Sauteed Julienned Carrots in Maple Thyme Glaze

Frying pan with matchstick carrots in a glaze.

Sauteed Julienned Carrots in Maple Thyme Glaze

This maple glazed sautéed carrots recipe is a simple yet elegant addition to your holiday table. With its easy preparation and universal appeal, it is sure to be a crowd-pleaser among both adults and kids.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, International, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword julienne carrots, maple glazed carrots, sauteed carrots

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 219kcal

Author Nandor Barta

Equipment

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive oil
6 Young carrots ½ pound
3 Tbsp Maple syrup
1 tsp Thyme (fresh, chopped)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional topping

¼ cup Chopped walnuts or pecans

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cutting julienned carrots

If you have young carrots, then you don't need to peel them. Just wash them, and you are ready to start cutting.
If they are long, cut them in half to have approx. 4-inch long (approx. 10 cm) carrot stalks. Don't worry, it shouldn't be exactly this long. It is just a reference.
Then, cut them in quarters vertically ¼-inch thick (approx. 5 mm). That's it. You are ready to sautee your julienned carrots.

Sauteed Carrots

Pre-heat the frying pan to high heat and add olive oil.
When the pan is hot enough, add the chopped carrots. You will hear the julienned carrots sizzle a bit. Add salt and pepper and let them cook in a single layer. Don't stir until 2-3 minutes so that your carrots can get a nice golden brown color on one side, and try to flip every matchstick to another side when you eventually stir them.
It will take 5-6 minutes before you can add the maple syrup and thyme.
Continue sauteeing your carrots on high heat while the maple syrup is bubbling up. You are ready in another 5-6 minutes.
Serve it from the pan or add chopped raw/toasted walnuts/pecans.

Video

Notes

You can choose to make whole, halved, diced, or sliced carrots, but we recommend julienned/matchstick carrots. They are large enough to sautee them without falling apart but not too large so you can get them ready quickly. This way, you don't need to pre-cook them in boiling water.
We recommend pre-cooking the carrots in boiling water if you saute larger or thicker carrots.
We use young carrots as they are sweeter than large, thick regular carrots and surprisingly even sweeter than baby carrots.
Arrange the carrots in a single layer to get them ready quicker.
You can use a wok or a heavy pan like a cast-iron skillet as they will help to keep the pan steadily hot if you have to do a large batch.

Nutrition