Honey Harissa Carrots

Name: Roasted Carrots with Harissa and Honey
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Side Dish
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon harissa paste; 2 teaspoons honey; 1 lb carrots cut into sticks; Salt to taste

Jump To Recipe by Liz Thomson July 13, 2022 This post may contain affiliate links.

These roasted carrots have a sweet and spicy flavor from the combination of harissa and honey. This is an easy and delicious side dish for any meal!

This post was inspired by my friend Arielle, who wrote a similar recipe for me years ago. Here’s how she described these carrots:

I have a few requirements for the vegetable dishes that go on heavy rotation in our house. They have to be nutritious, obviously, but I don’t like feeling like I’m depriving myself. If I have the prospect of a bland or unsatisfying meal ahead of me, chances are high that I’m just going to order pizza instead. Which kind of negates the whole nutrition goal. So yes, I like to keep it healthy, but I’ve got to have some heartiness and plenty of flavor to keep me interested.

I love her idea of using harissa and honey to add flavor to roasted carrots. The harissa paste adds a spicy flavor and the honey keeps it mild enough that you can enjoy seconds. It also highlights the natural sweetness of the roasted carrots. I made a few tweaks to her recipe and I think you’ll love these as much as I do!

What is Harissa?

The first time I tried harissa was at CAVA and I was blown away by the complex, spicy flavor. If you’ve never tried it, it’s a chili pepper paste that is common in North African food. It’s usually made with a variety of peppers along with garlic, coriander, and saffron. There are various levels of heat, so I recommend tasting the harissa before adding it to this recipe. The harissa I bought at Whole Foods was fairly mild, but I also bought harissa at Trader Joe’s and it had a stronger kick.

The Best Carrots for Roasting

I recommend buying regular carrots instead of baby carrots. Baby carrots don’t have as much flavor, but they can work in a pinch. Slice the baby carrots in half and keep an eye on them. They’ll likely be done roasting after about 15 minutes. But if possible, I recommend buying traditional carrots. You can also use tricolor carrots in this recipe.