Maple and Miso Glazed Roasted Carrots にんじんメープル味噌味

When I roast vegetables, I usually prefer to keep them classic, but sometimes I can’t resist adding a playful twist by infusing Japanese flavors, like in these Maple and Miso Glaze Roasted Carrots!

These humble carrots are roasted until tender on the inside, perfectly crispy on the outside, and wonderfully caramelized with a sweet-savory glaze. My family has enjoyed these carrots so much that they’ve been a staple on my holiday menu for years.

Why You’ll Love These Roasted Carrots

• While maple syrup imparts subtle sweetness with a hint of caramel note, miso delivers a deep savory oomph, making them an irresistible combo on roasted carrots.
• Easy and literally no fuss!
• The glaze is so versatile. You can use it in other roasted veggies of your choice—try eggplants, zucchinis, butternut squashes, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, ora colorful mix of vegetables.
• It makes an outstanding side that fits just as well with a weeknight dinner as it does with a holiday feast.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Carrots — I use rainbow carrots with their tops on for their rustic appearance and concentrated sweetness. The colorful rainbow hues make them an elegant yet eye-catching side dish.
• Extra virgin olive oil — Or any oil suitable for roasting veggies.
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Maple syrup Use good quality maple syrup! You can substitute with honey or brown sugar.
• Miso — More on this later.
• Soy sauce — A tiny splash goes a long way.

Jump to Recipe

How to Make Maple and Miso Glazed Roasted Carrots

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220ºC).
2. Mix together the maple syrup, miso, and soy sauce in a small bowl.
3. Peel the carrots (cut into uniform size if they are large) and place them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Drizzle the carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then toss well to coat.
5. Bake in the oven for 20–30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
6. Remove the carrots from the oven when they are lightly browned and almost tender. Brush them with the maple and miso mixture.
7. Put the carrots back in the oven to finish cooking, about 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh thyme if desired, and serve warm.

What Miso to Use and Why

If you’re unfamiliar with miso, it’s a fermented soybean paste essential in Japanese cooking, renowned as the key ingredient in miso soup. However, miso offers much more versatility. Japanese cuisine incorporates miso in a wide array of dishes, including soups, marinades, sauces, and glazes. You can read more about it in this post.

There are numerous brands of miso paste available, but my personal favorite is Hikari Miso. For this roasted carrot recipe, I used Enjuku Koji Miso Reduced Sodium.

Enjuku Koji Miso has been a long-selling product from Hikari Miso for over 20 years, since its introduction in 1993. This preservative-free miso features a mild flavor and rich fragrance, complemented by natural sweetness and robust umami from koji. The Reduced Sodium version contains 25% less sodium than regular Enjuku Koji Miso.

Here are my tips for making the best-roasted carrots that are perfectly caramelized and deliver a WOW in the flavor department:

1. Avoid pre-cut baby carrots – Those baby ones that come in bags don’t have as much flavor as whole carrots. Plus, they have fewer nutrients.
2. Choose uniform sizes – Since we’re roasting the carrots whole, try to select carrots of similar sizes so they cook evenly at the same time.
3. Short on time? Shorten the roasting time by cutting the carrots into smaller pieces; they will cook faster.
4. Coat thoroughly with oil – Use your hands to coat the carrots with oil thoroughly.
5. Arrange on a middle or higher rack – For more char, use the top rack in the upper third of the oven. Also, the back of the oven is hotter, so place the thicker ends of carrots toward the back.
6. Use a convection oven – If you have one, do use it. I’d convection bake at 400 ºF, but the cooking time will be shorter with hot air circulating.
7. Adjust roasting time – Cooking times may vary based on carrot thickness. I prefer roasting just long enough to get caramelized edges without sacrificing their toothsome nature. If you prefer carrots to be meltingly tender, roast them for 3-4 minutes longer.
8. Miso burns quickly – Brush the carrots with glaze only during the last 5 minutes of roasting as miso can burn quickly.
9. Maintain oven heat – When glazing, quickly remove the baking dish instead of leaving the oven door open to prevent heat loss.
10. Garnish with herbs – While not necessary, if you have fresh herbs used in other holiday dishes, garnish some on top.

The Perfect Holiday Side Dish

Make your holiday lineup extra colorful and nutritious with this roasted carrot recipe! These carrots pair well with a variety of simple mains. In addition to the traditional turkey, ham, and roast chicken, here are some other delicious pairings I’d like to suggest:

• Instant Pot Sticky Asian Ribs
• Smoked Miso Butter Turkey Breast on Traeger
• Salmon Potato Gratin 
• Kabocha Gratin
• Miso Cod
• Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Leftovers? Enjoy them atop a salad the next day!

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