Sauteed Carrots

These sautéed carrots are delicious and a delightful side dish to any menu!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Vegetable

Keyword carrots, cooked carrots, sauteed carrots

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings cups

Calories 303kcal

Wash carrots and cut them in diagonal triangles. Peel and dice the onion.
Heat a large cast iron skillet or stainless steel saute pan on medium-high heat.
Add extra virgin olive oil and once that comes to a shimmer, add the onion and carrots. Stir until the vegetables are coated with the oil.
2 - 3 pounds carrots, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion
Cover and cook for a good 5 minutes before flipping or stirring.
Add butter, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir until mixed, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
1/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Add garlic, stir, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Again stirring every 5 minutes.
4 - 5 cloves garlic
Check the carrots to see if they are cooked through. You should be able to easily put a fork into them, and they shouldn't be mushy but have a little bite. If it needs more time, add another 5 minutes but I find 30 minutes total cooking time is perfect.
Serve out of the pan or transfer to a serving bowl.
Enjoy.

You can substitute rainbow carrots for orange carrots, but I find their sizes vary greatly, which makes cutting the vegetable in triangles a little harder.

Ensure the carrot slices are uniform in size to promote even cooking. Diagonal cuts not only look appealing but also create more surface area for better caramelization.

Make sure your pan is hot before adding the olive oil. This helps the carrots get a nice sear, enhancing their natural sweetness.

Don't worry about over crowding the pan. You will be stirring the carrots every 5 minutes so every carrot will be fork tender.

Begin cooking the carrots on medium-high heat to give them a quick sear, then reduce the heat to medium-low to allow them to cook through without burning.

You will cook the carrots in 5-minute increments before stirring. Total cooking time should be about 30 minutes, so you will be stirring and flipping the carrots a total of 5 times.

If using garlic, add it toward the end of cooking to prevent it from burning, which can give the dish a bitter taste.

Adding butter to this dish gives it a rich, silky finish, enhancing the overall flavor. Salted butter is my go-to, but you can also use unsalted butter.

Carrots should be tender but still have a slight bite to them. Use a fork to test their doneness, ensuring they’re cooked to your preferred texture.

For storage - add any leftover carrots to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to a week.