Steamed carrots are delicious. They have a fresh, naturally sweet taste and require minimal seasoning. It's one of those simple-yet-fabulous recipes! It's ready in about 25 minutes, and it goes well with countless main dishes.
I enjoy raw carrots dipped in ranch dressing, sour cream dip, or yogurt dip. They make a great snack. I also like them cooked, and steaming is my favorite way of enjoying them. I've got nothing against labor-intensive side dishes or complex vegetable recipes. But sometimes, especially during the workweek, the simplest recipes are the best.
Ingredients
You'll only need four simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Fresh carrots: I usually use standard large carrots in this recipe, simply because that's what I have in the fridge.
- Melted butter: I love using creamy European butter because it's so delicious. But any butter will be great. It's up to you if you'd like to use salted or unsalted butter. I usually use unsalted butter.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Variations
These minimally cooked carrots have a fresh, naturally sweet flavor, so they require minimal seasoning. A sprinkle of kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and perhaps a drizzle of melted butter are all it takes to dress these delicious, simply prepared carrots.
The best way to vary this recipe is to experiment with more spices. You can sprinkle the cooked carrots with garlic powder and dried thyme, for example, in addition to salt and pepper.
You can also drizzle them with a small amount of honey in addition to butter.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Your first step is to start boiling the water. While you wait for the water to boil, prepare the carrots. Peel them, cut off the ends, and cut them into fairly equal-sized chunks.
Place the carrots in a steamer basket and steam them until they are tender-crisp. This should take 10-12 minutes, depending on how thick the carrot chunks are. You don't want to overcook them and make them mushy.
Season the cooked carrots with melted butter, salt, and pepper, and serve.
Expert Tip
Make sure not to overcook the carrots. You want to steam them until just tender - so check with a fork, and start checking after 10 minutes. It's better to slightly undercook them than to overcook them.
Recipe FAQs
Not very long. I like to steam them until just tender, but still firm. Never soft or mushy. This only takes about 12 minutes, sometimes even less, depending on the thickness of your carrots.
I prefer steaming. It's a gentle cooking method that allows the vegetables to remain bright-colored and tender-crisp.
Yes! Although it's delicious, if you'd rather skip it, you can simply season the carrots with salt and pepper. They're delicious with or without butter.
Serving Suggestions
Steamed carrots make a great side dish for any meat or fish. Their mild sweetness makes them an especially great side dish to honey garlic chicken. I also like to serve them with baked pork chops, pork roast, and duck breast.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. Or snack on them cold! They're surprisingly good.
More Carrot Recipes
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Recipe Card
Easy Steamed Carrots
Video
Ingredients
- 4 carrots - large
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - melted
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper - freshly ground
Instructions
- Add 1.5 inches of water to a saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- Peel the carrots, cut off the ends, cut them in half crosswise, and then cut the fat halves in half lengthwise, as shown in the video below. Your goal is to achieve fairly equal-sized chunks of carrots.
- Place the prepared carrots in a steamer basket.
- When the water boils, carefully place the steamer basket in the saucepan, cover it, and steam the carrots until just tender. Check with a fork, and start checking after 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the water to make sure it doesn't completely evaporate.
- Remove the carrots from the steamer onto a serving plate. Drizzle them with melted butter and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure not to overcook the carrots. You want to steam them until just tender - so check with a fork, and start checking after 10 minutes. It's better to slightly undercook them than to overcook them.
- The best way to vary this recipe is to experiment with more spices. You can sprinkle the cooked carrots with a bit of garlic powder and dried thyme, for example, in addition to salt and pepper. You can also drizzle them with a small amount of honey in addition to butter.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. They're also good cold!
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
Alllakskdd says
The texture is perfect, but I feel like there’s something tangy I wish I had, but not experienced enough. I don’t know if a splash of lemon or balsamic vinegar would mess this up.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thanks for the feedback! Feel free to squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of the carrots after they're done. I suggest starting with half a tablespoon.