Carrots and asparagus in the oven will become your new favorite easy side dish for any main course or a tasty addition to a simple salad. With their vibrant colors and complementary flavors, this dish is not only nutritious but also a feast for the senses.
We like to combine our vegetable side dishes with more sides such as Sliced Potatoes, Cabbage Pie, or refreshing Cucumber Dill Salad.
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🛒Ingredients
This is a basic recipe for roasting carrots and asparagus in the oven together. We use simple seasoning like salt and black pepper and lemon.
But there’s plenty of room for customization, with different spices and making a breaded asparagus and carrots version. I’ve listed some of my favorite variations below in this post.
- Carrots - thinly sliced and similar in shape and size as asparagus spears. Baby carrots can be used as well. I prefer using younger medium thick carrots for this recipe. Did you know that there are 40+ types of carrots?
- Asparagus - medium-thick asparagus cooks quite fast so don't choose too skinny stalks as in this case they'll cook faster than carrots. I don’t recommend using frozen (too soggy after cooking) or canned asparagus in this recipe.
- Seasonings - we use simple seasoning here but you can customize it with other options such as fresh garlic, garlic powder, celery salt or seasoned salt, onion powder, Herbs de Provence, paprika.
- Fresh lemon juice - will be added later when serving. Don't skip this as it pairs extremely well with bitter-sweet asparagus and earthy and sweet carrots.
For the full list of ingredients, please scroll down to where you'll find the recipe card.
✅ EXPERT TIP Choose asparagus that is vibrant green in color, firm, and with straight stalks. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus, this should happen easily without almost any force. Or place a bunch of asparagus stalks on a cutting board and cut off the ends with a knife about 1-2 inches from the ends.
🥣Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare your veggies by cutting and trimming the ends of asparagus stalks.
For the carrot, cut it similar to asparagus (I used smaller and younger carrots that are not overly tough and will cook faster together with asparagus).
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Arrange asparagus and carrots in one single layer. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, and mix with your hands.
Bake asparagus and carrots in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Right before serving add a squeeze of lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley. Or a drizzle of tangy sweet Balsamic Glaze. Enjoy!
📋Tips
Baking asparagus and carrots is simple and requires minimum preparation and easy cleanup. Here are some of our helpful tips to make it even easier.
- Choose fresh asparagus and carrots - asparagus should be bright green and firm. Use your favorite carrots, that are firm, without bruises, and bright orange color. Avoid carrots that are soft or have brown spots. Use organic whenever possible.
- Choose veggies in season and thinner asparagus - it tends to have a sweeter taste.
- If the asparagus is thicker, use a vegetable peeler to remove any tough outer skin from the lower part of the stem.
- Asparagus and carrots baking time will majorly depend on the thickness of your veggie slices. Allow enough time for the veggies to become tender.
- Don’t overcrowd the baking pan. Cook everything in a single layer and resist of temptation to open the oven door while veggies are cooking.
- If needed, you can double the recipe easily. Make sure to use more baking pans and not overcrowd the pan for best results.
- How to tell if asparagus and carrots are done? Asparagus should be crunchy/crisp tender, it should still have a little bite to it. Same with carrots. Although, if you like your carrots quite soft, once roasted, remove the asparagus and continue to cook carrots separately until desired tenderness.
- We love to serve our carrots and asparagus in the oven with grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Do you need to cover asparagus in the oven? No, as we only cook the veggies for 15-20 minutes it is not necessary for this recipe. However, if you see your veggies are becoming too brown, cover them with aluminum foil until the end of baking. If you are using very skinny asparagus you’ll need to first reduce the baking time to prevent overcooking asparagus.
✅ EXPERT TIP Using good salt does matter. I like to use sea salt or sea salt flakes when seasoning my veggies. It brings out the veggie taste out even more keeping its natural flavor the same time (regular table salt doesn't).
Storage Instructions
- 🍱To Store. Let the veggies cool before wrapping them in aluminum foil or airtight containers. I like to add a piece of paper towel underneath to prevent veggies from becoming soggy too quickly. Refrigerate and consume within 3-4 days.
- 🥶Freezing. I don’t recommend freezing baked veggies but you can freeze the unbaked veggie slices for many months in advance.
- 🔥To Reheat. The best way, in my experience, is to reheat the veggies in the oven at 375 or 400 degrees Fahrenheit or in Air Fryer. Microwaving will only make them soggy and mushy.
