u003cstrongu003eDo carrots need to be boiled before stir frying?u003c/strongu003e

Not necessarily. Carrots should be par-cooked before you saute them. However, steaming carrots is faster and more efficient than boiling them. u003cbr /u003eu003cbr /u003eYou don't need as much water to steam the carrots, and you can use the same skillet that you saute them in. Another bonus when you par-cook the carrots with steam is that the carrots retain more nutrients.

Sauteed Glazed Rainbow Carrots

These glazed rainbow carrots are the perfect side dish for any meal. The colorful carrots are sauteed on the stovetop and then glazed with a sweet marmalade. The result is a beautiful, healthy, and delicious dish that your family will love!

Glazed rainbow carrots in a serving dish.

Table of Contents

Here is Why This Recipe Works
The Ingredients
How to Make It
Tips for Success
Frequently Asked Questions
Helpful Tools
Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love

We love roasted vegetables but sometimes you don’t have room in the oven and a good stovetop recipe is in order. This recipe fits the bill and you will love the sweet glaze that coats the carrots.

If you don’t have room on the stovetop, you can adapt this recipe to your Instant Pot. First, make steamed carrots in the IP then adapt our Instant Pot glazed carrots by stirring in the marmalade.

For more carrot recipes, check out our cilantro lime carrots, mustard dill carrots, or our honey roasted carrots.

Here is Why This Recipe Works

Steaming the carrots first helps cook them evenly, so the center of the carrots get tender.
Using the same skillet to steam and saute the carrots simplifies the process and saves on dishes.
Using premade marmalade makes the recipe quick and easy.
We provide flavorful variations so you can put your own spin on these glazed carrots.

The Ingredients

Here is a list of the ingredients you will need for these glazed rainbow carrots. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

Rainbow carrots. We used rainbow carrots for a pop of color but you can use regular carrots as well.
Salt and Pepper.
Coconut oil or butter.
Ginger preserves or orange marmalade.
Lemon.
Thyme.

Using premade marmalade or preserves makes this recipe so easy and gives the carrots a lot of flavors. We usually use ginger preserves, but it isn’t always easy to find.

If you can’t find ginger preserves, orange or lemon marmalade taste terrific with the carrots. Apricot preserves also work, but it isn’t as assertive as the other options.

How to Make It

Here is a brief overview to get an idea of what to expect with the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.

Prep the carrots. Peel the rainbow carrots and slice them.
Par steam. We use the same skillet that you will saute the carrots in later.
Saute. Let the water evaporate, then add the butter or oil and saute them until they are tender.
Glaze the carrots. Turn the heat down and add the marmalade. Stir until the marmalade melts and coats the carrots.

Tips for Success

Slice the carrots to the same thickness so they cook equally.
Make sure you season the carrots. A dash of salt and pepper will bring out the flavors.
Steaming the carrots first will ensure the center of the carrots gets tender. If you skip this step, they will be tender on the outside but crisp in the middle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do carrots need to be boiled before stir frying?

Not necessarily. Carrots should be par-cooked before you saute them. However, steaming carrots is faster and more efficient than boiling them.

You don’t need as much water to steam the carrots, and you can use the same skillet that you saute them in. Another bonus when you par-cook the carrots with steam is that the carrots retain more nutrients.

Should you peel carrots before sauteing?

You don’t have to peel carrots, but you should clean them. We like to peel carrots because the skin can sometimes taste slightly bitter. If you don’t want to peel them, use a scrub brush to clean them well.

This recipe for glazed rainbow carrots is a quick and easy side dish that your family will love. You can add your own spin to the recipe by changing up the flavor of the preserves or adding a dash of herbs and spices. We provided you with a few tips for recipe variations in the notes.

Helpful Tools

Some of the following are affiliate links. If you click on these links and purchase something, we may receive a small commission. You don’t pay any extra but it will help us keep the lights on.

This vegetable peeler has a clever design and a sharp edge.
We love this carbon steel skillet but a cast iron skillet is always a winner and more affordable.

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

Serve these glazed carrots with steamed salmon or baked chicken quarters and a batch of wild blend rice for a healthy dinner.

Our recipes for green beans with bacon and roasted Brussels with carrots are more great side dishes that go with just about everything.

Finish dinner off with a flourless chocolate truffle cake or lemon ricotta cookies for a sweet treat.

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Sauteed Glazed Rainbow Carrots

This simple stove-top recipe for glazed rainbow carrots makes use of pre-made marmalade and a simple technique to guarantee uniformly cooked carrots.

Cooking carrots in a skillet will often result in undercooked centers that are almost burned on the outside. We solve the problem by par-steaming the carrots which cooks the center of the carrots quicker.

To simplify the process and reduce excess dishes, steam the carrots in the same skillet that you saute them in.

4.91 from 11 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 230kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

2 pounds rainbow carrots
⅓ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
2 tablespoons ginger preserves or orange marmalade
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish

Instructions

Peel the carrots and slice them diagonally, about 1/2-inch thick and as close to the same size so they will cook evenly. You should have about 2 cups of sliced carrots.
Add the carrots, water, salt, and pepper to a large skillet. Cover the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until almost tender. This step will par-cook the carrots and cook them evenly in the steam.
Remove the cover and simmer until the liquid evaporates.
Add the coconut oil or butter to the skillet and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes until cooked through and fork-tender.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the preserves or marmalade and toss until the preserves dissolve and coat the carrots. Remove from heat and sprinkle with lemon juice and fresh thyme.

Notes

For extra flavor, you can substitute the water with chicken broth or orange juice.
If you want to double the recipe, use a 12-inch skillet or the liquid will take too long to evaporate, and risk over-cooking the carrots.
If you want to add additional seasonings like chili flakes, minced garlic, onion powder, or nutmeg, add them after you melt the butter or coconut oil. See the list below for more ideas.

Additional seasoning suggestions

Achiote spice blend (¼ to ½ teaspoon)
Spiceology umami blend (1 teaspoon)
Chili pepper flakes (¼ to ⅓ teaspoon)
Freshly minced garlic (2 to 3 cloves)
Ground cinnamon (¼ teaspoon)

Nutrition

This recipe was initially published on October 29, 2014. We updated the photos and added some helpful tips.

John@Kitchen Riffs

Wednesday 29th of October 2014

I've never had much luck growing carrots, either. Thought about that tape deal, but never did it. Doesn't sound as if it's worth it. What's worth it, though, are these great glazed carrots. Fantastic dish! Thanks.

Pat

Thanks, John...they are delicious. :)