These carrot fries are roasted to crispy perfection with rosemary and tossed with savory crumbled bacon for a fun and healthy appetizer, snack or side dish! Paleo, Whole30 compliant and low carb.
We have some sort of baked fries almost every night at my house. Honestly, it’s the only way I can convince my kids to eat vegetables other than cherry tomatoes (and those aren’t even technically veggies…)
Anyway, if the shape of your veggies is going to be the deciding factor in whether or not they get eaten, then I say bring on ALL the baked fries. Sweet potatoes, white potatoes, parsnip, butternut squash, and carrot fries.
And by the way, next to the fries are always “chips” – kale chips or brussels sprout chips. Once you learn how to make chips out of green veggies, it’s really hard to turn back from that. For grown-ups and kids alike – veggies in chip and fry form means better tasting veggies!
I’ve found – through trial and error – that the best way to get veggies crispy is to keep these three factors in mind:
1.) Cut them thin, but not too thin that they’ll burn right away. For carrot fries, about 1/2″ is good since they shrink significantly while roasting.
2.) Roast them on parchment paper for even browning (also seems to prevent burning.)
3.) Give them lots of breathing room. That means no fry should touch another fry while roasting. It also means using two baking sheets, which can be annoying, but well worth it for the result!
Now, I don’t usually go all fancy with my carrot fries – typically some oil, salt and pepper is all I have energy and motivation for.
But, since I have TONS of rosemary around from all the stuffing and stuffed squash recipes I’ve been making, I decided to go for the winning bacon-rosemary combo.
If you haven’t tried it before, it really works well on almost any veggie! Sweet potatoes and butternut squash are delicious this way, too.
Now, the savory bacon and rosemary plus the sweetness of the carrots gives this side dish (or snack) tons of flavor already, BUT, a little dip can’t hurt, right?!
If you’re in a dipping kind of mood, you can try my Whole30 friendly ketchup, ranch dressing or chipotle ranch dip to dress up these carrot fries. Any of your favorite dips would work, or even a drizzle of hot sauce if you like!
Lastly, if you’re doing the Whole30, you’ll need some compliant bacon. I’ve been buying the sugar-free pork bacon from U.S. Wellness Meats since my first Whole30 4 years ago and still love it to the end and back. Pederson farms also makes sugar-free bacon that you can purchase in many grocery stores.
Are you ready for fries? Who isn’t?! Preheat your oven and let’s roast!
Carrot Fries with Bacon and Rosemary {Paleo, Whole30}
Roasted Carrot Fries with Rosemary and Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 lbs carrots
- 1 1/2 tbsp avocado oil or light olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 1/2 tsp onion powder optional
- 2 Tbsp FRESH rosemary minced
- 6 slices nitrate free bacon sugar free for Whole30
- Your favorite dip optional - pictured with homemade ranch dressing*
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (this prevents uneven roasting/burning and helps the carrots crisp up in the oven)
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Peel your carrots and cut them into “fry shape” - 1/2” in thickness and about 3” long. Place them in a mixing bowl and toss with the oil, salt, pepper, onion powder (if using) and minced rosemary. Make sure carrots are evenly coated.
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Arrange carrots in a single layer on the baking sheet with none of them touching - this will help them roast evenly and crispy and avoid soggy fries. If your sheet isn’t big enough, use two - it’s worth the extra effort!
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Roast for 15 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets AND turn over as many as possible for even roasting. Return to oven and continue to roast 10-15 minutes until browning and toasty. For the last 3 minutes or so, sprinkle on the cooked crumbled bacon for even heating.
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While the carrots roast, chop your bacon into pieces and cook in a large heavy skillet over med/hi heat, stirring to evenly brown. Once crisp, remove from skillet with a slotted spoon to drain. Once cooled, crumble the bacon into even smaller pieces. Add the crumbled bacon to the baking sheet for the last 3 minutes of roasting.
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Remove from oven and immediately transfer to a serving dish - serve hot for maximum crispiness, with your favorite dip and main course. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*You can find my Whole30 homemade ranch recipe here.
Nutrition
Want More Whole30 Side Dish Recipes? Try one of these!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon
Butternut Squash Fries with Rosemary and Bacon
Sweet Potato Apple and Bacon Hash
Crispy Twice Fried Plantains with Avocado Ranch Dip
Roasted Carrot Hash with Kale and Bacon
Caramelized Sweet Potato Apple Hash
Tell Me!
Favorite veggie (besides potatoes!) to turn into fries?
I never thought about making fries with carrots before. It’s the perfect afternoon snack! Can’t wait to try it myself. Thank you for sharing the details!
Hope you enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to try it tonight. However, I won’t be back – WAY too many pop-ups for one recipe. Out of control. Even good recipes aren’t worth crashing my computer.
Oh these look so good! I’d eat a whole pan of these!