Honey Glazed Carrots (with Thyme + Lemon)
Honey Glazed Carrots are sautéed with honey, seasoned with fresh thyme, and hit with a bright splash of lemon juice for an easy, delicious spring side dish!
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'Tis the season for chilly weather alternating with glimpses of spring...and similarly, recipes that alternate from warm and comforting crock pot chowders to the spoils of the upcoming season: tender spring veggies, strawberries, mint, new potatoes, and Easter-inspired fare.
So first up on the almost-spring roster? This delectable yet simple-to-prepare side dish of Honey Glazed Carrots!
Now I know that for most of us, carrots are widely available any month of the year, so this is a dinner accompaniment that you can easily enjoy year-round, not just in springtime. But I do think this Honey Glazed Carrots recipe would be especially lovely on or around Easter!
Not only are they tasty, but how bright and vibrant are these gorgeous, glossy carrots? This dish would be equally welcomed by your tablescape and your tummy.
And while these Honey Glazed Carrots are sweet and tender, the thyme lends another layer of subtle flavor and the lemon juice provides a perfect, bright finish!
Ingredients
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to throw together a skillet of scrumptious Honey Glazed Carrots!
- Carrots. Peeled and sliced at an angle, about ¼-inch thick. I prefer using larger carrots (as opposed to smaller ones) for more substantial slices. Or for a time-saving option, you could buy a bag of pre-sliced carrots instead!
- Chicken broth or stock. You're not using much, so regular or low-sodium will work. You may also substitute vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Honey. Divided. Kind of important for a recipe with honey-glazed in its title, am I right? 😉 You could substitute pure maple syrup if you like, but keep in mind that the overall flavor of the dish will be affected.
- Butter. Salted or unsalted is fine.
- Salt + freshly ground black pepper. To make the sweetness of the carrots POP.
- Lemon juice. Freshly-squeezed is great, but you can also use bottled lemon juice in a pinch...although I always recommend looking for one where the only ingredient is "lemon juice."
- Fresh thyme. Minced. A small amount is all you need for delicious flavor!
How to Make Honey Glazed Carrots
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
This Honey Glazed Carrots recipe is a side dish that you can have on the table in about 15 minutes flat. A little bit of effort goes a long way!
- Add the carrots to a skillet along with the broth, the salt, and a tablespoon of honey. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the carrots are almost tender when you pierce them with a fork or the tip of a knife.
- Uncover the skillet, increase the heat to high, and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes or until the liquid is reduced to a couple of tablespoons.
- Add the butter, the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey, and the fresh thyme to the skillet. Toss until the butter is melted and the carrots are coated.
- Cook for several more minutes, stirring frequently, until the carrots are completely tender and the glaze has thickened and turned a light golden color.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and season with pepper.
- Serve immediately, spooning the glaze over individual servings.
I have to admit that I don't always put much thought or effort into vegetable side dishes, but witnessing the enthusiastic reception of a recipe like this reminds me that I really should.
All too often, I invest the majority of my meal-prep minutes into the main course, and the accompanying veggies are pretty much an afterthought. Many nights it's too easy to just throw some lettuce in a bowl and call it a salad, or heat up some frozen peas. But making these Honey Glazed Carrots always reinforces to me that just a few extra minutes can elevate a ho-hum veggie side dish to one that is eagerly scarfed down!
And the kids aren't the only ones who feel this way. I'm not particularly inclined to adore vegetables in general, but as I've cleaned up the dinner dishes after making this recipe, I always find myself eating the last few Honey Glazed Carrots -- cold and straight out of the pan -- with my fingers.
Now if I'm excited to eat a veggie, it's pretty much guaranteed to be well received by my kids as well...and it's definitely worth the ten or 15 minutes it takes to throw together.
So the next time you're in a vegetable rut, I encourage you to give these Honey Glazed Carrots with Thyme + Lemon a try! I promise you'll love them.
They're as beautiful as they are tasty. And eating them will transport you to a green and spring-like place...even if there's still snow and bare tree limbs outside your window. 🙂
More Tasty Carrots
- Instant Pot Honey Cinnamon Carrots
- Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Thyme
- Orange Apricot Glazed Carrots with Candied Almonds
- Carrot Apple Slaw
Honey Glazed Carrots (with Thyme + Lemon)
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced at an angle, ¼-inch thick
- ½ cup chicken broth OR stock
- 3 tablespoons honey, DIVIDED
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place carrots, broth, 1 tablespoon honey, and salt in an approximately 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the carrots are almost tender when pierced with a fork or the point of a knife.
- Uncover pan, increase heat to high, and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes or until liquid is reduced to a couple of tablespoons.
- Add butter, remaining 2 tablespoons of honey, and thyme to skillet, tossing until butter is melted and carrots are coated. Cook for 3 to 5 more minutes, stirring frequently, until carrots are completely tender and glaze has thickened and turned a light golden color.
