These tender and delicious apricot glazed carrots make the perfect side dish. I like serving them with ham on Christmas Day and Easter, but they’re a year-round favorite as well.
Most recently, I made them as a side dish for grilled burgers! I’ll always love the classic combo of roasted sweet corn and baked beans with burgers, but it’s fun to switch things up now and then with unexpected veggies.
Ingredients for Carrots with Apricot Glaze
- carrots
- butter
- apricot preserves
- brown sugar
- nutmeg
- salt
- orange peel
- lemon juice
- parsley or cilantro, for garnish
How to make apricot glazed carrots
Step 1: Boil, steam or microwave the carrots until they reach your desired level of tenderness. Most people like their carrots to retain a bit of crispness so the suggested cooking times below reflect that.
I like my carrots on the soft side so I cook them longer than most people might. I just check them with a fork periodically until I’m satisfied.
How to cook sliced carrots
To boil sliced carrots: Place carrots in a saucepan with a small amount of salted water and boil for about 7-10 minutes.
To steam sliced carrots: Place a steamer basket inside a saucepan, filling the pan with water to a level just below the basket. Bring water to a boil; add carrots, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pan and let cook about 7-10 minutes.
To microwave sliced carrots: Place carrots in a microwave-safe dish with a few tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave about 7-10 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Step 2: Make the apricot glaze. In a bowl, combine the apricot preserves, nutmeg, salt, brown sugar, orange peel and lemon juice, stirring together until well combined.
Step 3: Toss the still hot, cooked carrots with the apricot sauce until well coated. If desired, sprinkle with parsley (or cilantro) and serve the apricot glazed carrots warm.
Other side dishes you’ll enjoy:
- Loaded mashed potatoes
- Broccoli cheese casserole
- Garlic broccoli pasta
- Okra casserole
- Roasted carrots, potatoes and green beans
- Country-style lima beans
- Sweet potato fries with harissa aioli
- Loaded potato pinwheels
- Grilled green beans
Apricot Glazed Carrots
Ingredients
- 10 carrots peeled, ends trimmed, sliced (about 2 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- ⅓ cup apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- parsley or cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- In medium saucepan over medium heat, cook carrots in salted water 7-10 minutes or until they reach desired tenderness.
- In small bowl, mix butter and preserves until blended. Add brown sugar, nutmeg, salt, orange peel and lemon juice. Toss with carrots until well-coated. Garnish with parsley or cilantro.
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