These Glazed Shredded Carrots are sweet and spicy with a little zest! Serve brown sugar carrots as a side for your favorite meats.
We ate at a restaurant in Florida while on vacation with our friends, and everything was delicious, including the glazed shredded carrots! A side dish has to be pretty spectacular to stand out, and these shredded carrots were memorable. My friends wanted me to try to recreate the recipe, and now we can enjoy them whenever we want to.
Everything You Need To Make Glazed Shredded Carrots
Ingredients Needed And Substitutions
- Carrots: For this recipe, we recommend using whole carrots that you will peel and shred. Although you can use baby carrots or store-bought matchstick carrots in a pinch, they won’t be as flavorful or as sweet.
- Fat: Melted butter combines with the brown sugar to make a delicious glaze!
- Citrus: This recipe uses freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest to add flavor and zest to the carrots. You’ll need about two oranges to get enough juice.
- Liquid: We added water, in addition to the orange juice, to thin the brown sugar glaze.
- Sugar: Brown sugar sweetens the glaze and adds flavor.
- Seasonings: This recipe calls for ground cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, coarse ground black pepper, and fresh thyme.
How To Shred Carrots
Wondering how to shred carrots? There are several methods you can use, but first, you’ll need to scrub and rinse the carrots. Next, use a vegetable peeler to peel off the outer layer of the bottom half of the carrots. Then, flip them over, and peel the top half. Finally, use a sharp knife to cut off the tops and tips.
Box Grater
Each side of a box grater makes different size shredded carrots. The bigger the hole, the bigger the shreds will be. Choose which size you want, hold a carrot at a 45-degree angle to the grater, and shred the carrots. This tried-and-true method takes a bit of time, but you most like already have a grater in your kitchen, and that makes it easy.
Flat Grater
A flat grater is similar to a box grater, but it only has holes on one side. Hold the flat grater at an angle to shred the carrots.
Food Processor
You can use a food processor to shred a large quantity of carrots quickly! Attach the grater blade, replace the cover, turn on the food processor, and place one carrot at a time into the feed tube. Use the food pusher to press down on the carrot until it is completely shredded.
Mandoline Slicer
Another option is to use a mandoline slicer. Attach the shredder blade, adjust the height if necessary, and shred the carrots using the slicing guard as needed.
How To Make Brown Sugar Glazed Shredded Carrots
- Brown Sugar Glaze: Start by preparing the brown sugar glaze for the carrots. Put butter, freshly squeezed orange juice, water, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, pepper, and orange zest in a large skillet. Bring the glaze to a simmer over medium heat.
- Carrots: Add your shredded or matchstick (julienne) carrots and stir to coat them with the glaze. Cover the skillet and cook the carrots for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove the cover and continue cooking and stirring the carrots for 5-7 minutes until they are tender.
- Garnish: Remove from heat and garnish with fresh thyme.
Leftovers and Storage
- Make Ahead: To prepare ahead of time, shred the carrots and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Mix up the brown sugar glaze and store it in a separate container in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerator: Allow leftovers to cool and then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- Freezer: Your can store the leftovers in the freezer for 10-12 months.
- Reheating: Reheat glazed shredded carrots in a skillet, in the microwave, or in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Carrots are naturally sweet, and this recipe calls for brown sugar as well as orange juice to enhance the sweetness. If you want to increase the sweetness, you can add more brown sugar or some honey. If you want to decrease the sweetness, you can add less brown sugar.
Yes, you substitute baby carrots, carrot sticks, or sliced carrots for the shredded carrots, but depending on the thickness, you will need to increase the cooking time.
They are different in size and texture. Shredded carrots are long, thin shreds, and grated carrots are small bits of carrots that are more of a crumb size.
More Shredded Carrots Recipes
You can easily add shredded carrots to recipes such as fresh salads, homemade soups, tomato sauce, and casseroles! Here are some of our favorites:
- Make Homemade Coleslaw with shredded cabbage, carrots, and dressing.
- Warm, comforting Chicken Noodle Soup is welcome year-round!
- Meat Pie is filled with potatoes, carrots, and ground beef with a pastry crust on top.
- And for dessert, Carrot Cake is always a great choice!
What To Serve With Brown Sugar Carrots
Brown sugar carrots are a great side dish for a weeknight dinner of chicken or fish. But they are also special enough for a holiday dinner. Here are a few main dishes you could serve with glazed carrots:
- An Oven Roasted Turkey is a favorite for every holiday dinner!
- This Honey Glazed Ham has an irresistible, sweet, and tangy glaze on top.
- Make Air Fryer Chicken Breasts for a quick, tasty dinner for your family.
- These Crock Pot Pork Chops are cooked in a creamy sauce that is perfect for mashed potatoes.
Glazed Shredded Carrots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb carrots peeled and shredded (about 7 cups)
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice about 2 oranges
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme optional garnish
Instructions
- Combine the butter, orange juice, water, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, pepper, and orange zest in a large skillet over medium heat. Bring the mixture to simmer.
- Add the shredded carrots and stir to coat with the glaze. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Remove the cover and continue cooking for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the carrots are tender.
- Remove from heat and garnish with fresh thyme.
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