Make Ahead

Honey & Smoked Paprika Roasted Carrots with Chorizo, Chickpeas, and Dates

by:
December 27, 2018
4.7
16 Ratings
Honey & Smoked Paprika Roasted Carrots with Chorizo, Chickpeas, and Dates
Photo by Ty Mecham
  • Prep time 8 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This speedy, streamlined, sun-kissed sheet pan dinner is a combination of flavors and textures that never fails to excite: Sweet and smoky crispy-edged carrots. Spicy, garlicky chorizo. Toasty chickpeas. Sweet, chewy dates. Charred lemon. Bright, fresh herbs. Cooling, creamy yogurt. Make it year round, but especially on cold, dreary days. It's so full of bright, sunny flavors, it'll instantly and reliably transport you to a warmer, happier place. —EmilyC

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick on the diagonal
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • Kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 to 3/4 pounds Spanish-style chorizo (fully cooked), cut into 1/2-inch coins
  • 1 16-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 6 to 8 dates (such as Medjool), pitted and quartered
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • Red pepper flakes or cayenne (optional)
  • 1 handful roughly chopped parsley or cilantro, for serving
  • 1 cup plain yogurt (regular or Greek), for serving
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss the carrots in 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, and smoked paprika until evenly coated, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the carrots in an even layer on the prepared sheet pan and add the lemon halves, cut side down. (Set the bowl aside; don’t wash it).
  3. Roast the carrots for 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, in the same bowl that you used for the carrots, toss the chorizo, chickpeas, and dates with 1 tablespoon olive oil (or enough to evenly coat) and season with salt and pepper.
  5. After 10 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven, and combine the chorizo, chickpeas, and dates with the carrots and lemon halves, stirring several times. Spread in an even layer and return to the oven. Roast for another 10 to 12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and the sausage is starting to crisp. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and some of the juice from the roasted lemon. Add red pepper flakes or cayenne if you want a spicier kick. Toss in parsley (or cilantro).
  6. For the yogurt sauce, stir together the yogurt, a few pinches of salt, and a few drizzles of olive oil and juice from the roasted lemon.
  7. Serve warm with a big dollop of yogurt sauce on the side of the plate.
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See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Monika Mitchell
    Monika Mitchell
  • Alek Meyer
    Alek Meyer
  • Sherry Zaks
    Sherry Zaks
  • Anne Jackson
    Anne Jackson
  • EmilyC
    EmilyC
EmilyC

Recipe by: EmilyC

I'm a home cook. I love salads. Two things you'll always find in my refrigerator are lemons and butter, and in my pantry good quality chocolate and the makings for chocolate chip cookies.

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15 Reviews

Monika M.
Monika M. January 11, 2022
This is a crowd-pleaser!
 
Sarah
Sarah January 6, 2021
We make this recipe at least once every few weeks, it's so good. We switch out the chorizo for turkey sausage and double the amount to make it fit our diets a little better, still delicious.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC January 6, 2021
What a nice note, thanks Sarah! So glad this is part of your rotation!
 
Lynnjamin
Lynnjamin February 3, 2019
This dish is delicious as it is lovely to look at! It hits every note. I followed the recipe for the main dish faithfully. Is it so wrong that a smigeon of raw crushed garlic found its way into the yogurt?
 
EmilyC
EmilyC February 4, 2019
Ha, not wrong at all! : ) So glad you made and liked this, Lynnjamin!
 
Alek M.
Alek M. January 27, 2019
Great dinner! I will definitely make this again. I used Trader Joe's vegetarian chorizo, and I was a little worried about the substitution because it crumbles instead of sitting, but it turned out really nicely.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC January 28, 2019
So glad you’d make this again, Aleksander, and great to know that the veggie chorizo worked well! Thanks for your note.
 
Alek M.
Alek M. May 12, 2020
I don't know if you'll see this, but I've made this as a quick weekday dinner more than just about any other recipe over the past year! Went to review it and realized I'd already done that after the first try :) I just can't get over how perfect the roasted lemon and yogurt is.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC May 14, 2020
Thanks Aleksander! I’m so happy to know that this has become a permanent fixture for you! : )
 
Sherry Z.
Sherry Z. January 26, 2019
Really enjoyed this dish. I served it over basmati rice that I cooked with some chicken stock and a little bit of saffron. I also added some korean gochujang (~2 tsp.) for some extra spice and umami flavor (HIGHLY RECOMMEND). In the future I'll also add some dino kale.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC January 26, 2019
Happy that you enjoyed this, Sherry! Thanks for your note.
 
Anne J.
Anne J. January 25, 2019
When do the lemons come out? With the carrots or are they roasting the whole time?
 
EmilyC
EmilyC January 25, 2019
Hi Anne: good question! They roast the entire time so they can get nicely browned and caramelized.
 
porsha
porsha January 24, 2019
I made this tonight and it was pretty tasty but I felt it was a little too sweet with the dates, honey and natural sweetness from the carrots. I think some additional chile powder or more acid would balance it out further.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC January 24, 2019
Hi Porsha: thanks for trying this! Definitely add more heat or acid to your liking, especially since the heat levels of chorizo will vary from brand to brand. I’ll add a note