Who doesn’t love carrots? Carrots are one of those vegetables that are as good raw as they are cooked, and when cooked, the possibilities are endless. The market where I shop has some of the tastiest organic carrots. They are fresh, large, and so sweet. Needless to say, I buy them a lot; therefore, I have a number of carrot recipes. I posted one of our favorite recipes a while back –Glazed Carrots with Sage. Bourbon carrots with a little oil or butter then topped off with an herb or spice, is another of our favorites.
Why bourbon? The flavor of bourbon is such a great complement to the flavor and sweetness of carrots. I’ve tried vermouth as well as cognac, but wasn’t as crazy about the results. In these recipes, the carrots are first steamed in a little bourbon. By the time the carrots are cooked, the bourbon has evaporated but its sweetness has incorporated into the carrots. You’ll be surprised how good these carrots taste before you even add anything else. Once cooked, the carrots are tossed with a touch of butter or your favorite oil, then topped with an herb or spice. You can also add a touch of honey or maple syrup for a little more sweetness. Below are four different ways that I serve these carrots, and this is only four of many.
Bourbon Carrots with Dill
A quick and easy carrots dish that can be served as a side for a variety of dishes.
“*” See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- 4 large carrots, sliced diagonally
- ½ cup bourbon whiskey
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ Tbsp. butter or butter substitute or olive oil
- ¼ tsp. dried dill weed or ½ tsp. chopped fresh dill weed
- salt to taste
- ½ Tbsp. butter or butter substitute or olive oil
- A drizzle of honey or maple syrup, to taste
- ¼ tsp. dried dill weed or ½ tsp. chopped fresh dill weed
- salt to taste
- Scrub or peel the carrots, then slice on the diagonal.
- Pour bourbon into a large skillet (large enough to spread the carrots out into one to two layers) and bring to a boil.
Add carrots. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook 4 minutes, stirring once after 2 minutes.
- Remove cover and cook on medium high until carrots are tender and bourbon has evaporated.
- Add butter, honey or maple syrup (if desired), and dill weed, and additional salt, if needed.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Bourbon alternatives – If you don’t cook with alcohol, use apple cider or apple juice. Either of these produce excellent results! However, reduce or omit any additional sweetener.
The fats – For vegan, substitute butter with olive oil or a truffle oil.
Herbs and spices – Here is where you can go crazy. The dill can be substituted with thyme, tarragon, or sage. You could even use an herb blend.
Making it sweet – To add a sweetener or not is your preference. For me, it all depends upon what I’m serving the carrots with and if sweet carrots would complement the main entree’ or not. My two preferences for the sweetener are honey and maple syrup. However, if you do use a sweet apple juice or cider, omit any additional sweetness. The apple juice will make it sweet enough.
Now for a spicier version…
Bourbon Carrots with Chile
A sweet and spicy side dish that is easy to make and is a complement to a variety of dishes.
“*” See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- 4 large carrots, sliced diagonally
- ½ cup whiskey bourbon
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ Tbsp. fat (butter, chile infused oil, olive oil)
- Generous dusting of chile powder
- Salt to taste
- ½ Tbsp. fat (butter, chile infused oil, olive oil)
- ½ Tbsp. maple syrup or honey, to taste
- Generous dusting of chile powder
- Salt to taste
- Scrub or peel the carrots, then slice on the diagonal.
- Pour bourbon into a large skillet (large enough to spread the carrots out into one to two layers) and bring to a boil.
Add carrots. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook 4 minutes, stirring once after 2 minutes.
- Remove cover and cook on medium high until carrots are tender and bourbon has evaporated.
- Add your choice of fat, maple syrup (optional), chile powder, and additional salt if needed.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Bourbon alternatives – If you don’t cook with alcohol, use apple cider or apple juice. Either of these produce excellent results! However, reduce or omit any additional sweetener.
The fats – For vegan, substitute butter with olive oil or a truffle oil. For the chile version, use chile infused oil if you have it, in addition to the chile powder, but again, butter or olive oil works great as well.
