Glazed Carrots (Easy 3-Ingredient Recipe!)

5 from 3 votes

Glazed Carrots (Easy 3-Ingredient Recipe!)

Quick and glossy Glazed Carrots with brown sugar and butter. With only 3 ingredients and one pan, you get an incredibly delicious side dish.

Prep Time3

Cook Time12

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Glazed Carrots

Servings:

Author: Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

Ingredients

1 lb carrots peeled and sliced into 1/4" thick rounds or cut into sticks
1 tbsp olive oil not extra virgin
1 tbsp salted butter
2 tbsp dark brown sugar or honey or maple syrup
½ tsp kosher salt

Optional Add-Ins:

Pinch of cinnamon
⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1-2 tsp minced fresh thyme, parsley or chives

Instructions

Preheat a large skillet over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add oil and heat until shimmering hot (30-60 seconds).
Add the carrots and arrange in a single layer as much as possible (as only the parts touching the pan will brown). Cook uncovered, without stirring, until they start to brown, 3-5 minutes. Keep a close eye so they don't burn.
Add the butter, brown sugar and salt (plus cinnamon and/or red pepper flakes, if using). Once the butter has melted, stir well to coat.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until tender and glossy, about 8-10 minutes. If the pan gets dry before the carrots are done, add a splash of water.
Taste at the end and add a bit more salt if you like. Sprinkle with the fresh herbs, if using.

Notes

Use a high-heat oil like refined olive oil (not EVOO), avocado oil or your favorite cooking oil.

For beautiful browning, don't move the carrots in the pan after adding them. When they first hit the hot oil, it's their one shot to brown. After that, they start releasing moisture and no more browning will happen.

Wait until after the browning step to add salt, as salt draws moisture out faster.

I do like to rotate the pan around a couple of times on the burner to avoid any hot spots in the pan.

Dark brown sugar will give you the richest color and flavor!

Nutrition