Orange Glazed Carrots -

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Nothing screams "Spring" more than delicious Orange Glazed Carrots! Feature these healthy root vegetables at your Easter table or on your weeknight dinner table.

You'll love this quick and easy, light and flavorful hint of orange with fresh carrots!

Orange glazed carrots in white bowl — Heighten the flavor of carrots with an orange glaze! Yum!

Why you'll love this recipe!

Quick and easy - ready in minutes
All-natural ingredients - no additives, preservatives or yucky stuff
Deliciously flavorful and light-adds a hint of orange, which pairs beautifully with carrots

The orange glaze is ready in 5-minutes, so while you're cooking your carrots, make the sauce!

This glaze has a mild flavor designed to accent the natural sweetness of the carrot and in order to let the flavor of the carrot shine-through. Organic is the only way to go in my opinion.

I like to include these on my Easter menu as a side dish, along with steamed Brussels sprouts and English Pea salad...the perfect combination with ham!

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients for recipe on counter — Ingredients for Orange Glazed carrots includes carrots, cornstarch, orange juice, butter, salt and sugar (not shown)

I think I'm a carrot snob. I find "baby" and conventional (non-organic) carrots very bland, therefore, I highly recommend organic for this recipe.

Cornstarch is the thickening agent which provides a nice, translucent sheen to this smooth sauce. Use this glaze on roasted or steamed carrots; just drizzle the sauce over them and serve!

How to cook carrots

There's a few ways to cook these delicious root vegetables. Steam, boil or roast...whichever method you use, you'll want to cook them until their slightly fork-tender, yet still a bit firm.

Steaming method:

Steaming vegetables is the preferred method for retaining nutrients and vibrant color. Use a steamer basket or, if you don't have one, place an aluminum colander over a large pot of boiling water.

(Don't use a plastic colander; they often melt over the high heat and produce a gas that offsets the flavor of the vegetable.)

The amount of water you need depends upon the size of the saucepan. I use a 1.5 quart saucepan and add 1 ½ cups of water.

Peel and slice carrots
Add water to large stockpot; place steamer in pot; add water and bring water to hard boil
Place sliced carrots on steam basket
Cover and cook for 8-12 minutes, or until fork-tender

If your saucepan lid doesn't completely cover the pan and steamer, just place it over the steamer (the lid doesn't have to fit perfectly; you just want to trap some of the steam from the boiling water.)

Keep an eye on the water level and replenish if needed. While the carrots are steaming, prepare the sauce.

Boiling method:

Place 8 cups of tap water and 3 tablespoons of table salt into large pot and bring to boil
Add carrots
Cook for 5-minutes; test for doneness
Drain and serve with orange glaze

Roasting method:

Preheat oven to 375ºF
Place cleaned, peeled carrots on lightly oiled baking sheet
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until fork-tender
Remove from oven and serve with orange glaze

How to make the glaze

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add orange juice

Sprinkle in the cornstarch and whisk; add sugar and continue to stir until glaze thickens (about 5-minutes)

Drizzle over vegetables and serve

Tips:

Fresh or prepared orange juice?

You can use fresh squeezed or prepared juice for this recipe, but note that if you use fresh squeezed, the texture will not be silky smooth due to the pulp.

Use pre-made, pulp-free--or make your own from frozen concentrate. I recommend prepared OJ for the best results.

Make ahead glaze

This glaze or sauce can be made in advance. Just pour it into a glass jar and allow to cool; then replace the lid and refrigerate up to 3 days.

When you're ready to serve, reheat the sauce on the stovetop; use a whisk to combine. You may have to add a little water, as the sauce tends to thicken in the fridge.

Don't overcook the glaze

As soon as the sauce thickens, remove it from the heat. Prolonged heat breaks down the cornstarch's thickening properties.

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Serving Suggestions:

Serve these delicious orange veggies with:

If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you! Thank you!