Herbs and spices – The chile powder you choose to use can be whatever you have – New Mexico Red chile, ancho, cayenne, chipotle, or paprika. However, I would not recommend a chili powder blend – just too much going on there. Also, depending on what else you are serving, replacing the chile powder with 1/2 tsp. curry powder is awesome!
Making it sweet – To add a sweetener or not is your preference. For me, it all depends upon what I’m serving the carrots with and if sweet carrots would complement the main entree’ or not. My two preferences for the sweetener are honey and maple syrup. However, if you do use a sweet apple juice or cider, omit any additional sweetness. The apple juice will make it sweet enough.
I hope you enjoy these carrots recipes. I encourage you to create your own version with different herbs and spices. If you do, please feel free to share. We all love new ideas!
Here are a few more of our favorite carrot dishes:
These are completely new horizons ….never have thought of such a wonderful combination to prepare carrots. Thank you so much MJ.
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This sounds like a delicious way to serve carrots. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday.
What a great way to serve carrots! I like your recipe with the chile!
Did you say bourbon? with carrots? How could I miss that?!?! I love both ingredients SO much. This will be made asap in my kitchen.
You are amazing MJ! You can excite someone (I bet all of us) with fantastic carrot recipe! I will DEFINITELY try it. I’m excited to find out the flavors. 😉
Hi MJ – what an intriguing idea. I’m trying to think whether I’ve had bourbon before. I’m not a big drinker, and as such possibly have never had it, but I might have had a glass or three over the years. I really can’t imagine the flavour it might lend to the carrots though – lovely idea – would be really interested to try it!
I have never had carrots this way. I am sometimes lost with carrots, not that creative at all. =/ But then you are there to give me some ideas. =D It might be because I used to dislike carrots in my childhood (name one child who likes carrots!). Nowadays I do enjoy them much more and I wished I could grow them in our garden without that the insects finish them off. whiskey bourbon… hm I have no idea what it tastes like so I am curious. Dill? That’s just brilliant together with carrots MJ!
Thanks Helene! What kid likes vegetables? 🙂 I wasn’t that crazy about carrots as a kid, but they weren’t as bad as cooked spinach and okra. The whiskey bourbon adds a bit of an apple sweetness to the carrots. That’s why apple juice is a great substitute if you don’t have bourbon. Hope you get a chance to try them. Oh and the dill – GREAT with carrots!
I’m putting in my order now – bourbon of course, with butter, maybe a little, but very little, maple syrup, and you pick the herb. Sounds divine!!!
You got it! It’s on the menu for next week. 🙂 Hope you’re enjoying your trip and can’t wait to see you two!
Oh, Bourbon sounds like a wonderful addition to carrots, I especially like the sweet and spice one!
I agree bourbon has such a distinctive taste and I am sure the after taste after these carrots have been cooked would be so sweet with an idea of salt. I love both your versions but I would definitely go with the first one as I have a very sensitive stomach!
I love carrot raw and cooked every way too. Both of your versions are absolutely brilliant! My mouth waters just reading your recipe. Thanks for sharing the Bourbon alternatives, it isn’t something we keep so wine was my initial thought — now I know better. Thanks MJ!:)
Thank you Nancy! Yep – wine just didn’t work for us, so I’ll never be trying that again. But that is our taste. If you don’t like bourbon, you could substitute apple juice. For some reason the result is very similar, just a little sweeter.
That is a keeper recipe MJ, This glaze makes any ordinary carrots exquisite looks.
These look so tasty and colorful–the perfect way to use up those spring carrots!
I bought some “real” baby carrots and the family went nuts for them…they actually tasted like carrots of my childhood. Love your recipe…I’ve added bourbon and maple syrup to my carrots…next I’ll try bourbon and sage.
I love this kind of post, MJ. You’ve provided not one but 4 different ways to prepare carrots and each one is very appealing to me. Best of all, none are difficult nor time consuming to prepare, which is important to me if I’m going to make the dish for myself some evening. Thanks for another great post!
