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These cast iron roasted glazed carrots are the most delicious side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, special occasions, or weeknight meals! Sweet, tender carrots are roasted and tossed in a caramelized honey garlic glaze.
This easy side dish only requires 15 minutes of active time and adds so much flavor to your dinner plate!
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, do you care more about the turkey or the sides?
Admittedly, I wouldn’t want to go without either, but I really enjoy making (and eating!) cozy, flavorful sides that complement the turkey. It’s my favorite part of holiday meals.
Whether it’s Dutch oven mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, or green bean casserole, there are so many tasty ways to add color, flavor, and texture to your plate.
These roasted glazed carrots are always a hit for Thanksgiving and beyond.
They’ve become a staple every holiday, and we frequently enjoy them as part of our regular dinners throughout the year. This vegetable side dish is easy enough to make any night of the week!
Whether you’re planning your holiday meal menus or just need a way to get more veggies in your diet, you’re going to be so glad you tried these glazed carrots!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One-pan recipe: You don’t need to dirty a skillet and a sheet pan for these carrots — everything is done in your handy cast iron skillets, keeping cleanup minimal!
- Easy side dish: These carrots are so easy to make, require minimal ingredients, and you only need 15 minutes of active time.
- Crowd-pleaser: Even the veggie-haters will love these sticky glazed carrots. They are roasted to have the perfect bite without getting mushy, and the garlic honey glaze brings out the sweetness in the root vegetable while balancing it with that wonderful umami flavor.
Key Ingredients
- Carrots: Make sure they are cut to somewhat uniform sizes so they roast evenly.
- Honey and brown sugar: Together, these create a sticky, caramelized glaze that brings sweetness and a rich flavor to the carrots.
- Garlic: Fresh is best whenever possible! It will add a much better flavor than jarred garlic or garlic powder.
Find the full list of ingredients, including measurements, in the recipe card below!
How to Make Cast Iron Roasted Glazed Carrots
Step 1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Halve the carrots lengthwise and toss them with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Step 2. Lay the carrots in a lightly greased 12-inch cast iron skillet in a single layer.
Step 3. In a separate pan, on medium-low heat, melt the butter, then stir in garlic, honey, and brown sugar. Stir constantly for 1 minute.
Step 4. Drizzle the sauce over the carrots and transfer to the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
Step 5. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven with a hot pad and let it cool slightly. Top with fresh parsley if you are using it and serve!
Tips + Notes
- Aim to cut your carrots to a uniform size so they roast evenly. Otherwise, some will be overcooked while others still have a crunch.
- Be careful to keep the heat on medium-low when making the glaze. Butter and garlic both burn very easily, which adds a bitter flavor to the dish.
- Keep the carrots spaced in an even layer so they roast rather than steam. If you make a double batch, I recommend two skillets or a large sheet pan.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the oven or on the stove for the best texture.
- If you have particularly small or large carrots, the roast time will differ from the recipe. I recommend checking periodically — when they are fork-tender with golden, caramelized edges, they’re done roasting.
Recipe FAQs
You can, but the texture is the best when served fresh. For hosting and holidays, I recommend having the carrots washed, peeled, and chopped, and the glaze ingredients portioned out in a container a couple of days before. Then on the big day, it’s really easy to make the carrots and have them fresh from the oven.
Definitely! They will probably roast faster than cut full-sized carrots, though. I would recommend you start checking them around 15 minutes.
That’s up to your preferences and how dirty they are! You can absolutely skip the peeling and instead scrub the dirt off under running water. I find peeling faster and more effective, but either way works great.
More Thanksgiving Sides
- Homemade Rolls with Freshly Milled Flour
- Dutch Oven Mac and Cheese
- Slow Cooked Cranberry Elk Meatballs
- Skillet Creamed Corn
- Garlic Parmesan Brussel Sprouts
If you tried this Cast Iron Roasted Glazed Carrots Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Cast Iron Roasted Glazed Carrots
Equipment
- 12-inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds large carrots peeled and halved lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Halve the carrots lengthwise and toss them with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Lay the carrots in a lightly greased 12-inch cast iron skillet in a single layer.
- In a separate pan, on medium-low heat, melt the butter, then stir in garlic, honey, and brown sugar. Stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Drizzle the sauce over the carrots and transfer to the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
- Carefully remove the skillet from the oven with a hot pad and let it cool slightly. Top with fresh parsley if you are using it and serve!
Notes
- Aim to cut your carrots to a uniform size so they roast evenly. Otherwise, some will be overcooked while others still have a crunch.
- Be careful to keep the heat on medium-low when making the glaze. Butter and garlic both burn very easily, which adds a bitter flavor to the dish.
- Keep the carrots spaced in an even layer so they roast rather than steam. If you make a double batch, I recommend two skillets or a large sheet pan.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the oven or on the stove for the best texture.
- If you have particularly small or large carrots, the roast time will differ from the recipe. I recommend checking periodically — when they are fork-tender with golden, caramelized edges, they’re done roasting.
