If you’ve been looking for a quick and easy way to cook carrots that tastes scrumptious, Sautéed Carrots are for you! They’re perfectly tender and the ideal mix of sweet and savory.
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Sautéed Carrots Recipe
- Picky Eater-Friendly. With their natural sweetness, carrots are always a winner! I have a hunch even the pickier eaters will approve this one, especially if you add the honey or maple syrup, which let’s be honest—no one at the table is likely to mind in the least.
- Pairs with Everything. As with my Roasted Carrots, these easy sautéed carrots are as versatile as it gets. They’ll mesh well with any other flavors you have on the table.
- No Oven Required. Whether it’s a hot day outside or you just don’t feel like turning on your oven, sautéed carrots (or Sautéed Brussels Sprouts or Sautéed Spinach) are the move. They are faster to make than roasted too.
How to Make Sautéed Carrots
The Ingredients
- Carrots. This recipe calls for 2 pounds of carrots and will yield 6 servings, which makes it great for meal prep. Feel free to scale it up or down as needed.
- Unsalted Butter. If you’d like the carrots vegan, use coconut oil in place of the butter. I find it tastes more rich and satisfying than olive oil.
- Honey or Pure Maple Syrup. Both are absolutely scrumptious with carrots and enhance their natural sweetness. We use honey most often, but maple syrup is a fun change of pace.
- Herbs. Whatever you have in your refrigerator! A tablespoon or two perks up the carrots and adds freshness. If given the choice, parsley or thyme are my favorites (as they are on Sautéed Mushrooms).
The Directions
- Boil the Carrots and Water. Keep covered until they’re tender.
- Add the Butter and Honey. Cook until the water evaporates.
- Stir in Fresh Herbs. They’re delicious in this recipe. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Garlic. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic to the pan with your carrots with the herbs, salt, and pepper. Cook 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Balsamic. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar over the top of the carrots during the last minute or two of their cooking time, and toss to coat.
- Thyme. Use thyme as your fresh herb in this recipe. It’s a delicious pairing!
- Brown Sugar. Swap the honey/maple syrup in the recipe for 1 to 2 tablespoons of light or dark brown sugar. You could play around with adding a pinch of cinnamon (I’d omit the herbs if using cinnamon though or try rosemary).
- Slow Cooker Carrots. Try my Crockpot Carrots recipe instead.
- Air Fryer. Air Fryer Carrots are a quick way to enjoy this humble veggie.
Leftover Ideas
Toss leftover carrots into Instant Pot Mac and Cheese to bulk up the veggies. Leftover carrots would also be tasty in Quinoa Salad.
What to Serve with Sautéed Carrots
- Salmon. These carrots would be a tasty side dish for Salmon Wellington or Baked Salmon.
- Stir Fry. Since these carrots are so versatile, they’ll pair well with a more flavorful dish like Sesame Chicken or Healthy Beef and Broccoli. You may want to skip adding the herbs.
- Chicken. This Chicken Cacciatore or Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu would be delicious paired with sautéed carrots.
- Pasta. Serve these carrots with Cavatelli and Broccoli for a veggie-packed meal.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- The More the Merrier. You can add more veggies to this recipe for variety, as long as those veggies cook in a similar amount of time. Sautéed carrots with onions (slice the onions thinly) or sautéed carrots with broccoli (cut the broccoli into florets like in this Roasted Broccoli and Carrots recipe) would both be tasty twists.
- No Mushy Carrots. If there’s one thing that I insist you do, it’s watching your carrots while they’re boiling. Make sure that your carrots aren’t cooking too quickly. We want crisp-tender carrots, not mushy ones.
- Use the Herbs. Unless you’re pairing your carrots with super bold flavors (like those in a stir fry), don’t skip the addition of fresh herbs. I promise it’s worth it! The flavors of the fresh herbs pop against the carrots, and their bright green color adds a nice touch for presentation purposes.
Sautéed Carrots
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
This recipe for sautéed carrots is a quick, easy side dish fast enough for weeknight dinners but delicious enough for a holiday meal!
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots peeled and cut into diagonal, 1/4-inch-thick slices
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter use coconut oil to make vegan
- 1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs of choice: parsley, dill, and thyme are all delicious
Instructions
- In a large saute pan or deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid, place the carrots, water, salt, and pepper. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until the carrots just reach fork tender (don’t let them turn mushy).
- Uncover, add the butter and honey, and stir and cook until the water evaporates (and the coconut oil melts, if using). Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the herbs. Add a finishing sprinkle of salt or pepper to taste. Enjoy hot.
Notes
- TO STORE: Keep the carrots in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm the carrots in a large skillet on the stove over medium-low heat until hot. You can also rewarm them in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Store leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 90kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgPotassium: 484mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 25374IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg
Email Me the Recipe!
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While I now know everything about why I should make this recipe and how it will taste in the end, along with more variations than I will have time to make, I still don’t know how much water. It says to bring the carrots and water to boil in a skillet. How much water, please?
Hi Susan! All the specific ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. If you click the “Jump To Recipe” button at the top of the page, it will take you right to it. I hope this helps!
I can’t possibly eat that much carrot. I usually have one carrot, or 1/2. What amount of water for a small quantity of carrots? Enough to cover? I don’t want boiled carrots.
Hi Steven! You could try freezing the leftovers for easy future meals. Otherwise, you could try cutting the entire recipe in half or thirds. I hope this helps!
I’m usually not a big fan of carrots but I had a bag of sliced frozen carrots in the fridge and I decided to try your recipe.