👪Serving Suggestions
There is no certain rule on what to serve with roasted and asparagus in the oven or what seasonings to use. Don't be afraid to experiment with different flavor combinations to find your favorite!
How to serve oven-roasted asparagus and carrots:
- As a side dish - we like it with roast chicken, steak, or fish fillets or salmon burger. To make it even easier, cook the asparagus and carrots together with chicken or turkey breast. We love Asparagus Stuffed Chicken recipes.
- Vegetarian meal - for a wholesome veggie dinner serve this dish with roasted potatoes, smashed potatoes, roasted broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans, cauliflower, roasted zucchini, parsnips, or any other vegetable you like.
- With cheese - similar to asparagus with cheese add grated parmesan or mozzarella cheese or crumbled feta cheese on top of hot veggies before serving. Allow the cheese to melt and serve.
- In a salad - chop the leftover asparagus and carrots into smaller sticks and add them to your favorite salad. A simple salad we like to make consists of cherry tomatoes, mixed green lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, and a light olive oil-based salad dressing or even herb yogurt dressing.
- Wrapped in prosciutto - You can also wrap the asparagus and carrot slices in prosciutto, ham or bacon. In this case, roast the veggies until the prosciutto is crisp and veggies tender. You can turn on the broiler setting towards the last minute or two for a more appealing golden brown crust.
- With a poached egg - serve the veggies with simple poached eggs, eggs royale, and eggs benedict. Place the veggie strips on to serving plate or on top of the toasted bun and add poached egg and drizzle with hollandaise sauce (optional).
- With dipping sauces - we like spicy garlic aioli, balsamic vinegar or glaze or hollandaise sauce, Honey Mustard Sauce, pesto, tahini sauce.
🌱🍴Have more asparagus? Try our favorite asparagus recipes next: Asparagus Dip, Fries or 4-minute Pan Fried Asparagus.
Different Ways To Cook Asparagus and Carrots
Quick note: If you slice the carrots to same thickness as the asparagus they will cook evenly together. Both veggies should be tender but not overly soft. However, if you like your carrots on the softer side, you’ll have to cook them for a little longer (without asparagus).
Besides making veggies in the oven there are other easy cooking methods to choose from.
Grilling
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit). Brush the grill grates clean. Trim the asparagus, and cut the carrots as mentioned in this blog post.
Toss the veggies in seasonings and olive oil. Place the veggies across the grill grates perpendicular to the bars and grill with a closed lid for 3-4 minutes or for thicker spears 6-8 minutes. Serve right away with additional olive oil and sea salt flakes on top.
Broiling
Broiling veggies is similar to oven method but even faster. Prepare veggies, trim and cut and add seasonings and olive oil. Preheat oven to high and place asparagus and carrots on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Broil for about 3-4 minutes or more, until the veggies are tender when pierced with a fork. Sprinkle sea salt flakes and drizzle more olive oil before serving.
Foil Wrapped
Similar to Hamburger Foil Packets you can make these veggies in foil packets. Follow the same steps as described in this recipe but add the veggies into foil packets. This is optional but adds more flavor as the veggies are better infused with all the aroma and spices. Baking time should be the same or a few minutes longer.
Breaded
To add a little crunch to your veggies the best method would be to cook the asparagus and carrots in the oven first.
While veggies are roasting, make the breadcrumbs or panko mixture. Add some butter and olive oil to a small skillet over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, add garlic. Cook for 1 minute and add panko or breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt.
Toss to coat and stir constantly until the crumbs are golden brown and nicely toasted. You may need to increase the heat to medium but keep an eye on these as they can burn quickly.
For added flavor, stir in grated parmesan once the crumbs are slightly cooled. When asparagus and carrots are cooked, add a layer of toasted crumbs on top and serve! We like to sprinkle parmesan and a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice on top.
Alternatively, you can dip veggies into grated parmesan and bake until cheese is melted.
Air Fryer
Prepare veggies, trim and cut, and add seasonings and olive oil. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the asparagus and carrots in air fryer basket in one single layer. Air fry for 3-6 minutes or for thick spears 7-10 minutes.
✅ EXPERT TIP When making veggies in air fryer it is recommended to arrange the veggies in single layers without overcrowding the basket. This way they will be nice and tender with a lightly crisp exterior and will not turn out soggy.
