Updated on November 20th, 2023
Carrots, like many vegetables, will always be a welcome addition to healthy diets. But most methods of cooking involve using an oven, which many may find tiresome. Luckily, you can still cook carrots on the stove, and here, we’ll show you just how to do it.
Why Cook Carrots on the Stove?
If you’ve ever come across such a recipe but asked yourself this question above, you’re not the only one. Most people would feel all they need is to toss the carrots in the oven and let it do its trick. But you’ll miss out on loads of stuff if you skip the stovetop technique.
They’re Fast-While it sounds like a lot of work, the reverse is the case with stovetop carrots. When done right, you can cook the recipe to perfection in ten minutes.
They’re Convenient-For a recipe that’s made on the stovetop, you can prepare enough to serve six in very little time. Plus, it’s flexible and welcomes a wide variety of flavor enhancements.
They’re Delicious-On their own, stovetop carrots are yummy, but with combined herbs and spices, they’re exquisite!
Cooking Carrots on the Stove
Here’s a quick lay down on how to prepare carrots on the stove;
Prepare the Carrots
Be sure to wash the carrots thoroughly and trim the root ends and stems before you cook them. You can choose to scrape them, but the recipe also works regardless. Once washed, you can prepare carrots in three ways for stovetop cooking;
- Cut them into quarter-inch slices,
- Cut them into strips, or
- Leave as it is, in the case of baby carrots
Cooking Methods
Once the carrots are prepped, you can cook them on the stovetop in these ways;
Boiling
Cover the carrots in some salted water and boil till they’re tender and crisp. Then, drain and season with pepper and salt. Some recipes also add butter and honey to the carrots after draining and stir to glaze them. When boiling one pound of carrots, these are the recommended cooking time;
- Strips (four to six minutes)
- quarter-inch slices (seven to nine minutes)
- baby carrots (eight to ten minutes)
Steaming
Add dome water to a saucepan and place a steamer basket over it, ensuring the bottom doesn’t touch the water. Let the water boil, and add the carrots to the basket. Place the lid and reduce the heat, then cook until the carrots and crisp and tender. When steaming one pound of carrots, these are the recommended cooking time;
- Strips (five to seven minutes)
- quarter-inch slices (eight to ten minutes)
- baby carrots (eight to ten minutes)
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Serving Stovetop Carrots
You can serve these healthy stovetop carrots with pasta, chicken, rice, salmon, steak, seafood, turkey breasts, pork chops, or sausages.
PrintStovetop Carrots (6 Servings)
Ingredients
- Two pounds carrots, peeled, cut in quarter-inch slices
- One-third cup of water
- One tablespoon butter, unsalted
- One Tablespoon honey
- One tablespoon thyme, freshly chopped
- One teaspoon kosher salt
- A quarter teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pour the carrots into a sauté pan and add water, salt, and pepper. Let it reach a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pan. Allow to cook till the carrots are tender but not mushy- about seven to eight minutes.
- Remove the cover and stir in the honey and butter, then cook until the water evaporates. Remove the pan from the stove and sprinkle some pepper and salt to taste. Then, add the chopped herbs, stir and serve hot or warm.
Another helpful way to cook carrots on the stove can be viewed in this video.
