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Grilled Carrots with Jalapeño, Lime, and Cotija

grilled carrots with jalapeño, lime, and cotija cheese on a white plate

Meet your new favorite summer side dish! These grilled carrots are smothered in a spicy and zesty sauce full of jalapeños, lime juice, and honey that leaves your taste buds tingling with delight, while the salty, crumbly cheese topping makes them downright crave-worthy. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 bunch (1/2 lb) carrots, trimmed and peeled, left whole if very small or split in half lengthwise if larger
  • 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice, about the juice of 1/2 of a lime
  • 1/2 jalapeño, thinly and finely chopped, seeds removed for less heat
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or chopped
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 cup (1 oz) cotija cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the grill. Heat the grill to medium-high heat. Turn off one burner on one side of the grill, or for a charcoal fire, arrange the coals to one side of the kettle.
  2. Grill the carrots. Place the carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil and salt. Arrange the carrots on the side of the grill with the burners on. Cook the carrots, frequently turning, until they are charred on all sides, about 10 minutes. Once charred, transfer the carrots to the side of the grill with the burners off, cover, and let cook until they are fork-tender, about 10-20 minutes.  Depending on the size of the carrots, some carrots may cook faster than others. To resolve this, remove the smaller carrots first and let the larger carrots cook longer on the grill. As you remove carrots from the grill, place them on a platter or baking sheet pan and let cool slightly. 
  3. Make the dressing. While the carrots are cooking, combine the lime juice, chopped jalapeños, garlic, honey, and a sprinkle of salt in a small bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste. 
  4. Serve. Spoon the dressing over the carrots and scatter with cotija, serving any remaining dressing on the side.

Notes

These Grilled carrots are inspired by Alison Roman’s Grilled Carrots with Limey Hot Sauce and Cotija from Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over.

STORAGE. Store carrots in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition