Once you smell these Bourbon Glazed Carrots and Pecans cooking on the stovetop, you'll know you will soon be eating something utterly fantastic!
When it's time for dinner, do you shy away from the vegetable portion of the meal, or are you a veggie fanatic like me? Hopefully, you're the latter, and if so, please try these other delicious vegetable dishes I know you will enjoy: Zucchini and Corn Gratin is hot, cheesy, and super flavorful. Copycat Sunflower Crunch Kale and Cabbage Salad is cold, refreshing, and a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. Roasted Radishes with Coriander and Honey are a tasty new way to bring sweet, mellow flavor to spicy garden radishes.
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Table of Contents Found Here
- The ingredients:
- Ingredient Information:
- Kitchen Tools and Equipment Needed:
- Add-In or Swap-Out Suggestions:
- May frozen carrots be used for this recipe?
- Can pre-packaged baby carrots be used for this recipe?
- Can bourbon-glazed carrots be frozen after cooking?
- What does cardamom taste like?
- What is bourbon?
- Why Kentucky bourbon, and can other alcohol be used instead?
- Use caution when cooking with alcohol
- What can be used in place of alcohol?
- Can rainbow carrots be used for this recipe?
- How thick should the carrots be sliced?
- How long does this recipe take from start to finish?
- How many servings does this make?
- How to easily adjust the serving size of this recipe
- Let's make an entire meal around today's recipe:
- Printable Recipe Card
- Please comment if you've made this recipe.
The ingredients:
*Please note that the exact measurements along with a "shop the recipe" feature from Instacart and Walmart is available inside the printable recipe card.
Ingredient Information:
CARROTS—You'll need approximately 4 cups of peeled and sliced fresh carrots. I cut the carrots into coins so they could be spooned and served easily, but feel free to slice your carrots into manageable-sized sticks if preferred. You can also use packaged baby-sized carrots if desired. More on that below.
AVOCADO OIL—I like cooking with avocado oil because it is neutral in flavor and can withstand high-heat cooking, not to mention the health benefits it provides.
BUTTER—As you know, butter makes everything better! I like to use salted butter, but unsalted butter is fine.
KENTUCKY BOURBON—With flavor notes of vanilla, oak, caramel, and spice, Kentucky bourbon has the perfect flavor profile to complement the carrots' sweetness and the pecans' nuttiness. See below for additional information regarding Kentucky bourbon.
MC CORMICKS BROWN SUGAR BOURBON SEASONING—I spied this seasoning blend while in the grocery aisle, and it inspired this entire recipe. For some unknown reason, carrots popped into my head at the time, and the rest is history (so to speak).
HONEY—The honey helps the bourbon glaze stick to the carrots and pecans. It also lends a light floral sweetness to the dish that brown sugar alone can't add.
BROWN SUGAR—I used light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar may also be used. Light brown sugar isn't as molasses-forward in flavor as dark brown sugar, but both brown sugars will work in this recipe.
CARDAMOM—Cardamom's lightly floral and spicy notes pair perfectly with the bourbon, carrots, and pecans. Ground cardamom, if you've never used it before, will add a flavor like no other. I urge you to use it in this and many other sweet and savory dishes.
PECANS—I used whole pecans, but chopped pecans will also work. The meaty texture of pecans (whole or chopped), along with the caramelized carrots, gives this dish a whole other dimension of deliciousness!
CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY—I felt this dish needed some additional color to round out the presentation. Parsley is always a good choice with carrots because of its freshness and its similar appearance to carrot tops.
SALT AND PEPPER—I always use kosher salt and freshly ground black peppercorns. If you are using table salt for this recipe, please see below.
*Important Note—If using table salt instead of kosher salt, please cut back on the amount of salt called for in the recipe card by half because they measure differently due to grain size.
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Kitchen Tools and Equipment Needed:
- chef's knife or nakiri vegetable knife
- cutting board
- vegetable peeler
- large skillet
- bench scrape (for moving vegetables)
- measuring cups and spoons
- wooden spoon or silicone spoon (shown in the video)
Add-In or Swap-Out Suggestions:
Walnuts would be a delicious substitution for the pecans, or you can leave the nuts out entirely.
Cardamom can be replaced with a pinch of allspice or ground cloves.
Adding dried cranberries or dried cherries would add additional sweetness, chew, and texture, not to mention color, to an already beautiful dish.
Chopped cilantro would add a tasty, citrusy note to these carrots and be a good swap for the chopped parsley.
Olive or grapeseed oil can be used instead of avocado if desired.
