These irresistible carrot fries are crispy, a little bit cheesy, baked to golden perfection, and ready to eat in about 30 minutes.
I made the plateful of carrot fries you see in the photo above specifically to be eaten with a bowl of Za'atar Labneh and now it's all my husband and I want in the world.
Seriously, so good. The crispy, panko and parmesan covered carrot fries are a perfect match for spoonfuls of creamy, tangy Za'atar Labneh. Add some sweet potato bites along with a bowl of roasted nuts and some crudités, and you've got the perfect vegetarian party spread.
But honestly, carrot fries are the perfect vegetable side kick for everything from BLT sandwiches to roast chicken. Or, replace the traditional french fries or potato chips with carrot fries for your next summer BBQ and serve them alongside a vidalia onion bacon cheeseburger or a platter of grilled lemon rosemary chicken.
Making crispy oven-baked carrot fries is as easy as tossing carrot sticks with some olive oil, panko bread crumbs, garlic, and parmesan cheese then baking until they are golden, crunchy, and positively addicting.
Ingredients Needed To Prepare this Recipe
- Carrots, of course. Use full size carrots, not the baby ones. When you can find them, multi-colored carrots are particularly fun in this recipe.
- Panko bread crumbs. Using panko bread crumbs is the secret to getting a deliciously crispy coating on these fries.
- Parmesan cheese. As the fries bake, the parmesan cheese gets crispy right along with the panko so you get a double whammy of crispy AND the flavor of parmesan. 🙌
- Olive oil, preferably extra virgin
- Garlic powder. If you're not a fan of garlic (I know you're out there) just leave it out.
- Salt and pepper.
- A pinch of cayenne. Or more if you like your carrot fries spicy!
- Fresh parsley.
*See recipe card below for precise quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use other kinds of veggies instead of or in addition to carrots. Other vegetables that you could use in this recipe include: zucchini, parsnips, turnips, jicama, butternut squash, rutabagas, green beans, and asparagus.
- Use any other kind of bread crumbs instead of panko. I think panko gives carrot fries the most crunch, but you can use any kind of bread crumbs you like in this recipe and the fries will still be super delicious.
- Toss in whatever dried herbs and spices you like. This recipe calls for seasoning the carrots with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a touch of cayenne. But, you can seriously add any dried herbs and spices you like in there to create a completely different flavor profile.
- Add some more fresh herbs. As sprinkle of chopped parmesan after these fries are done baking adds some fresh flavor. The same would be true of cilantro, thyme, chives, mint, or pretty much any kind of fresh herbs.
Step by Step Photos and Instructions
Making Carrot Fries is a super simple 2-step process:
Toss carrots in olive oil then put them in a zip-top bag along with the panko bread crumbs, grated parmesan, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Toss them around in there to coat.
Dump everything out onto a parchment covered baking sheet and bake at 400° F (204° C) for about 20 minutes until the fries are golden and crispy.
Pile the freshly baked carrot fries onto a plate, sprinkle some fresh parsley and another pinch of salt over the top, and serve.
How to Serve Carrot Fries
My favorite way to eat carrot fries is with giant spoonfuls of Za'atar Labneh.
Za'atar Labneh is rich and creamy, tart and tangy middle-eastern soft, fresh cheese topped with za'atar and garlic simmered in olive oil until the garlic is crispy and the za'atar is intensely fragrant.
It's the perfect match for carrot fries in every way. You can dip the fries in the labneh if you like, but if you really want a nice big dollop of labneh with every bite of carrot (and you do), you'll probably want to use a fork.
So good.
Other ways to serve carrot fries:
- Alongside burgers instead of French fries.
- With pretty much any kind of sandwich, like a Classic BLT with Secret Sauce or a Reuben with Russian Dressing. Tip: Make extra BLT sauce or Russian Dressing so you have something to dip your fries in!
- All by themselves, as a light lunch or afternoon snack.
- With platefuls of Roast Chicken and Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes.
FAQs
Carrot fries are best eaten right after they've been baked. You can store them in a covered container in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but the breading will not stay crisp.
Having said that, reheating them in the oven or in an air fryer works ok. The carrots will not ever regain their crispness, but they are still pretty darn delicious.
Carrot fries are good with pretty much any kind of dipping sauce you can imagine. Here are just a few ideas:
1. Stir chili sauce, hot sauce, ketchup, or mustard into mayonnaise
2. Any kind of bottled salad dressing like creamy Caesar or Ranch
3. Chimichurri Sauce
4. Hummus
5. Tzatziki Sauce
6. Buffalo sauce
7. Marinara Sauce
8. Aioli
9. BBQ sauce
10. Salsa
11. Homemade Labneh (soft yogurt cheese)
Yes! You can cook the carrot fries in an air fryer for about the same amount of time and at the same temperature as the oven - 400°F for 15-20 minutes.
Please note that the timing for the fries will vary from air fryer to air fryer for different reasons. So, pay attention to yours and remove them when they are golden and crispy.
📖 Recipe
Crispy Carrot Fries {Oven Baked}
Thin slices of carrot are tossed in olive oil, panko bread crumbs, garlic, and parmesan cheese than baked into crispy, flavor packed carrot fries that are positively addicting.
Ingredients
- 4 medium carrots, peeled
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F (204° C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut carrots in half crosswise, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. Lay them cut side down on your cutting board and cut them into strips about the size of fast food french fries.
- Place carrots in a shallow dish and drizzle them with olive oil. Toss the carrots around in the oil to coat.
- Add the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cayenne to a zip top bag and shake everything around to mix. Add the carrots and toss the carrots around in the bag until they are all coated with the bread crumb mixture.
- Dump everything out onto the parchment covered baking sheet and spread it al out into an even layer. Bake for 18-20 minutes, pulling the carrots out of the oven a time or two to stir them around so they brown evenly. When done, the bread crumbs will be golden brown.
- Pile the carrots on a plate, sprinkle with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of additional salt if you like, and serve.
Notes
My favorite thing to serve wtih these carrot fries is Za'atar Labneh.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 212Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 930mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 7g
Judy Bowman says
Made these last night for a 4th of July BBQ and they were a hit. I can see them also being a great way to get kids to eat their veggies!
RebeccaBlackwell says
I'm so happy to hear that you liked this recipe Judy! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! I truly appreciate it! xo