Grilled Carrots

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings

You can take almost any vegetable up a notch with some herbal seasoning and a hot grill. Grilled veggies are a great and flavorful alternative to the all too commonplace steamed vegetables, and they offer a refreshing break from turning on the hot oven when the season’s temperatures begin to rise. Another thing that we love about grilling vegetables is that they can simplify your meal preparation when paired with other grilled dishes or meat entrées to make a complete meal.

Carrots are often overlooked as a grilling veggie despite their deliciously sweet and smoky flavor after only a few minutes on the grill. Unlike steaming, grilling carrots brings out a much more complex flavor with a crisper texture that’s the perfect side dish for anything from burgers to chicken.

Grilled Carrots resting on a baking sheet

The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

"Grilling whole carrots is easy and delicious. Few ingredients combine to accent and heighten the flavor of charred crisp-tender carrots on the grill." —Diana Andrews

A close-up of Grilled Carrots lined up next to each other
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 12 whole medium carrots, peeled

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 dash kosher salt, or to taste

  • 1 dash freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried or finely chopped fresh rosemary

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried or finely chopped fresh thyme

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for grilled carrots gathered

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. Heat the grill to medium-high heat, 400 F to 425 F.

    A grill with flames reaching through the grate

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. While the grill is heating up, trim the leafy tops and any fibrous ends of the carrots. Wash and peel the carrots, patting them with a paper towel to dry. You can cut big carrots in half lengthwise if thick enough to still be at least 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick.

    Raw carrots on a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. Place a single layer of carrots in a baking dish and coat lightly with olive oil.

    Carrots coated with oil on a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Sprinkle the oiled carrots with the desired amount of salt and pepper, then season with rosemary and thyme.

    Oiled carrots with salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme on them

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  6. Once the grill is heated, place the carrots on the grill (cut-side down if cut in half lengthwise) and cook covered until the carrots develop grill marks, about 7 to 8 minutes per side.

    Carrots being cooked on the grill

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  7. Once flipped, you will know when the carrots are done when both sides are seared (or they begin to brown) and can be pierced with a fork with a soft crunch in the middle.

    Testing grilled carrots with a fork

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

Recipe Variations

  • If you have a grill basket, you can also slice your carrots into medallions or rounds. Follow all the steps above, but cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, turning once during cooking. Carrot rounds look nice on a plate for presentation and are also a little easier for kids to eat.
  • To kick these grilled carrots up, consider adding a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice immediately after taking off the grill.

Do You Peel Carrots Before Grilling?

Technically, you never have to peel carrots. The peels are edible, and as long as you scrub the carrots really well, you can enjoy them as is. The peels can be slightly unattractive and some find them to have a bitter taste. When grilling, it's up to you if you'd like to peel your carrots or not. The peel can wrinkle a bit as they cook, so peel them if you want a more polished look.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
95 Calories
7g Fat
8g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 95
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 84mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 32mg 2%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 236mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)