A popular cook has revealed his surprisingly simple secret for creating what he calls "absolutely banging" roast carrots, and it all comes down to one final, sticky addition.
The Secret Ingredient for Perfect Roast Carrots
Max McCann, the food content creator behind the successful online brand Meals with Max, has built a reputation for straightforward, healthy recipes. With a large TikTok following, a cookbook, and a dedicated app, his cooking tips often go viral. His latest method for roasting carrots is proving no exception, offering a clever twist on a British dinner staple.
Roasted carrots are a versatile component for many meals, from a traditional Sunday roast to a side for salads or even a healthier alternative to chips. In a recent video posted to TikTok, Max walked his audience through his preferred technique, which begins with proper preparation.
Max McCann's Step-by-Step Method
He starts by washing and thoroughly drying the carrots to ensure they roast properly instead of steaming in the oven. His specific chopping technique is designed to create maximum surface area for caramelisation. "Trim off the top and the bottom then slice them in half," he demonstrated. "Slice at an angle then flat, then at an angle then flat, to get triangle pieces like this."
The carrot pieces are then arranged in a single layer on a roasting tray to avoid overcrowding, drizzled with oil, and seasoned with salt and black pepper. Max adds a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary for fragrance before roasting at 200 degrees Celsius for about 35 minutes, suggesting a quick flip halfway through.
The Unexpected Final Touch
Once the carrots are tender and beginning to caramelise, Max introduces his key ingredient. "Take the carrots out of the oven, add some cranberry sauce, remove the rosemary and make sure the carrots are fully coated in the sauce," he instructed.
The tray then goes back into the oven for a final five minutes, until the glaze becomes "nice and sticky and glossy." The result, as Max showed the camera, is a dish of carrots that are deeply caramelised, glossy, and packed with a sweet-and-savoury flavour. After tasting, he declared: "That is absolutely banging. Lovely."
The recipe was met with widespread approval in the comments section of the video, with viewers describing the results as "delicious", "brilliant", and "yummy". One TikTok user simply stated: "It looks so good". Max McCann's tip proves that a single, well-chosen ingredient can elevate a simple vegetable into a standout side dish.
