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, so it's no wonder you'll feel this way.
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.
The secret ingredient
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 into a nutty, decadent sauce. Here, that butter is infused with garlic and honey to create both a marinade and glaze for roasted carrots.
Double duty
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.
Honey-Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots
Serves 6 to 8
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)
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425 F.
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.
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.
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.
Roast 15 minutes. Flip the carrots, and then roast until the carrots are tender and the edges are charred and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes more.
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: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
This article is written by Sheela Prakash from The Kitchn and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.
