Description
A quick and easy weeknight side dish featuring baby carrots roasted with nutty brown butter, sweet honey, and fresh thyme. This one-pan recipe is ready in about 25 minutes and delivers impressive flavor with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 pounds baby carrots (or large carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch coins/batons)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, stripped and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Optional garnish: fresh parsley or chives, crumbled goat cheese or feta, toasted pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Place carrots on the prepared sheet pan. If using large carrots, chop them to uniform size now.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the foam clears and milk solids turn amber with a nutty aroma (3-5 minutes).
- Immediately remove butter from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl, scraping in all brown bits to stop the cooking process.
- Drizzle the browned butter over the carrots. Add honey, olive oil, minced garlic, chopped thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Toss carrots thoroughly until evenly coated and shiny.
- Spread carrots in a single layer on the sheet pan, ensuring they are not crowded.
- Roast for 12-15 minutes, tossing halfway through, until tender and caramelized.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, optionally garnished with cheese, nuts, or fresh herbs.
Notes
Do not crowd the pan to ensure carrots roast rather than steam. Watch the butter closely to prevent burning. For a vegan version, swap butter for olive oil or vegan butter and honey for maple syrup. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheated in a skillet with a splash of water.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 1/6 of
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 6
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 15
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 2
Keywords: roasted carrots, brown butter, honey glazed carrots, thyme, easy side dish, weeknight dinner, gluten-free, vegetarian