Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots (Easy Buttery Side Dish!)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Fresh parsley, optional
• Freshly ground sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

• Add the carrots, water and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 6–8 minutes, until the carrots are just becoming tender but still have a little bite.
• Remove the lid and let any remaining water cook off. We’re glazing carrots now, not opening a carrot spa.
• Add the remaining butter, brown sugar, kosher salt and black pepper.
• Cook uncovered for another 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the butter and brown sugar turn into a glossy glaze that clings to the carrots.
• Add the lemon juice and toss everything together. It shouldn’t taste lemony. That tiny bit of acid just keeps all the butter and brown sugar from getting obnoxiously sweet.
• Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
• Transfer to a serving dish and finish with a few cracks of freshly ground sea salt and parsley if using.

Variations

• Don’t overcook the carrots. We want tender carrots with a little structure left, not orange baby food wearing a brown sugar glaze.
• Cut them roughly the same size. Nobody needs to get out a ruler, but wildly different carrot chunks will cook wildly differently.
• Let the water cook off before adding the glaze ingredients. Otherwise we get sweet carrot water instead of glossy brown sugar fabulousness.
• Use dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor. Light brown sugar is a little milder; either works beautifully.
• Add cinnamon if that’s your thing. A small pinch makes these especially cozy for Thanksgiving or Christmas. We’re keeping it optional because not every carrot needs to smell like December.
• Try maple syrup. Swap the brown sugar for 2–3 tablespoons of real maple syrup for an easy maple-butter version.
• Add a little heat. A tiny pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes gives the sweet glaze a fabulous little kick.
• Make them extra savory. Add a little fresh thyme with the butter and skip the parsley.
• Finish with flaky or freshly ground sea salt. Those little salty hits against the buttery brown sugar glaze are very much worth the approximately three seconds of effort involved.

These are fabulous next to our Honey Garlic Pork Chops, French Onion Chicken or Hot Honey Salmon when you want something considerably more exciting than another sensible vegetable..;)

And if you’re building out the whole dinner situation, our Brown Butter Parmesan Mashed Potatoes and Garlic Parmesan Roasted Green Beans can handle the rest of the plate.