Grilled Carrots With Browned Butter Sauce
Lightly charred and caramelized grilled carrots drizzled with a mouthwatering, naturally sweet brown butter sauce will excite your taste buds! This easy, economical, and tasty side will make you rethink the veggies on your plate. Booyah for plants.
I think carrots might be the most underrated vegetable. They’re so good for us, taste fantastic grilled, and are one of the cheapest vegetables out there. Yay!
Dress them up with a brown butter sauce, complete with garlic for aromatics, balsamic vinegar for the acidic twist, and honey to balance it all out. And no worries if you don’t like browning butter because these guys are impressive with just olive oil, salt, and pepper.
What Grilling Does for Carrots
Carrots are naturally sweet already, but grilling (just like oven roasting) caramelizes that natural sweetness. Instead of water taking the flavor out (boiling), grilling takes the extra water out and intensifies the flavor. If you’ve ever had tasteless and mushy boiled carrots, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
How to Grill Carrots
- Clean and season the carrots, then grill them.
- Brown the butter, cool slightly, and strain. Season with garlic, thyme, honey, and balsamic vinegar.
Recipe Tips
- Peeling is optional. If the carrots are fresh, a good scrub is enough. However, if the peel is slightly bitter, you may want to peel them.
- Sprinkle the carrots with smoked paprika and ground cumin before grilling for extra flavor.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
You can prep and season the carrots and make the browned butter ahead. Store the carrots in a zip-lock bag in the fridge. Gently reheat the butter in a saucepan while the carrots are grilling, and you are good to go.
Leftover grilled carrots are an ideal meal prep ingredient, so go ahead and make a double or triple batch. Keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days and put them in salads, soups, and stews.
What to Serve With Grilled Carrots
I love using the grill space for boneless chicken thighs with scalloped potatoes on the side. A refreshing cucumber salad lightens things up in the summer, and a tomato basil soup or vegetable soup takes off the chill in the winter.
More Awesome Grilled Veggie Recipes to Try
- Grilled Yellow Squash
- Simple Grilled Bok Choy
- Grilled Okra with Dipping Sauce
- Easy Bell Peppers
- Grilled Tomatoes
By Imma
Grilled Carrots With Browned Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) carrots (5-6 medium or 3-4 large carrots)
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) canola or olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 tablespoons (40-60g) unsalted butter
- 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 teaspoons (1-2g) minced thyme
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) honey
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Grilling Carrots
- Preheat your grill to medium-high heat or 400℉ (200℃).
- Wash and peel (peeling optional) the carrots. Slice them lengthwise if they are too big. Place them in a large, shallow bowl, drizzle them with oil, and sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste. Toss until the carrots are evenly coated with the oil and seasonings.
- Place the seasoned carrots in the preheated grill for 15-20 minutes. How long it takes will depend on the size of the carrots.
- Rotate them once in a while until grill marks appear and they're tender but not mushy.
Browned Butter Sauce
- While they're grilling, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to foam and turn golden brown. Swirl the pan occasionally, being careful not to let it burn. Once it starts browning and gives off a nutty aroma, take it off the heat and let it cool slightly.
- Strain the butter through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of any burnt specks.
- Wipe out any particles left in the saucepan with a paper towel, and pour the strained butter back into the saucepan.
- Turn the heat back on and cook the garlic and thyme for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in the honey and balsamic vinegar until well mixed. Take it off the heat and set aside.
- Place the grilled carrots on a serving plate and drizzle with seasoned browned butter. Serve more butter on the side if desired.
- Serve with your favorite entree and sides, and enjoy.
Tips & Notes:
- Fresh, firm carrots work best for grilling. Wilted or soft ones might work, but they won’t taste as good.
- Cut the carrots to about the same size for even cooking. Feel free to halve the extra-large carrots to make them the same size as the rest.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional data is a rough estimate and can vary greatly depending on the ingredients used.
Delicious recipe! I totally agree that roasting and grilling do a favor for vegetables; no boiling them in my house.