Here's a simple guide to making easy sugar or maple glazed carrots on the stovetop (or oven/air fryer) in under 15 minutes with just a handful of ingredients and several flavor variations - perfect for Easter, Thanksgiving & Christmas!
½poundof carrots peeled and cut into 4-inch lengths
1 tablespoonof vegetable or canola oil, or margarine
1 ½tablespoonof sugar
¼teaspoonof sherry or cider vinegar
½teaspoonof salt, or to taste
½teaspoonof freshly ground or black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
Put all ingredients into a saucepan large enough so that the carrots all fit in one layer. Turn the heat to medium high, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until the carrots are cooked through and the pan is dry, around 10 minutes. This should, ideally, all happen at the same time - if for some reason the carrots aren't cooked through when the liquid has all evaporated, add a tablespoon of water and continue cooking until the carrots are done. Serve immediately.
Notes
Cut even-sized pieces: They won’t cook uniformly if they aren’t even in size.
For more tender carrots: You can par-boil the carrots for 5 minutes before starting the pan-fried steps.
For more of a sear: Don’t stir them too often as they cook to give them a chance to sear. However, don’t leave them too long, or they’ll burn.
Adjust the sweetness: Increase or decrease the amount of sugar used to taste. If you find them too sweet, add a small amount of additional sea salt to cut the sweetness.