Gochujang Roasted Carrots, Make Every Vegetable the Best Ever

This Gochujang Roasted Carrots recipe, roasted in the oven until tender, then brushed with a spicy glaze and broiled until caramelized will be the only way you will ever want to make and eat carrots for the rest of your life. Shall we?

Jump to:

• Ingredients You Need for Gochujang Roasted Carrots
• What is the Best Gochujang to Use
• How Many Carrots in One Pound?
• Instructions How to Make Gochujang Roasted Carrots
• Are Carrots Healthy?
• Tools and Equipment
• Roasted Carrots with Gochujang Glaze

Ingredients You Need for Gochujang Roasted Carrots

Carrots are fairly sweet and flavorful on their own, so you only need a few ingredients to enhance their flavor. You will need::

• Carrots, 1 pound
• Avocado oil, about 1 tablespoon

for the Gochujang Glaze:

• Gochujang, 2 tablespoons
• Garlic, 2 cloves, finely minced
• Soy sauce/tamari, 1 tablespoon
• Apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon
• Maple syrup, 1 tablespoon
• Sesame oil, 1 teaspoon

What is the Best Gochujang to Use

Gochujang is a Korean hot pepper paste made by fermenting chili peppers with rice and/soybeans. It has a deep-toned, savory umami flavor with a subtle background sweetness. Though sometimes literally called a "sauce," gochujang is actually more a starter ingredient used to make and flavor marinades, sauces, soups and more, and not something you would use directly out of the container at the table to season a final dish.

Like any condiment, gochujang varies in style, flavor, texture, and heat level across brands and recipes. Yes recipes! Because you can actually make your own gochujang. The base ingredients are Korean red pepper powder—called "gochugaru"—and soybeans. From there, ingredients vary, including any kind of sweetener from brown rice syrup (preferred) to high fructose corn syrup (avoid if possible!), seasonings like garlic and/or onion, sometimes grains like barley, rice or wheat, and possibly alcohol or other form of preservative.

For a full breakdown on gochujang, check out this post, Gochujang 101. In the mean time...

Which Type or Brand of Gochujang is Best?

There aren't necessarily different types of gochujang, though like any condiment, there are a range of spice levels, flavors, and textures based on different brands' exact ingredients.

Ingredients can include any kind of sweetener from brown rice syrup to high fructose corn syrup, seasonings like garlic and/or onion, sometimes grains like barley, rice or wheat, and possibly alcohol or other form of preservative. Read the labels to look out for any ingredients to which you are sensitive.

** Pro-tip: Make sure the product is "gochujang" and not "gochujang sauce," which is a pre-made sauce with gochujang as an ingredient.

Use any kind of gochujang that suits your taste and preferred heat-level. These are brands of gochujang I actually use and recommend, mostly because I look for products with no corn syrup and no wheat:

• O'Food Gochujang (pictured in all the photos on this post) is sweetened with tapioca syrup rather than corn syrup, and does not contain wheat in the ingredients, though the label indicates that it's made in a facility that also processes wheat
• O'Food Gluten Free Gochujang, same brand and ingredients as above, but specifically labeled gluten-free because it's made in a dedicated gluten-free facility
• Trader Joe's, surprisingly, has a good gochujang made in Korea and if you're new to gochujang, the container is small enough that you won't feel overwhelmed
• Mother in Law's Gochujang deserves a mention because I have tried it several times, it tastes great and most importantly it is available at many Whole Foods markets, which might be more accessible than a Korean grocery store. However, the ingredients do include wheat flour as well as malt syrup, which is made form barley (gluten).

How to Use a Tub of Gochujang

• Gochujang Salmon
• Spicy Bibimbap Sauce
• Roasted Honeynut Squash
• Dak Dori Tang, Korean Spicy Braised Chicken

Additional Ingredients Notes and Resources

Tamari or Soy Sauce. Tamari is a Japanese-style soy sauce that is brewed without wheat so it is gluten-free. This is the brand I use, which is also organic. You can use regular soy sauce.

Avocado Oil. I use this Avocado Oil as my every day neutral-flavored cooking oil. The oil comes in this spray bottle format, which makes even coating for roasting super easy.

