Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
These easy brown sugar carrots are a classic side dish that everyone loves! It comes together on the stovetop quickly with just a simple ingredients.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 190kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds carrots
- 1 ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare carrots: Peel and diagonally slice carrots into about ⅓-inch thin slices evenly.
- Par-cook carrots: Bring the broth to a simmer in a deep skillet or pan. Add the carrots, cover, and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the carrots are crisp-tender, with a little bit of bite in the center (they will finish cooking later).
- Reserve the broth: Remove the carrots from the pan and reserve the broth for later into another bowl.
- Sauté aromatics: In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and thyme and sauté for about 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Glaze the carrots: Return the carrots to the pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and brown sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter and sugar are melted to coat the carrots. Add a splash of the reserved broth to loosen the glaze as needed.
- Simmer to thicken and season: Simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the glaze thickens a bit. It will reduce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Garnish with Italian parsley. Serve warm.
Notes
- Cut carrots into even 1/3-inch diagonal slices so they cook at the same rate.
- Don’t overcook the carrots in the broth, as they will finish cooking in the glaze. You want them to be crisp tender.
- If you don’t have broth, you can use water. Salt the water.
- Low-medium heat is preferred for the glaze to prevent scorching.
- If the sugar starts to darken too quickly or the glaze gets too thick, immediately lower the heat and stir in a splash of the reserved broth.
- Make Ahead: Par-cook the carrots up to 2 days in advance. Let them cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge, then finish them in the glaze when ready to serve.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of water or broth, or microwave in covered 30-second bursts.
- Freezing is not recommended
- You can also use baby carrots
- Replace fresh thyme with ½ teaspoon dried thyme, fresh rosemary, or fresh dill.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the glaze for fall flavors, or red pepper flakes for a kick.
Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.
Nutrition
Calories: 190kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 691mg | Potassium: 416mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 19307IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg