While this small uniform cut may seem intimidating, it’s quite easy to julienne carrots as long as you follow a few key steps. 

Why To Julienne (Make Matchstick) Carrots

This style of cutting carrots ensures you have pieces that are all the same size. This helps the carrots to cook quickly and to cook evenly when you add them to a skillet or when baking and roasting them. It also affects the presentation and texture of a dish. You will end up with consistent pieces of carrots in each bite as well as a striking pop of color both when the carrots are raw and after being cooked. 

The Proper Size of Julienned Carrots

When you julienne carrots, plan to make each matchstick about 2 inches long. You can extend this to 3 inches if you’d like them a little longer, but don’t go much beyond that or they may overpower the final recipe and be difficult to eat. Each piece is small, about 1/8-inch thick. 

How to Use Julienned Carrots

You can use julienned carrots both raw or cooked in recipes. The size of this cut is too small for serving as a dipper on a snack board. For that, use the batonnet knife cut. Raw, julienned carrots can be used in spring rolls, or added to green salads. They can also be used as a substitute for shredded carrots in a Classic Carrot Salad when you want a bit more crunch. 

Show Off Your Knife Skills With These Recipes

Ginger Pork Rice Bowls Autumn Tabbouleh with Cauliflower, Carrots and Golden Beets. Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon (Do Chua) Classic Coleslaw Quick Green Curry Chicken with Zucchini Noodles