Sesame Oil. Look for toasted sesame oil, which has a darker color and a much deeper umami flavor. Sesame oil is a finishing oil, added to dishes in small amounts just before serving for its flavor, rather than a cooking oil. This is a reliable Japanese brand that I've been using since I was a kid. There are now many brands of toasted sesame seed oil available, even organic version, at regular grocery stores.

Apple Cider Vinegar. Any brand of apple cider vinegar "ACV" works as long as it has the "mother," i.e. the little cloud floating inside. The mother is what causes the fermentation and is partially what makes this salad good for the gut. This generic store brand of organic Apple Cider Vinegar is generally the most affordable where I shop. This is the well-known apple cider vinegar brand that's available everywhere. You can substitute up to half the apple cider vinegar with fresh lemon juice for additional layer of flavor and sweetness.

Maple Syrup. Most gochujang already contains some form of sweetness—anything from brown rice syrup and tapioca syrup to high fructose corn syrup. Read the label of your gochujang, then add sweetener to the marinade recipe based on your taste. I prefer the sweetness of natural maple syrup to refined sugars, and use a very little amount. I use an organic maple syrup like this.

Garlic and all other herbs and produce I get from the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesdays or Mar Vista Farmers Market on Sundays.

How Many Carrots in One Pound?

Because carrots come in so many different sizes and shapes like so many um, other things, it's better to "measure" carrots by actual ounces, not by number of carrots.

According to the USDA, one medium carrot weighs about 2½ to 3 ounces, but what is this? The 1800s? Carrots in grocery stores have gotten bigger, and the average carrot based on my own experience weighs more like 3 to 4 ounces. So 1 pound of carrots, or 16 ounces is just about equivalent to:

• 4-5 whole carrots
• 5 packed cups of diced carrots

If you're buying carrots at the regular grocery store, they're often sold in bags by the pound so that makes it much easier!

Instructions How to Make Gochujang Roasted Carrots

This method for roasting carrots is so easy! If you haven't already, wash, peel, and top off carrots. If carrots are especially um, girthy, slice them in half lengthwise.

Roast carrots first:

1. Heat oven to 400­°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place carrots on baking sheet, drizzle with avocado oil, and toss until carrots are evenly coated. Shake baking sheet to make sure carrots are in a single layer.
3. Roast carrots in oven until just tender, about 20 minutes. Give the carrots a stir halfway through the roasting time.

Make Gochujang Glaze and broil:

1. While the carrots are roasting, make the Gochujang Glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons gochujang, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and minced garlic cloves.
2. Remove baking sheet from over. Drizzle Gochujang Glaze over carrots and stir to coat the carrots or use a brush.
3. Return baking sheet to oven and roast for 10 minutes to caramelize the Gochujang Glaze.
4. Remove carrots to serving plate. Garnish with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds.

Are Carrots Healthy?

Depending on your health needs and dietary considerations, Gochujang Roasted Carrots is healthy! To be honest, I can't really think of a case in which Gochujang Roasted Carrots would not be healthy, unless maybe spice causes heartburn or the high fiber content causes other gastric issue for you.

Let's break down some of the nutritional highlights, starting with the most underrated nutrition hero, carrots. Carrots are a non-starchy vegetable that not only add subtle, natural sweetness to a dish, but they are especially good for the body in the fall and winter months when colorful vegetables seem to be in shorter supply. Carrots provides a number of nutritional benefits like:

• beta carotene which converts into vitamin A in the body
• additional antioxidants, primarily in the form of carotenoids and anthocyanins
• both soluble and insoluble fiber, which contributes to good gut health, decreases cholesterol, and lowers blood sugar

Gochujang Has Probiotic-like Qualities. Gochujang is made by fermenting chili peppers with rice and/or soybeans. As a fermented food, gochujang provides gut-health promoting probiotic bacteria. That fermentation gives gochujang its umami flavor, that salty, savory deliciousness that's hard to pinpoint in foods.

Dietary Considerations

This Gochujang Roasted Carrots recipe as presented is:

• 100% plant-based, suitable for vegan lifestyles
• vegetarian
• low calorie, low fat
• gluten-free (using tamari instead of soy sauce)
• dairy-free

Tools and Equipment

As I always say, you don't need any special equipment to make almost any recipe. However, that's not to say there are a couple of gadgets and tools that might make it a LOT easier to get Gochujang Carrots from your fridge to fork.

• Vegetable wash
• Vegetable peeler
• Chef's knife
• Small paring knife
• rimmed baking sheets
• parchment paper
• Silicone brush
• Mini ¼-cup liquid measuring cup
• Glass mixing bowls for making marinade
• Mini whisk
• Glass storage container with airtight lids

Pro Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

Double, triple, or even quadruple the glaze. The amount of ingredients for the spicy sauce make about ⅓ cup, which fits this specific recipe for Gochujang Roasted Carrots. But I highly recommend scaling up to make triple the amount of the glaze to save and use for other recipes like Butternut Squash and even Gochujang Salmon! Use the amount you need for the carrots, then store the rest in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator. The sauce is great as an all-purpose spicy dressing over greens, grains, or even dip for fresh vegetables! Add some chopped scallions for some color and an extra layer of flavor.

Rainbow carrots make it fun. If you want to add some more color to your dinner table, use rainbow carrots. Different colored carrots do taste different from one another, but the difference is so subtle, you'd probably only be able to tell the difference if you tasted them totally raw side-by-side, and that's if you had a pretty sensitive palate. The different colors also have different antioxidant profiles, since different antioxidants render different pigment colors in vegetables!

Make double the amount of Gochujang Roasted Carrots. Carrots are a very sturdy, reliable vegetable, which means they hold up really well in the refrigerator for a few days as leftovers or even as Meal Prep. You can roast more carrots and keep the Gochujang Glaze separate to add when you re-heat, or just store the carrots already glazed.

What Else to Serve with Gochujang Roasted Carrots

Paired with a bowl of steamed rice or quinoa, this Gochujang Roasted Carrots can be a perfect, light vegetarian meal. However, if you'd like to add some protein, more color, or make the squash a full side dish to a larger main dish, here are some ideas for what else to serve with Gochujang Roasted Carrots:

• Spoon a cloud of Whipped Feta or yogurt onto the serving plate and nestle the carrots on top
• serve alongside Miso Salmon
• Gochujang Salmon
• Nobu's Miso Marinated Cod
• Roasted Ginger Tofu for a vegetarian meal

Best Carrot Recipes

• Spicy Korean Carrot Salad
• Pickled Daikon and Carrots
• Spicy Carrot Lentil Soup
• 24 Carrot Cake

Food for Afterthoughts

One of my all-time favorite songs is Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order. I don’t even remember the first time I heard it—probably standing against the wall in my pegged white jeans at some awkward school dance—but I do know that every time I hear it, I feel a shot right through like a bolt of blue...just kidding. It’s like my head detaches from my body and I go into some warped sense of time and space. That sounds oh-so cliché and Solid Gold lamé, but there are few things that do that to me. Food, music, and well, some other things that I can't write in public

I never quite understood Bizarre Love Triangle’s lyrics. Not that I didn’t understand the deep philosophical meaning behind the poetry. I mean that at some points during the song, I have no idea what Mr. New Order guy is actually singing, and yet I still sing right along with the song at the top of my lungs. I have this uncanny ability to translate song lyrics into my own language, even if someone writes them out for me, even if we are at noraebang—private karaoke rooms of the Korean variety—and the actual words magically appear on the screen, even if I have heard the song a million times...I sing the words that are in my head.

But, I have finally found the lyrics, and I now understand all those strange stares from complete strangers when I was singing along. It’s not that I have a horrible voice! I'm just an idiot who doesn't know the words! I mean really, I might as well have been singing the words to Sweet Child O’ Mine.

Word is Born

Now that I know what the real words to Bizarre Love Triangle are, the title makes sense to me. I love the lyrics; I have memorized them. I now understand that the whole song is about a Christian guy who looks in the mirror and prays to become a Jew.

Wow, just like me.

Okay, in all seriousness, the song does have new meaning because as I was thinking about my life as I often do as I’m flutzing about the kitchen, I realized that I too am living out this very bizarre love triangle. I am Korean. But don’t let this dark shiny hair, fair skin, and almond-shaped eyes framed by cosmetology textbook tattooed eyebrows fool you. On the outside I may look like a Korean girl who has no problem with Korean food, and in fact, absolutely loves her happy, natural relationship that she’s supposed to be in with kimchee and galbee, but on the inside, my dark and tormented heart is divided. It belongs to...everything else. Indian. Mexican. Peruvian. Ethiopian. It’s like one giant global food orgy, and Korean makes me feel fine and feel good, and feeling like I never should.