- Remove skillet from heat, stir in lemon juice, and season with pepper. Serve immediately, spooning glaze over individual servings.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- I prefer using large carrots for this recipe for more substantial slices. You can also substitute a 1 lb. bag of pre-sliced carrots/carrot chips to save time.
- Vegetable broth may be substituted for the chicken broth.
- Maple syrup will work in place of the honey, but it will change the overall flavor of the dish.
- Fresh or bottled lemon juice may be used, but I recommend looking for a bottled brand where "lemon juice" is the only ingredient.
Nutrition
Post originally published on March 2, 2014, and updated on March 23, 2024, and February 28, 2025. Slightly adapted from Cook's Illustrated Cookbook.
I just came across this recipe on Pinterest! I am wondering what you would think about doing them in a crockpot? I wonder if I could get them completely cooked and through the entire recipe and then transfer to a crockpot just on warm? For Easter we have such a large number of people, I like to get as much done before everyone arrives as possible! Thanks!
I think you could definitely make this recipe ahead of time and then keep it warm in the crock pot. Alternatively, I have a really easy slow cooker carrot recipe that I shared last Easter:
https://www.fivehearthome.com/2016/03/10/slow-cooker-honey-cinnamon-carrots-holiday-easter-side-dish-recipe/
You could just use that recipe instead in its entirety. Or if you prefer the honey/lemon/thyme flavors from this recipe over the honey/cinnamon combo, adjust the sauce in the slow cooker recipe to include the flavors from the Honey-Glazed Carrots with Thyme & Lemon instead. Hope that makes sense, and enjoy! 🙂
I just made these and my husband said best carrots he ever had so looks like I'll be having more carrots lol thanks for sharing
Hi, Have you made this with a combination of carrots and green beans? Does it still taste good? Or is honey and green beans a bad idea... Thanks!
Hi Jennie! I'm not sure how this honey glaze would taste on green beans??? I'm not really sure that it would be good, but I haven't tried it, so I honestly don't know...perhaps I would be pleasantly surprised! If it were me, though, I'd probably just stick with the carrots and find a different recipe for my green beans. 🙂 Good luck if you decide to try it! 🙂
I decided to make the green beans separately to play it safe, but the carrots came out SO well! Great recipe! Thank you Samantha!
You're very welcome, Jennie...happy to hear that the carrots were a hit! Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving and that your December is going well so far! 🙂
Hi. I just found this site. These look delicious. Do you know if it can be prepared ahead of time and then reheated? If so, would I do the whole recipe and reheat or go through most of the steps and finish the rest when we are ready to serve? Thanks!
Hi Benita! I've only ever made this recipe all at the same time since it doesn't take too long to make. That being said, if I wanted to prepare it ahead of time, I'd probably make the whole recipe and then gently reheat. Since the glaze is made by adding different ingredients at different points in the recipe, it might be difficult to find a good stopping point partially through the recipe. But again, that's is just a guess on my part...I haven't actually tried it. 🙂 I can tell you, however, that when I've made these carrots, the leftovers have reheated just fine. Hope that helps at least a little...happy almost Easter!
What a great side dish for any occasion. Thanks for linking up to BOTW party.
Thanks for stopping by and for hosting BOTW each week, Nichi...I always enjoy linking up with y'all!
I love carrots! Im going to try this with honey.Coming from Weekend re-Treat Link Party ! Come-by and visit my blog!
Thanks so much, Mika! If you already love carrots, I think you'll go crazy for these. 🙂 I appreciate you stopping by!
These look incredible. I think I am in love with your site. Everything has my mouth watering. Thanks for sharing.
You are too sweet, Rach...thank you! Hope you have a great weekend...thanks again for stopping by!
These look so good. I will be perfect for not only me and husband but baby too. Thanks for sharing:)
I really hope your family enjoys these carrots! All three of my kids loved them...even the (not-so-baby-anymore) baby. 😉
These look so good! I may even be able to convince the Cs to eat them, and that's a feat! 😀 Hope your week is starting out well, Miss Samantha!
~Abby =)
Ha ha, Abby...I hear you! In my experience, little boys + vegetables can be pretty hit or miss! 😉 Thanks for stopping by...hope your transition from vacation back to reality hasn't been too difficult!
Samantha, these carrots look incredible - I love glazed carrots and the addition of thyme & lemon sounds wonderful! Oh, so ready for spring and warm-weather food/projects, but Mother Nature is just not will not let winter go! 🙂 More snow here again today and expected later in the week. I'll just focus on these beautiful carrots! Thanks for sharing and pinning! Have a happy Monday!
I hear you, Cindy...we have another ice day tomorrow! I don't remember that ever happening as late as March. 🙁 But hopefully this week marks the last of your snow and the end of our ice...or at least we can dream, right? Thanks so much for stopping by and for the pin. Hope your March is off to a great start!