My Orange Glazed Carrots are such an easy side dish to make whenever you need something quick but special. We often have them with just a regular dinner, but they are great for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter!
My 5 year old is convinced she’s part rabbit, so naturally she’s obsessed with carrots. A couple of years ago I started making these Crock Pot Glazed Carrots, but I really needed a quick and easy version I could make without much planning ahead. And thus, these Orange Glazed Carrots were born!
My first attempt was quite the disaster – I added way too much orange juice and had to stir in so much cornstarch to thicken it. It was basically carrots in orange pudding. Nothing you’re going to want to emulate, ha!
I played around with the recipe a little, but in the end I settled on a very simple but tasty way of making these. Once the carrots are peeled and sliced, I simmer them in salted water until they’re just tender. In order to get a nice, thin glaze (and not an Orange Julius) around the carrots, I ultimately left out the cornstarch and just used less orange juice to toss and turn the cooked carrots in over moderate heat. A few herbs and spices… And wow, in just a few minutes you can get a wonderful vegetable side dish on the table.
These go really well with a holiday dinner (like with my Crock Pot Pineapple Ham!), but they’re also delicious on a weeknight with some mashed potatoes and Crock Pot Cranberry Pork Chops.
Enjoy!
Orange Glazed Carrots
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 8 large carrots peeled and sliced into
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Chopped parsley optional to serve
Instructions
- Cook carrots: Add the carrots to a deep skillet or sauté pan and cover them with water. Bring to a boil, salt and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender.
Drain, then add bak to the skillet.
- Glaze carrots: Whisk all remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the butter and parsley together in a measuring jug. Pour over carrots and toss, then add the butter.
Place over medium-high heat and simmer while tossing, until liquids have reduced and are forming a glaze around the carrots (this should only take a couple of minutes). - Serve: Place the carrots in a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.
Notes
Cooking Tips:
Cutting the carrots: I like to cut the carrots on the diagonal to make them look a little prettier. I slice mine into about ¼ – ½ inch thick rounds to help them cook faster. If you want larger chunks of carrots, you’ll need to cook them for 15-20 minutes instead. What if the glaze doesn’t thicken: If your orange juice mixture doesn’t reduce to a glaze, you likely don’t have enough heat going on. Try increasing the heat slightly to make sure the liquids are bubbling up and simmering.Make Ahead Instructions:
- Cook the carrots up to 3 days in advance and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use
- Combine the orange juice, brown sugar, salt and spices up to 1 day in advance and keep it covered in the fridge (the spices will intensify this way, just a word of caution)
- When ready to serve, place the carrots and orange juice mixture in a sauté pan and gently heat until the carrots are hot. Then increase the heat, add the butter and toss until glazed.
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