Bourbon Glazed Grilled Carrots Recipe

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Getting fancy in the kitchen doesn't have to be a difficult task, it just has to be intentional with a little creativity. This bourbon glazed grilled carrots recipe is the kind of side dish that exudes elevated vibes, but in reality, it's made using very simple ingredients. This dish features carrots that are lightly charred on the outside and tender on the inside, with a buttery caramelized sweetness that makes every bite delicious. The two-step braising technique gives the carrots a head-start on tenderizing and a chance to infuse the flavors of butter and bourbon. Brown sugar is a key player here, which cooks down and creates the thick and glossy bourbon-infused glaze to coat the carrots when they are golden, fresh off the grill pan.

These carrots are lovely alongside some sort of protein on the grill or even with a hearty sandwich. They come together in about a half an hour, and can even be made ahead and warmed up before serving for added convenience. Perfect for those high-end meals and those weeknight ones, these bourbon glazed carrots prove that even the simplest of veggies can get a makeover without too much fuss.

To make this recipe, start by picking up carrots. It's best to hand select these instead of buying a package, so you can gather carrots roughly the same size for even cooking. Thyme pairs well with the carrots and is an optional garnish, so you may want to grab some of that while in the produce aisle. Other ingredients you'll need are unsalted butter, bourbon, olive oil, light brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Place the carrots in the pan in a single layer.

Add in the bourbon, ¼ cup water, and salt.

Cook the carrots, turning occasionally, until just fork-tender with slight resistance, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Add the olive oil to a griddle or grill pan over medium-high heat.

Move the carrots from the pan to the griddle and cook for about 6-8 minutes on each side, until they start to char. Keep the remaining liquid in the skillet for the glaze.

To the skillet with the remaining liquid, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and black pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until reduced to a thick glaze, 3 to 4 minutes.

Place carrots on a serving platter and brush generously with the bourbon glaze.

Garnish the carrots with fresh thyme if desired and serve.

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If you want to make some ingredient substitutions, there are some easy swaps, starting out with bourbon. If you happen to have rye whiskey or dark rum, you can use either. With either of these liquors, like with the bourbon, the sugar in the alcohol will cook down and thicken the liquid to get that final glaze and sticky texture. Most of the alcohol will burn off during cooking, but if you want to avoid using alcohol, you will get a similar effect using apple cider, or apple juice plus 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

For the butter in the recipe, if you have salted butter, that will work fine, but you may want to eliminate the extra salt to compensate. To make the recipe dairy-free, vegan butter is a suitable option. Instead of light brown sugar, you can use dark brown sugar or coconut sugar, for a more caramel type of flavor. Maple syrup will work, but the glaze will be thinner in consistency. Honey can step in to add a touch of floral sweetness if desired.

The two-step process in this recipe has its benefits. It infuses the flavor right into the carrots and pre-cooks them, so they don't get dried out on the griddle. The braising liquid also becomes the glaze, making the flavors more concentrated. However, there are some shortcuts that will result in a similar effect. One option is to use your oven. Lay the carrots on a sheet pan and coat them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then bake for 30 minutes at 400 F. Make the glaze in a small saucepan on the stove, and coat the carrots with it after cooking. This same technique can be used with the air fryer. Season and cook the carrots for 20-30 minutes at 375 F. Since most air fryers are on the smaller side, this method works best for a small batch of carrots.

You can also use a microwave to soften the carrots prior to the grill step. Place them in a single layer in a microwave safe dish and add 2 tablespoons of water to help them gently steam and avoid drying out. Add a tablespoon of butter and a shake of salt, then cook for 3-5 minutes until they are fork tender. Then proceed with the recipe as-written in terms of cooking them on a griddle or grill pan. If you do go for one of these alternative cooking methods, note that you'll have to make the glaze separately in a pan, so you'll want to get that going early on to give the bourbon enough time to simmer and cook off.

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