Sauteed Carrots

With just 5 ingredients, these Sautéed Carrots make a quick and easy vegetable side dish. They’re ready in just 20 minutes and the perfect side for nearly any dinner, especially fish, chicken or beef.

Sometimes you just need a healthy side dish that you can whip up in a pinch. These sautéed carrots are made with just 5 ingredients, including salt and pepper, and are lightly seasoned so they work with almost any main dish.

What I love about sautéing vegetables is that you get more flavor than just steaming them and there’s no need to heat up the oven. From start to finish, in just 20 minutes you get perfectly seasoned tender carrots.

I love to make these in the summer with garden fresh carrots as a side dish to grilled chicken but this is also an easy recipe to double for Thanksgiving or other holidays. Once you realize how simple they are to make, these will quickly become a dinner staple.

What You’ll Need

Including salt & pepper, there are just 5 ingredients needed to make this easy carrot side dish! It’s likely that you already have all of them in your fridge, making this an easy side for the nights you’re not sure what to make.

• Carrots – Be sure to wash and peel before cooking.
• Water – For boiling the carrots.
• Salt & pepper – To taste.
• Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter to control the saltiness in all my dishes.
• Olive oil – I recommend olive oil over other oils as it does provide a slight flavor to the dish.
• Fresh parsley – Fresh parsley brightens the dish and adds a nice pop of flavor as a garnish. Thyme is a good alternative if you don’t have parsley.

How to Make Sauteed Carrots

There’s just 3 steps to making these carrots. Even better, they’re ready in well under 20 minutes!

1. Boil the carrots. Bring carrots, water, salt and pepper to a boil then cook for 7-8 minutes until the carrots are just cooked.
2. Saute. Add the butter and oil, and saute until the water evaporates and carrots are coated.
3. Season and serve. Top with parsley and season with additional salt and pepper before serving.

Tips for Success

Since these sautéed carrots are so simple, it’s all but impossible to mess them up! But here are a few tips to making sure you get the best carrots every time.

• Cut carrots to equal size. Try to cut all pieces of carrots to approximately the same size. This ensures that they all cook perfectly, versus some pieces being under or over-cooked.
• Use a high-quality olive oil. When you’re using so few ingredients, quality matters! Choose the best quality oil that you have.
• Make them sweet. Add maple syrup or honey if you want a sweet side dish.
• Switch up the herbs. Thyme, oregano, chives, basil and dill all work well with carrots. An easy way to switch it up if you find yourself making these a lot!

Serving Suggestions

Sautéed carrots make the perfect side dish to nearly any protein. I like to serve them with chicken recipes, like Baked Boneless Chicken Thighs, Baked Mango Habanero Chicken Wings or Baked Chicken Cutlets or fish, like Air Fryer Lemon Cod.

Since these carrots come together quickly and are lightly seasoned, they are a versatile side dish that complements almost anything. They’re perfect when you want a side dish that won’t overpower that flavors in your main dish, and, of course, when you need something quick and easy.

These carrots cooked in a skillet are a great way to lighten up a pasta dinner too! They pair nicely with any pasta done in a white wine or butter sauce.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

If you have leftovers, they will last in the fridge for up to 5 days! I like to make extra so we have veggies in the fridge ready to go for any meal. Just be sure to store in an airtight container.

You can reheat these carrots on the stovetop or in the microwave. I prefer the stovetop as sometimes the microwave can make them just a bit mushy when reheating.

Can I Freeze These?

Yes, you can freeze sautéed carrots! Allow to thaw in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop. They’ll last for up to 3 months in the freezer.

More Easy Vegetable Side Dishes:

• Sauteed Butternut Squash
• Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
• Oven Roasted Beets
• Sautéed Eggplant
• Grilled Peppers and Onions
• Sauteed Swiss Chard
• Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions
• Pickled Carrots

Did you make these sautéed carrots? Leave a recipe rating and review below.