Simple but delicious Orange Glazed Carrots that will definitely make your Christmas dinner plate more flavoursome and vibrant with colour! Cooked in a pan on the hob, this is a great recipe when you’re short on oven space cooking up a storm on a Christmas day! Glazed with sweet and sour orange and brown sugar syrup, these Christmas Carrots are a perfect sidekick to turkey!
We are giving a more traditional roasted maple-glazed carrots and parsnips a miss this year! Instead, we decided to use oranges and create a lovely sweet and sour glaze. You won’t believe it, but it only takes 25 minutes to make! And it all goes in one pan! And it only requires 4 ingredients (plus seasoning)! Most importantly, these carrots are delicious!
Start by peeling your carrots. We like to cut them into bite-size chunks so that they are quick to cook and to increase the surface area for glazing 🙂 Zest an orange. You can either squeeze the juice out of it at this stage or later directly into the pan.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan, then add your carrots and cook on high heat for 4 minutes until they are starting to brown. Tip in the brown sugar, orange zest and orange juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Turn the heat down and simmer for 8-10 minutes until your carrots are cooked to your liking. Stir occasionally. We do like a bit of crunch, so we only cook for 8 minutes. However, it all depends on your personal preferences, as well as the size of your carrot chunks.
Your Orange Glazed Carrots should be beautiful and glossy, inviting you to dig in. Sprinkle with some parsley if you wish and serve!
If you like this recipe, maybe we can temp you to cook some other delicious Christmas sides, including:
- Balsamic-Glazed Red Cabbage Steaks | A Perfect Christmas Dinner Side
- Honey Mustard Glazed Brussels Sprouts
- Rosemary Scented Christmas Pommes Anna – An Alternative to Roast Potatoes
Orange Glazed Carrots in a Pan
Ingredients
- 500 g carrots peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 orange zested and juiced
- 20 g brown sugar
- a small bunch of parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the carrots and fry on high heat for 4-5 minutes until starting to brown.
- Add the brown sugar, orange zest and orange juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Reduce the heat and carry on cooking for another 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Your carrots should soften but still have a bit of crunch. If your carrot chunks are very large, you may need to cook for a bit longer.
- Sprinkle some finely chopped parsley on top and serve!
