Carrot fries are easy way to eat more vegetables
Never had a carrot fry before? I hadn’t either until a recent trip. At a family dinner, the kids were given carrot fries with their chicken tenders and were none the wiser — they loved the sweetness and crunch.
These baked carrot fries are a playful alternative to potato fries or sweet potato fries, and are an easy way to add a vegetable to your family’s plate. They’re crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and just begging for your favorite dipping sauce.
Unlike potatoes, carrots aren’t inherently starchy — that means they’ll have a little trouble getting crispy in the oven without some help. Tossing the carrot fries with cornstarch (before tossing them with oil) creates a starchy barrier on the exterior of each fry, which absorbs moisture while concurrently creating a crispy coating.
While I’ve made the smoked paprika seasoning optional, I love how its smokiness offsets the sweetness of the carrots. If that’s not your thing, there are countless ways to season besides just salt and pepper. You can try lemon pepper seasoning, garam masala, za’atar, Cajun
CARROT FRIES
seasoning or chili powder — raid your spice cabinet. If any of the spice blends you decide to use contain salt, reduce the salt in the recipe to ½ teaspoon to account for this.
Carrot fries have a similar
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
2 pounds carrots
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional) 1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil
1. Arrange two racks to divide the oven into thirds and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Peel and trim 2 pounds carrots. Cut crosswise into pieces about 3 inches long. Cut each piece lengthwise into planks about ⅓-inch thick. Stack a few planks and cut
sweetness to sweet potato fries, so while they can be dunked in ketchup, I like to pair them with a more savory or spicy dip to counter the sweetness. Think spicy mayo or tahini.
lengthwise again into ⅓-inch-thick sticks. Place in a large bowl.
3. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika if desired, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and toss until evenly coated. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat. Divide the carrots between the baking sheets. Spread into a single, even layer, leaving space around each fry.
4. Roast 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Using a flat spatula, flip the carrots. Return to the oven, switching the sheets between racks, and continue to roast until the carrots are tender and the edges are charred and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes more.