Name: Mexican Spiced Roasted Carrots with Citrus-Herb Chimichurri Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 ½-2 pounds rainbow carrots (peeled, cleaned, halved); 1-2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin); 1 tablespoon cumin; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; ½ tablespoon salt; 2 teaspoons chili powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon coriander; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 ½ cup cilantro; ½ cup parsley; ¼ cup olive oil (extra virgin); 6 cloves garlic; ¼ medium red onion (chopped); 2 large lemons (zested and juiced); ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper

^{An insanely vibrant, beautiful and healthy recipe you wouldn’t know you needed as a buddy to your tacos or burritos. Skip the rice, beans, corn or even tortilla chips and feel great about this hearty, yet, delicious Mexican side!}

I promised honesty throughout this blog and all my recipes… so here it is. I can’t say carrots are my favorite vegetable, especially being the lover of all veggies. There I said it! I don’t know… maybe it’s because I love all things green and red or I’ve just never really had them in a way that made me see their value. Until now!

These Mexican Spiced Roasted Carrots are a vegetarian’s dream that NO ONE saw coming! They’re as hearty as a potato, and as sweet as corn but we’re getting all the carotene that we hear is so good for us! Strengthen your eyesight by adding these smoky, spicy vegetables to your plate!

There is also a critical element to this dish and that is the chimichurri-like sauce. I say “like” because this recipe is certainly a “get rid of whatever you have” type of recipe which takes my happiness to a whole new level! For the sauce, I blended a TON of cilantro, garlic, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. I also had parsley, green onions, red onions and a little basil left so I threw that in as well. What you need to remember is the citrus because you can use any and all herbs as long as you really kick up the flavors with lemons or limes!

I also feel with a lot of Mexican or Southwestern dishes we focus on the “not so pretty” dishes. The saucy, greasy, brown meats and tortillas that get us all excited about dinner. It’s about time we add something with curb appeal to the dinner table so we get amped about the veggies and not just the proteins and starches. Now you get to please all your guests with this stunning side dish, so bright and colorful! Tell them to keep their eyes peeled… (Sorry, I really needed to get that pun off my chest! It was so stupid I needed to write it down.) So now we can move on…

I get it, if you’re throwing a fiesta with tacos, burritos, nachos, chips and queso…carrots kind of don’t have a spot at the party (super awkward for the carrots!). But why not? In my mind they’re sexier! This is an upscale side! And let’s talk about that chimichurri-ish sauce of zippy herbs and citrus that cuts through the sweetness of the carrots and the spicy seasoning. It’s perfect and almost addictive. If you’re not a vegan, throw some crumbled queso fresco on top. At this point, why not!?

*_{I really just wanted to take a picture of that purple beauty! She’s stunning! Yellow in the center!?!? Guys, what is happening?!!!!???}*

The other thing I really want to point out about this recipe is it’s quick, inexpensive, healthy, hearty, tangy, spicy, and insanely simple to throw together. If you spring for carrots like rainbow carrots, or even regular carrots and parsnips, you’ll have so much color on the table! It’s beautiful! I loved picking out gorgeous ingredients for this dish…making it sexy and intriguing!

Carrots! Who would have thought they would make such an impact on Cinco de Mayo!

5 from 1 vote

Mexican Spiced Roasted Carrots with Citrus-Herb Chimichurri Sauce

Print Recipe

An insanely vibrant, beautiful and healthy recipe you wouldn’t know you needed as a buddy to your tacos or burritos. Skip the rice, beans, corn or even tortilla chips and feel great about this hearty, yet, delicious Mexican side!

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:30 mins

Ingredients

For Carrots

1 ½-2 pounds rainbow carrots peeled, cleaned, halved
1-2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
½ tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For Sauce

1 ½ cup cilantro
½ cup parsley
¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
6 cloves garlic
¼ medium red onion chopped
2 large lemons zested and juiced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

For Carrots

Preheat oven to 400°.
Rinse, scrub, peel and chop ends off of carrots. For larger carrots cut in half, lengthwise. Strive to make all carrots equal in size lengthwise. Pat dry carrots.
In a bowl, combine cumin, garlic powder, salt, chili powder, paprika, onion powder, coriander, pepper, cayenne and red pepper flakes.
Lay carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss until carrots are coated in oil. Sprinkle seasoning blend onto the carrots and toss.
Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Remove pan and rotate carrots onto their other side and continue roasting for an additional 12-15 minutes. If needed, broil for 2-3 minutes at the end. Remove and make the sauce.

For Sauce

In a food processor add cilantro, parsley, olive oil, garlic, onion, lemon, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. If needed, add more lemon juice or olive oil.
Drizzle or toss about half of the sauce on the carrots. Serve with the rest of the sauce on the side and garnish with citrus and cilantro.

Notes

How long does it last and where?

Oddly enough both the sauce and carrots last for a little over a week in the fridge. I tested both in an airtight container and it seemed to stand up well to the test of time.

Can you freeze it?

I don’t know why you would want to freeze the carrots. Unless you’re planning on using them in a pureed soup at a later date, I can see it. Other than that, there’s no point.

The green chimichurri sauce most likely can be frozen seeing that there is added fat to the sauce. To reuse it though, that would be to flavor a sauce or stock or use it in ways you would use pesto and not a whole lot more. Then again, I have not tested this.

Substitutions?

You can certainly use regular orange carrots and add parsnips to the blend. I did test this and it was insanely delicious. I almost wish I would have documented that variation on this recipe but then I found the rainbow carrots and I had to have them! Or just stick to straight up carrots! Use what you have!

That’s why I love this recipe with all my heart! Pull out those leftover carrots or parsnips from the back of your fridge, blend whatever herbs you have that are slowly wilting and get crazy creative with spices! It’s like a win for your whole kitchen and a loss for your trash can!

Limes or vinegar are perfectly fine as a replacement for lemon and lemon zest. You need acid! You need the balance more than you know so get it in the sauce however you can.

Cheese is not a must on this recipe but it’s recommended. If you have dairy-free or vegans coming over, this is a great recipe to make and even add the cheese to the side. You can also splurge on a vegan crumbly cheese such as a plant-based queso fresco or a feta. Feta works well regardless of what your dietary needs are!

Tips and Tricks

This recipe is so simple I don’t have a ton of tricks up my sleeve other than make sure that the carrots are dry before adding oil. The more moisture you have, the more soft and steamy they become, versus crispy.

When you get to the end of the cooking process you are more than welcome to broil the carrots (my new favorite cooking method). Watch the carrots cook if you do this! This is only for one last attempt to get a pretty char or some additional color but no need to dry out and burn the carrots. Broil for 2-3 minutes MAX!

What to serve with it?

Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, fajitas…pretty much all your Mexican entree favorites! You’re going to feel great about this as a side regardless of what you’re eating with it!