Sides · American
Honey Glazed Carrots
One skillet, glossy honey-butter glaze, a squeeze of lemon to keep it bright.
- Hands-on
- 30 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Makes
- 4 servings
- Serves
- 4
Peeling and slicing take about 15 minutes; the skillet part is about 10-15 minutes and needs you there, stirring.
- easy
- vegetarian
- gluten-free
- one-pan
- holiday
- weeknight
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? Made for one 30 cm (12 in) skillet. For a double batch use two skillets; a crowded pan takes longer to reduce and the carrots cook unevenly. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: 30 cm (12 in) non-stick skillet with a lid · vegetable peeler · paring knife · heatproof spatula · fine grater for the zest
Contains: milk
Method
Slice the carrots
Peel the 450 g (1 lb) of carrots and slice them 6 mm (1/4 in) thick on a slant, so the slices are long ovals.
Otto tried this firstOtto cuts some slices paper-thin and some as thick as his thumb. Then half are mush while the rest are still crunchy. Keep the slices even.Simmer covered
Put the carrots, 1/2 tsp salt, 63 g (3 tbsp) honey and 120 ml (1/2 cup) broth in the skillet. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat to medium and simmer, stirring now and then, about 5 minutes.
Ready when: Almost tender: the tip of a paring knife goes in with just a little resistance.
Boil it down
Take the lid off, turn the heat to high and let it bubble hard, stirring now and then, for 1 to 2 minutes.
Ready when: Only about 2 tbsp (30 ml) of syrupy liquid is left in the pan.
Glaze
Add the 14 g (1 tbsp) butter, 1/2 tsp thyme and 1/2 tsp lemon zest. Toss the carrots to coat and keep cooking, stirring often, about 3 minutes.
Ready when: The carrots are completely tender (the knife slides straight in) and the glaze is glossy and light gold.
Finish off the heat
Take the skillet off the heat, add the 2 tsp lemon juice and toss. Tip the carrots into a serving dish, scraping all the glaze out of the pan, season with pepper and serve right away.
Ready when: The glaze clings to the carrots in a glossy coat rather than pooling in the pan.
Swaps
- Instead of vegetable broth: low-sodium chicken broth, same amount Either works; vegetable broth keeps the dish vegetarian.
- Instead of the broth method: boil 450 g (1 lb) baby carrots in salted water until tender, about 5-6 minutes; drain, return to the pan with 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp lemon juice and cook about 5 minutes until glazed A simpler, slightly richer version; finish with chopped chives instead of thyme.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Storage
- Best served right away. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
If something goes wrong
- Glaze is thin and watery Why: The liquid wasn't boiled down enough before the butter went in.
Turn the heat back to high and let it bubble, stirring, until only about 2 tbsp of syrup is left, then add the butter.
Good to know
- Slicing on the diagonal gives bigger slices that hold more glaze.
- Add the lemon juice off the heat so it stays fresh and bright.
Safety
- Bubbling honey glaze is very hot and sticky and burns skin. Kids can peel carrots; the stovetop part is for an adult or a kid working right next to one.
- Honey is not safe for babies under 1 year old because it can carry the bacteria that cause botulism. Don't serve this to infants.
- Some broths contain gluten or other allergens; check the label.