miso glazed carrots

These are a Japanese inspired side dish I based on white miso paste, which is the lighter and sweeter cousin of the darker red miso most other glazed carrot recipes default to. White miso has more rice and a shorter fermentation time than red, so its buttery umami enhances the natural sweetness of carrots instead of covering it up.

I started making these carrots when I got bored of roasting them plain with salt and pepper and wanted a dish with more depth, and the miso glaze stuck with me on the first try. My husband and I finish the tray in one sitting most of the time, which is the strongest signal a side dish can give me. Now I default to this on a weeknight when I want a vegetable that does not need babysitting and reheats fine the next day.

My technique for this miso glazed carrots recipe splits across 2 short oven rounds, a first roast with just olive oil and salt to start the caramelization, and a second roast after I brush on the miso glaze to keep the paste from burning. If your weeknight needs a vegetable that earns its plate without a babysitter at the stove, my recipe below pulls a sheet pan of caramelized carrots out of the oven with one bowl to wash, so I hope you try it.

miso glazed carrots

Ingredients

A bunch of carrots and a small jar of white miso paste are the only 2 stops on my shopping list for this recipe, the rest comes out of my pantry.

Carrots, Oil and Salt: I use whole large carrots. I peel them and dry them off before they go on the sheet pan, so the olive oil and salt grip the skin instead of sliding off.

Glaze: I mix white miso paste with maple syrup for a touch of sweetness and minced garlic for savory dept. I reach for white miso specifically because the red and mixed miso pastes run much saltier and stronger and can overpower the natural sweetness of the carrots.

Heat finish: I add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the glaze for a warmth without turning the dish too spicy, and I swap in paprika when I want the color without the heat.

Garnish: I scatter chopped chive over the top for a fresh green herbal note that cuts the richness of the glaze. I add it after the carrots come out of the oven, never before, because the chive turns dull if it goes into the heat.

How to Make 

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil if you want to skip the cleanup later.

2. Prep the carrots: Peel the carrots and dry them thoroughly with a kitchen towel. Place the whole carrots onto the lined baking tray.

3. Oil and salt: Drizzle the carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt. Toss with a pair of tongs to coat every carrot.

raw carrots on a pan sheet

4. First roast: Bake the carrots for 20 to 30 minutes until they just start to turn tender but are still chewy inside.

5. Mix the glaze: While the carrots roast, whisk the olive oil, minced garlic, white miso paste, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl until smooth. The glaze should look like a thick shiny sauce that brushes easily.

6. Brush the glaze on: Pull the tray out of the oven and brush the miso glaze onto both sides of the carrots with a pastry brush. Use as much glaze as you need to coat each carrot fully, and reserve any leftover sauce for a second touch up later.

glazing the carrots

7. Second roast: Return the tray to the 350°F oven and roast for another 20 to 30 minutes until a fork pierces the carrots.

8. Garnish and serve: Transfer the carrots to a serving plate and sprinkle chopped chive over the top right before serving. Serve warm as a side dish.

miso glazed carrots

Cooking Recommendations

Cut the thin tips off the carrots before roasting: A natural carrot tapers from a thick top to a thin pointed tip, and the thin tip burns through and turns black long before the thick end is tender. If you prefer the perfect presentation, trim about a half inch off the thin end of each carrot before they go on the tray, which evens out the cook time across the batch and prevents burnt tips ruining the plate. I wouldn’t mind a little over charred tips, so I kept them on.

Pick carrots of even thickness across the bunch: A bunch of carrots from the grocery store usually has a few thick stubby ones mixed with thin twiggy ones, and the thick carrots are still chewy when the thin ones are already soft. I sort the bunch on the counter before I peel and either set the thin ones aside for a snack or cut the thick ones in half lengthwise, so every carrot on the tray finishes at the same point.

Adjust the second roast for small new carrots: Smaller carrots and baby carrots cook through faster and can be tender before the glaze caramelizes. I crank the oven up to 400°F for the second round in that case, which colors the miso surface in about 10 to 15 minutes before the carrot gets soft.

