Let’s talk last minute Thanksgiving side dishes! If you need 1 more thing to round out your menu… I am all about these addictive Charred Carrots with Herbs.
I know what you’re thinking… carrots? addictive? You’re probably convinced that I have gone off the deep end. But I kid you not, these Charred Carrots with Herbs are seriously good. (and I will never go over the deep end because that’s where the sharks live in my pool and they’d get me! Don’t pretend you weren’t scared of sharks when you swam in the deep end as a kid… it happens to the best of us… and I’ve just never really moved past it!)
But back to the Charred Carrots. First, they involve basically burning things – and for the pyrotechnic in me, that’s very exciting. After we burn/char the carrots they then get doused with this basil mint situation that you’ll probably want to lather all over your body because it’s just that good. Salt. Pepper. Done. Doesn’t get much easier than that right? And while I’ve been saving this recipe SPECIFICALLY for Thanksgiving, it’s a killer side dish for any time of the year. You could even get crazy and do it on the grill in the summer. Whaaaaat? It’s true. Game changer.
PS – are you thinking of putting this on your Thanksgiving menu? Check out the full What’s Gaby Cooking menu here along with the master prep schedule to keep things organized and on track!
Charred Carrots with Herbs
Ingredients
For the Charred Carrots
- 3 bunches rainbow carrots orange, yellow purple, cleaned with with a bit of top remaining
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the Basil Mint Topping
- 1 shallot roughly chopped
- 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves stems removed (about 4 ounces)
- 1 cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves stems removed (about 4 ounces)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Charred Carrots
- In a large cast iron skillet, add a bit of the vegetable oil over high heat. In batches, add the carrots and sauté over high heat until just slightly charred (they should be tender on the outside and have a slight bite in the middle.) Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes while they are cooking. Once charred, about 6-7 minutes later, remove them from the cast iron skillet and set aside. Repeat the process with the remaining carrots, adding a bit more oil between batches if needed.
- Once all the carrots are charred. Arrange them on a serving platter and top with some of the basil herb mixture. Serve immediately. Save remaining herb sauce for another use
For the Basil Mint Topping
- Combine all the ingredients for the Basil Mint topping in a high powered blender and blend for 60 seconds until very smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve as needed.
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Prop Styling by Gena Sigala // Recipe by What’s Gaby Cooking
Oh my!! Gorgeous Gaby 🙂
I am not waiting until Thanksgiving! I want these carrots now!
These are perfection. Absolutely gorgeous.
these look fantastic! love sauteed or braised carrots, they taste almost like candy ❤
Totally my kind of side dish. Tasty and easy to make.
Wow, this side dish is unreal. It looks SO good with all that charred goodness!
Perfect, just the recipe for my husband on the grill. Just kidding, he doesn’t char / burn everything.
Great holiday side dish, easy on the eyes too.
THE MOST gorgeous carrots ever! Pinned!
Thanksgiving totally doesn’t have to be fancy! Love these carrots, they are so gorgeous and the perfect pop of color to grace the Thanksgiving table!
These look lovely and from the sound of the recipe, they are going to be delicious. I have never tried this before, so I am looking forward to it. I over winter my carrots, so looks like I can enjoy this all winter long!
possibly the most gorgeous carrots i’ve seen!! i love charred veggies – total caramelization happening 🙂
Oh my goodness Gaby, I totally lol’d at your description of you thanksgiving meal! And these carrots…they look phenomenal!
Oh my gosh! I have all of these ingredients. Hello dinner inspiration!
These are the prettiest carrots I have ever seen! I just made some and they pale in comparison!
Charred veggies with little bits of herby goodness, yes yes yes!!
Beautiful! I can totally see us doing this on the grill!
This is so beautiful..love the color and flavors 🙂
Love this recipe! I must admit I am not a big fan of mint. Are there any alternatives you might suggest?
basil and cilantro
Wow – how gorgeous! I have lots of carrots in the garden, so this is a done deal for me!!
These carrots are winner! Everybody loved it! Thanks Gaby!
The carrots I’m finding at my farmer’s market are pretty big compared to these. Will this recipe work if I cut them into ‘carrot sticks’ and saute? I know it won’t look as pretty but will charring the inside instead of the peel work?
yes!! just cooked them a bit longer until just tender
Question…did last year and of course anything with your basil vinaigrettes are amazing but after charring them – they were still raw in middle. I’m afraid to cook more as they had the charred skin already. Could I parboil, cool then slap in pan to char? Have kids and the crispy carrots were a no-go.
you could totally par-boil!! or cut the carrots in half lengthwise before charring
Do you peel the carrots or just scrub them clean?
just scrub them!
Sure to be a show stopper on any table!!
This recipe is fantastic! I made it last Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. The basil mint topping is insane
My standard healthy veg at Thanksgiving to help keep that palette clean for all the pies!!
I’m going to make this tonight was asparagus! Hopefully it works out!
Who knew carrots could be so exciting?! This recipe was a 10/10! Can’t wait to make it again!
Can’t wait for this and will be using my fresh garden carrots!!
Can this be combined with parsnips?
totally – cook them the same way you would do the carrots
So good! I thought they were so beautiful cooking in my cast iron skillet, I took a picture and posted on IG!