Looking for a holiday side dish? Maple glazed carrots bring sweet, buttery flavor to the table and make an easy addition to Thanksgiving or Sunday dinner!
These maple glazed carrots are tender in the center, lightly caramelized at the edges, and coated in a glossy maple-butter glaze that tastes sweet, savory, bright, and just a little grown-up!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds medium carrots, peeled
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup water or low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving
- A pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
Servings: 6
How to Make Maple Glazed Carrots
Start by peeling the carrots and cutting them into pieces about 1 1/2 inches long, slicing thicker carrots in half lengthwise so every piece is close in size.
The angled cuts create more surface area for the glaze, and they also give finished carrots those lovely little sloping edges that catch the butter and maple syrup.
If some pieces are much thicker than others, halve them rather than hoping they will magically cook at the same speed, because vegetables do not believe in teamwork when they are different sizes.
Place a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once it melts and begins to foam, add carrots, water or broth, and kosher salt.
Stir everything together, cover the skillet, and let the carrots cook for 7 to 9 minutes.
You are looking for carrots that have softened but still offer a little resistance when pierced with a fork. They should not be fully tender yet because they still need time to absorb the glaze.
Remove the lid and raise heat to medium-high. Let the liquid simmer for another 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of it evaporates and carrots begin to look shiny around the edges.
This step matters more than it seems! If you add maple syrup while there is still a lot of water in the skillet, the glaze becomes thin and slides away instead of clinging to carrots.
Add remaining tablespoon of butter, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, black pepper, thyme, orange zest, and cayenne if using.
Reduce heat to medium and gently toss carrots every 30 seconds for 3 to 5 minutes, until sauce bubbles slowly and coats each piece with a glossy finish.
Keep a close eye on the skillet now, because maple syrup can move from beautifully caramelized to unpleasantly smoky in a surprisingly short time.
If glaze thickens before carrots are tender, add 1 tablespoon water and continue cooking for another minute or two.
Turn off heat and let carrots rest in skillet for 2 minutes. This small pause allows glaze to settle onto carrots instead of immediately running onto serving plate.
Taste one piece and adjust with another pinch of salt, a little black pepper, or a few extra drops of vinegar if sweetness needs balancing.
Sprinkle with parsley and a few fresh thyme leaves just before serving.
These maple glazed carrots are the kind of side dish that quietly steals attention from everything else on the plate.
They are colorful, buttery, lightly sweet, easy enough for a Tuesday, and polished enough for a holiday dinner, which is a very useful combination when you want vegetables to disappear from the serving bowl without having to negotiate with anyone at the table!
