Sautéed Carrots (Stovetop Cast Iron)

cast iron pan with dill and wooden spoon.

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Sautéed Carrots (Stovetop Cast Iron)

Easy stovetop sautéed carrots smothered in butter and fresh dill. A quick and healthy side dish, done in under 15 minutes, that is ready with only 3 ingredients. Perfect holiday side dish, carrots are a wonderful addition to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter and complement most main dish meats. Plus, sweet carrots are vibrant and look as beautiful as they are delicious.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrots

Servings: pound carrots

Calories: 387kcal

Author: Trisha Haas - Salty Side Dish

Ingredients

1 pound baby carrots cut them into 1/4" slices/rounds
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. fresh dill finely chopped

Instructions

Cut baby carrots into 1/4th inch rounds. If using larger fresh raw carrots, peel and slice medium carrots into 1/4th inch rounds.
Add cut carrots and water to a large skillet.
Season with salt and pepper and mix together well. Cover and heat on medium-high.
Boil for 7-8 minutes or until carrots are soft to your liking - about 8 minutes gives them a crisp-tender softness. Boil more for softer carrots or less for less crunchy.
Remove pan from heat and stir in butter until melted.
Season with fresh dill and serve immediately while hot.

Notes

Can you use baby carrots or canned carrots when sautéing?

Baby carrots are delicious sautéed and will work beautifully in this recipe. I would suggest slicing them lengthwise rather than cutting them into rounds. You’ll also want to reduce the cooking time slightly because baby carrots will cook faster than mature carrots.

Canned carrots have already been cooked, and I would not recommend using them for this recipe.

Do I need to peel carrots?

Peeling carrots is a personal choice, and should be considered more for the visual impact than for any health or safety reason. As long as carrots are washed well, there’s no need to peel them. That being said, I like to peel my carrots anytime they are going to be used raw, like in a salad, or if they are only being lightly cooked.

Can I use dried herbs when making sautéed carrots?

Of course, if you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, dried herbs will work in a pinch, although the flavor won’t be as robust. If using dried herbs, reduce the amount to only about 2-3 tsp of dried herb.

Can matchstick carrots be used?

Matchstick carrots, julienned carrots, carrot sticks – pretty much any carrot can actually be sautéed and cooked. However, that will absolutely change the timing and recipe itself so they will need to be properly monitored for doneness depending on how many pound carrots you use.

How to store leftover carrots.

Seal in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Inspired Flavor Variations

Asian: add a bit of orange juice or other citrus and a couple of dashes of soy sauce with fresh or powdered garlic.
Mediterranean: Use basil and oregano in place of dill and a couple of dashes of lemon juice.
Indian: In place of dill use fresh mint and add ½ tsp each of cumin and coriander.
Mexican: Use fresh cilantro instead of dill and squeeze fresh lime juice over carrots.

Nutrition