McCormick's Brown Sugar Bourbon Grill Mates seasoning may be omitted entirely or replaced with any other McCormick's Grill Mates seasoning blend.
May frozen carrots be used for this recipe?
Yes.
I recommend thawing and drying them completely before adding them to the skillet and continuing with the recipe.
I do not recommend using canned carrots.
Can pre-packaged baby carrots be used for this recipe?
Yes, they sure can, and you'll save a few steps in the process.
I recommend choosing baby carrots of similar size and thickness so they'll all cook at the same rate.
Can bourbon-glazed carrots be frozen after cooking?
Yes!
Cool the carrots entirely, store them in an airtight freezer container or bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and reheat them on the stovetop until hot.
What does cardamom taste like?
Cardamom's flavor is unique and highly distinctive. It is a wonderful counterpart and pairs well with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
Cardamom is somewhat floral with warm, spicy notes with a hint of citrusy sweetness.
Cardamom can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, making it an excellent addition to your spice cabinet.
What is bourbon?
Bourbon is a corn-based whiskey, which lends it a sweeter flavor. Its typical flavor notes are oak, vanilla, caramel, and spice.
Roughly 95% of all bourbon is produced in Kentucky.
Why Kentucky bourbon, and can other alcohol be used instead?
The sweet flavor of the carrots plays exceptionally well with the sweet and spicy notes from the bourbon.
Other excellent alcohol choices that can be used in place of Kentucky bourbon are spiced rum or brandy.
Use caution when cooking with alcohol
Before adding any alcohol to a stovetop situation where cooking with flames is involved, always turn the burner off.
You can then add the alcohol safely without fear of catching the contents of the pan on fire.
Once the alcohol has been added, you can turn the flame under the pot back on and continue with the recipe as instructed.
What can be used in place of alcohol?
No problem if you prefer not to use alcohol in this recipe.
Apple juice or apple cider is an excellent choice as a replacement for the bourbon.
Can rainbow carrots be used for this recipe?
Yes. Using rainbow carrots would be delicious and very eye-appealing.
How thick should the carrots be sliced?
After peeling, I sliced the carrots into manageable-sized coins approximately ¼" in thickness.
Feel free to slice the carrots thicker if you prefer, but be aware that the cooking time will be longer with thicker carrots.
How long does this recipe take from start to finish?
The majority of the time spent on this recipe is spent peeling and slicing the carrots. However, if you use a mandolin, you'll make quick work of all that slicing.
When the carrots are sliced into ¼" coins, this recipe takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
How many servings does this make?
As written, this recipe makes 6 servings.
How to easily adjust the serving size of this recipe
Should you need to increase (or decrease) the serving size for this recipe you can easily adjust the ingredient quantities using the sliding scale shown in the recipe card by hovering over the number in the serving size.
Let's make an entire meal around today's recipe:
Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Bourbon Gravy would be an ideal main course to serve alongside these buttery, sweet glazed carrots. A match made in heaven, you could say.
Pimento Cheese Mashed Potatoes are excellent on any dinner plate. They're easy to make and hard to resist!
Beer Bread Biscuits with Herbs are delightful biscuits baked in a muffin tin. They're great for mopping up gravy and, of course, slathered with butter.
Boston Cream Cupcakes are everything you love about a Boston Cream Pie but in cupcake form!
When you make today's recipe (and I hope that you will), I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to come back and give it a star rating along with a comment on why you rated as you did.
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Printable Recipe Card
Bourbon Glazed Carrots and Pecans
Equipment
- chef's knife optional
- vegetable (nakiri) knife optional
- liquid measuring cup optional
Ingredients
- 4 cups carrots peeled and sliced into ¼" thick coins
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or other neutral flavored oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon bourbon brown sugar seasoning optional
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup bourbon
- ¾ cup whole pecans
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium heat.
- Add the prepared peeled and sliced carrots to the skillet and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the brown sugar and honey to the carrots in the pan and stir well until the sugar dissolves and coats the carrots. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the ground cardamom, bourbon BBQ seasoning (if using), pecans, salt and pepper to the skillet. Stir well to combine.
- Turn off the flame (if using a gas stove), and add the bourbon to the skillet, stirring well after the addition. Turn the flame back on to medium and cook the carrots for an additional 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid in the pan turns into a thick glaze.
- Add the fresh parsley to the skillet, stir well.
- Remove the carrots from the heat. Serve hot with additional parsley if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you'll enjoy making (and eating) these amazing bourbon glazed carrots and pecans as much as I've enjoyed bringing this recipe to you!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
Mark says
Delicious!
Renée says
Thank you. I know you enjoy cooked carrots!