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Brown Sugar-Soy Glazed Carrots

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Brown sugar glazed carrots are the way to go if you need a delicious and easy side dish. The sweet and savory glaze makes these carrots real crowd-pleasers.

These glazed carrots are a fun play on the classic side dish that often accompanies roast chicken or beef. It consists of the usuals; carrots tossed in a sweet soy glaze. To change things up, I forwent the boiling and roasted them instead. Roasting promotes a better texture and intensifies the sweetness of the carrots for a deeper flavor profile. I’m also a sucker for the brown bits that collect at the bottom of the roasting pan.

Glazed Carrots

Why You’ll Love Glazed Carrots

  • Healthy – Carrots are high in vitamins and minerals. They are also immunity boosters. The recipe contains some sugar and butter, but this side dish is nutritionally sound overall.
  • Simple and easy – You probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now. Even better, cooking glazed carrots requires minimal effort making them an ideal side dish for busy weeknights and special occasions—just prep, roast, and glaze.
  • Sweet and savory – Glazed carrots deliver that sweet-savory balance we all appreciate. Because of that balance, they pair well with any main.
  • Double the caramelization – Carrots naturally have enough sugar to caramelize when roasted, which is precisely what happens in this recipe. Then, they get another tasty layer when tossed in the glaze.
  • Beautiful presentation – The glaze adds a lovely sheen to the carrots. It is impressive to see them piled on a platter, browned bits and all.

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots Ingredients

To make glazed carrots, you’ll need:

  • Carrots: Choose smooth, bright orange carrots sold in bunches with green tops attached. The greens are essential since they indicate whether carrots are flavorful or not. Bright green is good, while dry yellow tops indicate less flavorful carrots.
  • Butter: Use unsalted butter to control the salt in the glaze.
  • Brown sugar: The brown sugar adds sweetness to the glaze and helps it caramelize on the carrots. Use golden or light brown instead of dark. Both contain less molasses than dark, but dark sugar can be used in a pinch.
  • Soy sauce: Soy glazed carrots contrasts the sweetness of the brown sugar while adding umami.

Find the complete ingredients list with amounts in the recipe card below!

Glazed Carrots Before Roasting

How to Make Glazed Carrots

  1. Prep the carrots: Remove the tops if they are intact, then halve the carrots lengthwise before cutting them into evenly sized pieces.
  2. Cook the carrots: Drizzle them with oil, season with salt and some pepper, then roast them until they are fork tender.
  3. Make the glaze: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and soy sauce, then stir to combine and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
  4. Glaze the carrots: Add the cooked carrots to the saucepan with the glaze and toss gently to coat. Since you’re adding the carrots right out of the oven, cooking them in the glaze is unnecessary.
  5. Serve: Transfer the glazed carrots to a serving dish and enjoy.

Variations, Substitutions, and Cooking Tips

Add garlic – Add minced garlic to the glaze for a savory kick.

Add ginger – Enhance the flavor profile with refreshing and slightly spicy fresh ginger.

Add herbs – Finish with rosemary, thyme, or sage for a different flavor profile.

Use maple syrup or honey – Both are great alternatives if you want glazed carrots free of refined sugars.

Boil the carrots – Although roasting is part of the allure of this recipe, you can boil them.

Make it vegan – Swap the butter for a vegan alternative, or use oil.

Add nuts – Toasted almonds or cashews would be a nice textural garnish.

Make Ahead

Glazed carrots are easy to prepare in advance. To make ahead, roast the carrots, then store them in an airtight container. When meal time comes around, make the glaze as instructed and leave the saucepan on the heat when you add the carrots. From there, toss in the glaze, reduce the heat a bit, and warm the carrots through.

Storage and Freezer Tips

Glazed carrots can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Before storage, let the carrots cool to room temperature. Do not leave glazed carrots, or any cooked food, at room temperature longer than 2 hours. Bacterial growth is likely to occur, compromising food safety. That said, giving food time to cool is important since hot foods should not go directly into a refrigerator.

How to Reheat

Reheat glazed carrots in a skillet with a bit of oil or butter. If they are dry, you can add more butter, a splash of soy sauce, or broth. The choice is yours. They require 4-5 minutes on medium heat. You can also reheat glazed carrots in the microwave. Loosely cover them with a microwave-safe lid and heat the glazed carrots in 30-second intervals.

Brown Sugar-Soy Glazed Carrots

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes

Brown sugar glazed carrots are the way to go if you need a delicious and easy side dish. The sweet and savory sweet soy glaze makes these carrots real crowd-pleasers.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds carrots, trimmed and peeled if not organic
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon soy sauce

Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
    2. Halve each carrot lengthwise, then cut it into 1 ½ inch slices. Transfer the carrots to a nonstick baking sheet.
    3. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle the carrots with salt and black pepper, then toss again.
    4. Spread the carrots in a single layer and roast for 25-30 minutes. The carrots are ready when they are fork-tender. Flip them at the 15-minute mark so they roast evenly.
    5. When the carrots are almost done, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
    6. Stir in the sugar and soy sauce. Leave the glaze to cook for 3-5 minutes or until thickened.
    7. Pour the glaze over the roasted carrots, toss to coat, then serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 175Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 467mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 1g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

© Monique McArthur
Cuisine: American / Category: Sides
Brown Sugar-Soy Glazed Carrots

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