Honey-Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots

updated Oct 11, 2020
thanksgiving

A simple side dish recipe for roasted carrots tossed in a honey-garlic brown butter sauce.

Serves6 to 8

Prep5 minutes

Cook35 minutes to 39 minutes

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Once you’ve tasted these roasted carrots bathed in a honey-garlic butter sauce, you might proclaim (like both my husband and I did) that it’s the only way you’ll ever eat carrots again. The combination of nutty brown butter, fragrant garlic, and sweet honey is basically the dream team.

The carrots soak up all this goodness to become a side dish that rivals the main course, and they’re nothing like the mushy carrots of your childhood. Believe me: You’ll dream about these carrots.

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Brown Butter Is the Secret to the Best Roasted Carrots

Brown butter makes pretty much everything better, and roasted carrots are no exception. The process of browning butter is simple: you’ll simply cook butter a bit past the point of melting it, caramelizing the milk solids and leaving you with a nutty, decadent sauce. Here, that butter is infused with garlic and honey to create both a marinade and glaze for roasted carrots.

A Smart Sauce That Doubles as a Marinade and a Glaze

Half of the sauce is drizzled on the carrots before they roast, allowing them to soak up the flavors of the garlic and honey as they cook. Once they’re out of the oven, they’re tossed in the remaining sauce, making them glisten with buttery goodness. A sprinkling of chopped parsley and flaky sea salt adds freshness and pizzazz before they become the talk of the dinner table.

Credit: Joe Lingeman

Honey-Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots

A simple side dish recipe for roasted carrots tossed in a honey-garlic brown butter sauce.

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 35 minutes to 39 minutes

Serves 6 to 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds

    carrots

  • 3 tablespoons

    unsalted butter

  • 3

    cloves garlic, minced or grated

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons

    honey

  • 1 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons

    coarsely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves

  • Flaky sea salt (optional)

Instructions

  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425°F.

  2. Peel and trim the carrots. If they are more than 1-inch thick, cut them in half lengthwise; otherwise, leave them whole. Cut the carrots diagonally into 2-inch-long pieces. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; set aside.

  3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is a golden-tan color, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter is toasty-brown, about 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat, add the honey, and whisk to combine.

  4. Drizzle half the brown butter sauce over the carrots and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss to coat again. Spread the carrots into an even layer.

  5. Roast 15 minutes. Flip the carrots, then roast until the carrots are tender and the edges are charred and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes more.

  6. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle the remaining half of the brown butter sauce over the carrots, add the parsley, and toss to combine. Finish with a generous pinch of flaky sea salt, if using. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.