If you rather cook carrots in the air fryer, try this tasty recipe for honey-roasted carrots.
Sauteed
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and butter and once hot add asparagus and carrots to the pan. Try not to overcrowd the skillet and do it in batches if needed.
Cook the vegetables for 8-10 minutes in total until they are golden brown. If you want to add more flavor, towards the end of cooking, stir in minced garlic, black pepper, and salt (I like to add salt at the end so the veggies can soak up the flavor more), parmesan, red pepper flakes (for an added smoky flavor and spicy element).
Remove from skillet and serve.
Steamed
This is quite straightforward and the easiest is to use a multicooker (something like Ninja Foodi) or a steamer pot set or steamer basket inserted into a large pot. Once the veggies are cooked through, sprinkle sea salt flakes and black pepper on top. Serve with lemon juice or lemon wedges.
More Seasonings Ideas
These are just a few ideas for seasonings that you can use to enhance the flavor of baked asparagus and carrots. Don't be afraid to experiment with different spices and herbs to find your favorite flavor combination.
- Salt and pepper - you’ll be surprised but my favorite way to enjoy veggies is very simple: with good quality sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Veggies have tons of flavor on their own and salt and pepper will only intensify the natural taste.
- Garlic powder, onion powder or seasoned salt.
- Paprika - regular, sweet, or smoked paprika is sure to add a smoky depth of flavor to any roast vegetable dish.
- Lemon zest - lemon is often paired with asparagus, but don’t be afraid to experiment with orange or lime zest. Delicious!
- Herbs - fresh or dried rosemary, thyme, tarragon, marjoram, parsley, cilantro or a blend of dried Italian herbs (Herbs de Provence).
- More seasonings - everything bagel seasoning, butter garlic seasoning, ranch seasoning, cajun, creole, Chinese 5 spices.
🤷Frequently Asked Questions
Asparagus is done when it it fork tender but still has some bite to it. It should remain crisp.
The most common reasons are overcooking it and adding too many layers of asparagus in one baking pan.
Absolutely. Asparagus should be crisp tender and have a little bite to it. When overcooked the flavor will change and it may become mushy and soggy.
Yes, it makes them tender while still keeping them crisp. Cooking time and the end result will depend on how thick or thin are carrots as well as the type of carrots used.
Absolutely! Asparagus is a thin and skinny vegetable that can be roasted with pretty much any vegetable. The key here is to use fresh and younger carrots that are thinly sliced and similar in size and shape to the asparagus. Thinner strips are better and will cook faster.
⏲️ Recommended Equipment
- Baking Pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Airtight Food containers
- Mixing Bowls
I hope you enjoy these roasted carrots and asparagus in the oven! Happy Baking!
Rita
Easy Side Dish Recipes
❤️Did you make this recipe? Please be sure to leave a rating and a comment below. Thank you!❤️
Easy Roasted Carrots and Asparagus In The Oven
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus cut and trimmed
- 1 pound carrot peeled and cut into strips, similar size to asparagus
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare your veggies by cutting and trimming the ends of asparagus stalks. For the carrot, cut it similar to asparagus (I used smaller and younger carrots that are not overly tough and will cook faster together with asparagus).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Arrange asparagus and carrots in one single layer. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, and mix with your hands.
- Bake asparagus and carrots in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Right before serving add a squeeze of lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- To Store. Let the veggies cool before wrapping them into aluminum foil or airtight container. I like to add a piece of paper towel underneath to prevent veggies from becoming soggy quickly. Refrigerate and consume within 3-4 days.
- To Reheat. The best way in my experience is to reheat in the oven at 375 or 400 degrees Fahrenheit or in Air Fryer. Microwaving will only make them soggy and mushy.
- Choose fresh asparagus and carrots - asparagus should be bright green and firm. Use your favorite carrots, that are firm, without bruises, and in bright orange color. Avoid carrots that are soft or have brown spots. Use organic whenever possible.
- Do you need to cover asparagus in the oven? No, as we only cook the veggies for 15-20 minutes it is not necessary for this recipe. However, if you see your veggies are becoming too brown, cover them with aluminum foil until the end of baking. If you are using very skinny asparagus you’ll need to first reduce the baking time to prevent overcooking asparagus.
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Easy way to roast two or more veggies in the oven!