Ginger Orange Braised Carrots

Braised Carrots are tender rainbow carrots braised in ginger, orange and maple syrup.  They’re an easy, flavorful side dish!

These braised carrots would be one spectacular addition to your Easter menu.  They’re fresh, bright, and  even more delicious than they look.  I mean, rainbow carrots braised in orange juice, ginger, with a hint of maple syrup until tender, with that flavorful liquid reduced down to a thick glaze has to be good, no?  

I just regret that this bundle of rainbow carrots was so small, because I wanted to eat all of these myself.  

The Easter bunny himself couldn’t get these carrots away from me.  🙂

I always love wandering around the produce department at Whole Foods looking for the freshest and brightest fruits and veggies.  I scooped this little bundle of carrots up immediately, knowing I wanted to try my hand at a braised carrot recipe.  

It took place on the stove top in my Dutch oven, and was so much quicker than roasting — they were done in just 20 minutes — except for the giant one in the middle.  That guy needed a few extra minutes. 😉

One thing to remember about buying carrots with their green tops still on them is that you need to cut the tops off immediately, or the carrots will go soft on you really quickly.  Just cut the tops off, leaving about 1/2″ and they’ll stay in good shape for your braise. 🙂

This braising thing is a piece of cake.  Just cook the carrots for 5 minutes or so in a bit of butter and olive oil, then add the liquid, reduce the heat to low, and cook covered until tender.  Once tender, you can remove the carrots, crank the heat, and boil the liquid until thickened.  

The liquid transforms into a syrupy glaze, perfect for drizzling over those gorgeous carrots.  That fresh orange flavor, with a pop of spicy ginger, is one perfect combination.  

Go ahead and serve these braised carrots for Easter or any old night this week, just buy more carrots than I did.  You may not have to fight over them with the Easter bunny, but you will need to keep them away from somebody.  

These carrots are absolutely that good. 🙂

See my Carrot produce guide for more info and recipe inspiration!

Additional carrot recipes you’ll love:

Carrot cake muffins

Carrot cake cookies

Carrot cupcakes by Sugar Spun Run

Roasted carrots and parsnips

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Yield: 4 servings

Ginger Orange Braised Carrots

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Braised Carrots are tender rainbow carrots braised in ginger, orange and maple syrup.  They're an easy, flavorful side dish!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 10 ounces rainbow carrots
• 1/2 cup water
• juice of 1 medium orange
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger*
• salt and pepper, to taste
• freshly chopped flat leaf Italian parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Scrub the carrots, but leave the peel on, if desired. Remove the tops of the carrots leaving 1/2" of the stem intact.
2. In a large Dutch oven or deep sided sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, salt, and pepper, to taste, and cook, sautéing lightly, until just starting to color, about 5 minutes. Add the water, orange juice, maple syrup, lemon juice, and ginger, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover, simmering gently until the carrots are tender, checking for doneness after 10 minutes. Once tender, remove the carrots from the pot and place on a serving platter. Increase the heat to medium, and cook the liquid until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the carrots, and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

When buying carrots with the green tops still attached, cut the tops off immediately to prevent your carrots from going soft very quickly. Use your carrot tops to make my Carrot Top Pesto!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 156mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 3gSugar: 19gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information is mean to be an estimate only. The numbers will vary based on the quantity consumed, brands used and substitutions that are made.

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