These steamed carrots have a fresh, naturally sweet flavor and require minimal seasoning. A sprinkle of kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and perhaps a drizzle of melted butter are all they need.
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. This is one of them.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Fresh carrots: I usually use standard large carrots.
- Melted butter: 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.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
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.
Season the cooked carrots with melted butter, salt, and pepper, and serve.
The entire family enjoyed these carrots. Easy and delicious. Thanks you!
Andrea
Read more comments
The entire family enjoyed these carrots. Easy and delicious. Thanks you!Recipe 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 than to overcook them.
Recipe FAQs
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.
Yes. They should require the same steaming time of 10-12 minutes if you want them tender-crisp.
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!
Serving Suggestions
Steamed carrots pair well with countless main courses. Their mild sweetness makes them an especially great side dish to any of the following:
Recipe Card
Simple 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 than to overcook them.
- You can use baby carrots. They should require the same steaming time of 10-12 minutes if you want them tender-crisp.
- 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.
Andrea says
The entire family enjoyed these carrots. Easy and delicious. Thanks you!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Andrea! Thank you very much for the review.
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.