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Sautéed baby carrots with garlic are the perfect side dish for your next dinner. This easy recipe, with a few simple ingredients, is healthy and crazy delicious!
Is there a must-have dish at your family celebrations? Baby carrots glazed in olive and garlic are a must at our house! They have an almost buttery taste, even though no butter is used. They're healthy and kid-friendly, too!
The nice thing about baby carrots is that you don't need to scrub or peel anything. But, you will need our strategies to speed up the cooking process when using this stovetop method to cook them in a pan so they're ready in 15-20 minutes.
If you'd prefer a more hands-off approach, check out roasted carrots and radishes, which you can make in an air fryer or oven, or baked carrot fries, which are perfect for dunking! There's a place for all these options.
But once you've had a taste of the best sautéed carrots ever, I guarantee you'll be making these on repeat for holiday occasions like Thanksgiving and Easter and many weeknight dinners, too!
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Ingredient Notes
Here's what you'll need to make the best garlicky baby carrots recipe:
- Baby carrots - Smaller-sized carrots cook more quickly. Regular carrots sliced into coins or uniform segments may be used instead.
- Garlic cloves - pressed or minced.
- Olive Oil
- Sea Salt - or Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt. We often use this salt blend because it cuts down on the amount of sodium in the dish and adds lots of flavor.
This recipe is naturally vegan!
Please refer to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and detailed instructions.
How to Soften Carrots
There's just no getting around that short, stubby baby carrots (or any thick carrot) need to be softened if you don't want to spend 30 minutes watching over the stovetop. Here's what you need to do:
Traditional method: Place baby carrots in a microwave-safe bowl with 1-2 Tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave on high for about 3 minutes to soften the carrots. The exact time will vary depending on the size and amount of carrots.
Alternatively, boil the carrots for 2-3 minutes.
You don't need to dunk them in an ice bath since you'll be using them right away. Either way, drain the water when you're done.
Steam in olive oil: I do this because it's so simple. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Cover the pan with a lid and allow them to steam for about 5 minutes, uncovering to stir about halfway through. Don't add the garlic or salt until the process is finished.
How to Make Sautéed Baby Carrots
Now you're ready to finish them off!
- Add garlic and salt to the skillet and toss to coat the carrots.
- Sauté carrots for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently so the garlic does not burn and the carrots are heated. If the pan seems too dry, add more olive oil.
When they're done, they'll be fork-tender. Just stick a fork in one to see if it's cooked to your liking. We aim for crisp, tender carrots.
IS THE PROCESS TAKING TOO LONG?
Partially cover the skillet with a lid so that steam can escape while the carrots continue to cook!
Recipe FAQ
We use a non-stick skillet because we are not trying to brown the carrots, but a cast iron pan may also be used.
Increase the ingredients accordingly, but try to keep the carrots in a single layer for even cooking. If you need to triple the recipe, you will probably need to do two batches.
Recipe Variations
There are a number of ways to take these already delicious baby carrots to the next level:
- Cook another vegetable at the same time, like green beans or onions. Be mindful not to crowd the skillet too much.
- Add fresh herbs, like parsley, thyme, or dill.
- Use rainbow carrots for a beautiful presentation.
Make-Ahead, Storage, Reheating
If garlic sautéed baby carrots are on a holiday menu, make them ahead of time. It's one less thing to do on the day of the celebration. This hearty vegetable stores and reheats well.
- Refrigerator - Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - Store in a sealed freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat - Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot.
More Vegetable Side Dishes
Would you like more easy, healthy, carb-conscious recipes?
📋 Recipe
Sautéed Baby Carrots with Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 pound baby carrots or regular carrots sliced into coins
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt or Jane's Krazy Mixed Up Salt
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Cover the pan with a lid and allow them to steam for about 5 minutes, uncovering to stir about halfway through. Don't add the garlic or salt until the process is finished.
- Add pressed or minced garlic and salt to the skillet and toss to coat the carrots.
- Sauté carrots over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until fork tender. Stir frequently so that the garlic does not burn and the carrots are heated on all sides. If the pan seems to dry, then add a little more olive oil.
Notes
- Refrigerator - Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.
- Freezer - Store in a sealed freezer bag or container for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat - Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until hot.
Jane says
Tried this for dinner tonight. Easy recipe. It took a little longer than 15 minutes, but was very good and will be making again for Thanksgiving. Thanks for the recipe.
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!