I added thyme and butter and a dash of garlic powder. They are delicious. The thyme goes well with the carrots much to my surprise.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the recipe, Barbara! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I very much like raw carrots but only like cooked ones in soup. However, I would make this for my husband because of the versatility. It’s the same with asparagus – love it raw but cooked, not so much. Happy weekend – wait, everyday is like the weekend at this point!
I hope you love the recipe if you try it, Chris!
Your sautéed brussel sprouts have become a staple for me, and I am so excited to try these too!
I’m so happy to hear that, Allison! I hope you enjoy this recipe too!
The most fabulous carrots I’ve ever eaten – Ever! Who knew they could be so delicious? I will never return to my high heat/oil saute methods. Honestly, these were remarkable – so I remarked about them to my Cooks Club Facebook group and shared your recipe. I also pre-ordered your cookbook. So looking forward to it. With all the email I receive, i look forward to yours, Erin!
THANK YOU for all your support and kind words, Debbie! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this recipe!
I don’t know why I’ve never tried sautéing carrots before, but this was super good and easy. I had some freeze dried parsley I used for the herbs and that worked well. Took about the same amount of time as the salmon I baked to go with it. Thank you, Erin!
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed them, Emily! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I was looking for a quick way to make fresh carrots last night for dinner and I came upon this recipe. I added the maple syrup as suggested. These were the absolute best!! My husband even loved them, and he doesn’t like carrots unless they have been cooked with a roast. This will definitely be a regular in our house from now on! I am planning on trying the recipes for the brussel sprouts and zucchini as research are two of our favorites, especially brussel sprouts!! Thank you so much!!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Roni! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made these carrots tonight and they were perfect! I’m so glad I tried this recipe!
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Jeannie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Recipe delicious. However I must have done something wrong. I needed to cook the carrots 20 min. On medium high. I have an electric stove top.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Christina! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Turn out awesome. Will definitely make again. Thank you
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Patricia! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I use grated carrots to do this because of the time factor, plus they’re coated even better. Yummy, and a fabulous color factor!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Nikki! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I had leftover maple bourbon sauce from another recipe that I was struggling to decide how to use. The carrots were a perfect concept! Instead of the butter/maple or honey per your recipe, I just sauteed the carrots as directed, and then poured my leftover sauce over them and let it simmer just a bit longer. Perfect! :)
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Marisa! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Who knew carrots could taste so good! Thanks for another healthy and tasty side dish!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Lisa! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
It’s was great taste. It was easy to make also.
Hi Lynda! So glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for this kind review!
Delicious! I’ve made these twice, both times with dried dill. Easy to make and they taste good. My girls are 6 and 4 and they call them “Splinter” carrots-haha! Fortunately they taste better than splinters!
Hi Amber! That is so cute! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I hope you think this is funny. I am prepping my body for an unsavory medical thing, and had to eat a low fiber diet. They suggested cooked carrots, so I thought I would make your crockpot carrots. I haven’t eaten them any way except roasted for a long time, and they needed to be softer. But, I didn’t leave enough time to make them in the slow cooker. So, searching the web for a way to cook them faster and this recipe caught my attention. Not until I got here and started reading did I notice it was Well Plated. Of course it would be! Where else would I get another great recipe? Thank you!
Hi Barb! Hope you enjoy them!
Delicious and easy
Hi Betz! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
So yummy! I used butter, honey, parsley and thyme. There were NO leftovers.
Hi Karen! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
These were amazingly good! Thank you for the recipe
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Heather! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I normally don’t eat carrots, but someone gave me homegrown and I made your recipe all I can say is WOW!!! Amazing, I will eat more carrots now cooked this way. Plus my family that eats carrots only want them made this way from now on. Thank you.
Hi Cindy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I am trying recipes to get myself to eat veggies as I usually don’t. I couldn’t get enough of these. I literally inhaled them. Will make again and again!
Hi K! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
The carrots didn’t have any flavour at all when I tried this recipe. But it isn’t sauteeing, it’s steaming. Steaming the carrots in a pan and tossing them with butter while the water evaporates doesn’t make them sauteed.
I’m sorry you to hear had trouble with the recipe, Chris. I know it’s frustrating to try a new recipe and not have it turn out. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed them, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too! It’s hard to say what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you.
I noticed some carrots sitting in my refrigerator so I stumbled upon this recipe and thought I’d give it a go. Just finished this recipe and added a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end and lots of Tyme. Came out wonderful, both my husband and I love it. Thank you!
Hi Brianne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
How much water?
Hi KV! It’s #2 on the ingredient list. 1/3 cup. Hope this helps!
Made the carrots yesterday and added broccoli and zucchini squash. Very good,fulĺ of flavour
Glad you enjoyed them, G! Thank you!
I tried out this sauteed carrots recipe, and I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. The carrots were perfectly cooked, with a great balance of tenderness and a bit of bite. The seasoning was spot-on, not complicated at all.
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the carrots, Christine! Thank you!
I was surprised by how simple this recipe was, yet the results were so delicious. Even my picky kids loved this recipe. They devoured the sautéed carrots without any complaints. It’s a great way to introduce children to healthy vegetables. Thank you so much for this recipe!
So happy to hear, thank you Peyton!
I’m thrilled with how these sauteed carrots turned out. They were tender but still had a slight bite, and the seasoning was subtle yet delicious. A great addition to any meal!
Great to hear, thank you Monika!
Yum! This will be an easy go-to side now, thanks for sharing!
So glad to hear, Samantha! Thank you!