl.

3. Peel the remaining broccoli stem and stalks, discarding the bottom inch of the stem.

4. Slice the peeled stem and stalks into ⅓ inch thick coins, and add to bowl.

5. Peel carrots, then cut on the bias into coins about ⅓ inch thick. Add to bowl.

6. Drizzle 2 T. olive oil over the vegetables in the bowl, and add ½ t. salt, ½ t. crushed red pepper (if using), and a few grinds of pepper. Toss with your hands until the oil and spices are evenly distributed.

7. Line a baking sheet with foil.

8. Pour the contents of the bowl onto the foil-lined sheet pan and spread out until you have a single layer of vegetables.

9. Put sheet pan into the oven.

10. After 10 minutes, stir vegetables.

11. Roast for another 5 minutes and stir again—your vegetables should just be starting to brown.

12. Roast for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the broccoli edges are crispy and the broccoli and carrots are fork tender. 

 🧐 Recipe FAQs

👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

Note that ovens can run hot or less hot, and sheet pans can be more or less heat-conductive. All that is to say, try this recipe with your oven and your pan, and then adjust. You may need more or less time than specified. Also, you may find you want your vegetables more charred and less tender—in that case, crank the oven to 450 and roast for less time.

Once you have this roasting technique down, you can spice up your vegetables however you like. I love to add Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Seasoning to mine. A little garlic or onion powder is also delicious—or really, any spice that complements your main course. Play around, and I think you’ll find this makes your regular dinner veggie rotation as well. 

If you want to experiment with this technique with other vegetables, keep in mind that vegetables often have different cooking times. This can make roasting them at the same time difficult. The best solution for this problem is to cut longer-cooking vegetables into smaller pieces, and shorter-cooking vegetables into larger pieces if you want to cook them together. For example, in this recipe, carrots are cut into thick coins, broccoli florets are left in large pieces, and the broccoli stems are cut into coins like the carrots.

Other Delicious Recipes

If you're looking for something to serve with this recipe, check out my Easy Chicken Parmesan Meatballs. Or, try them with some garlic bread and my Curry Coconut Butternut Squash Soup.

For another delicious roasted carrot recipe, check out these Roasted Carrots and Beets. Or try one of my other favorites:

If you try this Roasted Broccoli and Carrots recipe, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below—I read them all, and your feedback is invaluable to me. And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I'd love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!

Instagram Users: Now that you've made this recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I'd love to see your results!