Roast on the middle rack and skip the convection fan: The middle rack gives the carrots even heat from the top and bottom. If your oven has a convection setting, I leave it off for the glaze round because the moving air dries the miso paste too fast and the surface turns crusty instead of glossy.

Use maple syrup, not honey, for the glaze: Honey crystallizes against the hot miso paste and turns the glaze into a sticky sheet that does not brush onto the carrots like I want. If you do not have maple syrup,

How to Serve

I plate these warm out of the oven on a long serving board with the chive scattered on at the last minute, and they pair best with a protein main that lets the carrots take a starring side role. A piece of crispy salmon with ginger soy sauce is my weeknight go-to next to this tray because the miso glaze and the soy-glazed fish share a savory umami backbone, or a plate of honey garlic pork chops for a sweet-savory main that matches the maple in the glaze.

For a holiday table I play up the side-dish role and pull these carrots out alongside slow roasted turkey legs as the centerpiece, with a bowl of vegetable fried rice on the table as the carb side.

Frequently Ask Questions

Do I have to peel the carrots before roasting?

Not if the carrots are small and the skin is smooth, which is the version I default to and the reason I skip the peel most of the time. If the carrots are less fresh and the skin has dried out, I peel them so the dried layer does not turn leathery in the oven.

Why are my carrots steaming instead of caramelizing?

The most likely cause is moisture on the carrots before the oil goes on, or too many carrots crowded onto one sheet pan. I dry the peeled carrots with a kitchen towel before the oil goes on, and I arrange the carrots in a single layer with space between them so the oven heat circulates and the surface browns.

How long do leftovers keep in the fridge and freezer?

Cooked miso glazed carrots keep covered in the fridge for 4 days and do not freeze well, because the carrots release water as they thaw and the glaze breaks into a watery slick. I reheat the refrigerated leftovers in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, and I make a fresh batch instead of freezing extras.

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miso glazed carrots

Miso Glazed Carrots

By Maggie Zhu
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Print
When I am craving a vegetable side that goes past plain salt and pepper, I roast a sheet pan of these Miso Glazed Carrots brushed with a buttery white miso and maple syrup glaze that caramelizes into something more like candy than a vegetable. I serve them warm with a sprinkle of chopped chive, alongside a salmon main or a roast chicken on a weeknight.

Ingredients 

  • 1.5 to 2 lbs carrots , peeled (*Footnote 1)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon sliced chive for garnish (Optional)

Glaze

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 2 tablespoons white miso paste (*footnote 2)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or paprika for less spiciness)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up, if needed.
  • Dry carrots thoroughly and place onto the baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Toss with a pair of tongs to evenly coat carrots with oil.
  • Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the carrots just start to turn tender but are still chewy inside. (*Footnote 3)
  • Mix all the ingredients for the glaze while roasting.
  • Brush the miso sauce onto both sides of the carrots. You might have a bit of leftover sauce depending on how many carrots you used.
  • Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast for a further 20 to 30 minutes, until the carrots turns tender while piercing with a fork, and the surface is lightly caramelized. Serve hot or at room temperature at a side dish.

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Notes

  1. I used large carrots and it took me 55 minutes in total to roast. If you’re using smaller carrots, especially new carrots, you might halve the time.
  2. White miso generates the best result, but red and mixed miso work too.
  3. If you’re using much smaller carrots and found out they have turned quite tender before applying miso glaze, you can turn up oven temperature to 400ºF (200ºC) to caramelize the glaze without overcooking the carrots.

Nutrition

Serving: 196g, Calories: 161kcal, Carbohydrates: 22.9g, Protein: 2.3g, Fat: 7.4g, Saturated Fat: 1.1g, Sodium: 420mg, Potassium: 594mg, Fiber: 4.7g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 29350IU, Vitamin C: 14.9mg, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 0.7mg

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