Thanks so much John! Posting 4 posts was the result of not being able to make a decision as to which ONE to post – so I just posted them all. 🙂
MJ, I am in awe of your ingenuity! An everyday, simple vegetable, but prepared in such an unusual, sophisticated way. Your pure, beautiful photo also suits this side-dish perfectly. I don’t have bourbon, but I suppose I could use some not too expensive whisky instead. Dill is one of my favourite herbs and I actually already have my own on the balcony, so I will also be preparing lots of dishes with it.
By the way, have you ever frozen dill? My mum has always repeated that dill and chives are one of the rare herbs which freeze perfectly and she was right. They hardly lose their aroma (much better than dried).
Sissi, thank you so much for such nice comments! I’m blushing! Whiskey works great. I actually use a bourbon whiskey. Oh fresh dill – lucky you! No, I have never tried freezing dill. I usually buy a bunch each year and dry it, discarding last year’s because it’s lost its punch. I will definitely be giving it a try this year. Last year, I started freezing little basil cubes and those worked great! BTW – I’m trying cilantro again this year. I bought a couple of starter plants and both are doing quite well thus far. It’s in a very sunny area, so hopefully it will work this year.
I like carrots for sure. I prefer it cooked, yummy. I’ve never tried it with dill or bourbon, but why not 🙂
Love it! My neighbor just gave me a new jar of her home made chile oil and I have a ton of carrots in the fridge!
What a great neighbor! I hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by!
Here is girl after my own heart. She cooks with booze and does not overcook her vegetables. I saw those cruchy tender carrots!
Thanks Zsuzsa! Yep, we like them with a tender crunch, not like the carrots I grew up eating – soft and soggy.
Always looking for new vegetable recipes and this is so simple. Thanks for the creative new way to make carrots. 🙂
Gorgeous looking carrots and takes it another level 🙂 Will have to try this!Love the chili version too 🙂
Great idea for taking carrots and making them special.
These looks like they’re magic carrots!
I love carrots.. well, I’m not precise… I LOVE carrots!
These recipes are amazing: simple and yet super tasty!
I love mine with cumin, but yours are delicious!
Thanks Giulia! Actually, I love yours with cumin as well! I tried them a while back and both of us loved them.
Looks like a tasty glaze.
BTW nice photos
We LOVE carrots! Seriously, even my picky husband LOVES carrots. These carrot variations are super. MJ.
I am loving these carrot variations! I have a ton of carrots I need to pull from the hoop house before we transition to the late spring garden. Perfect to use for this.
MJ, They look like lovely little coins. I would eat them any way you make them. 🙂
I love carrots with halved grapes, butter and honey. That’s before I saw this. Truffle oil or bourbo? woo !
Thanks Maureen! I’ve made a carrot salad with raw grated carrots and grapes, but never cooked carrots. That sounds delicious with the honey and butter! I will have to try that one!
Great carrot recipes! I’m really liking the bourbon carrots with the chili! Next time I prepare carrots, I will be sure to try them with bourbon. Lovely photos MJ!
Thanks Tessa! I hope you like them!
I love love love carrots, thank you for this post 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Love this carrots – I am going to link this in to Food on Friday: carrots – and pin it so others can see it. I know you won’t mind. Have a great week.
Thanks Carole and of course I don’t mind! 🙂 Pin away Darlin!
These look fabulous, MJ! I’m not sure if we have bourbon at home, but if so I will give this a try!
Thanks Michelle! If you don’t have bourbon, you can always use apple juice or cider.
Great looking dish! We’ve been eating a lot of carrots lately, so I’m always looking for new idea. I’ve made a similar dish in the past, but it’s been years and years (I used smoked paprika, as I recall, instead of chile – but I think I like your chile idea better). Good stuff – thanks.
Thanks John! I love the carrots recipes that you have published lately and I have the Moroccan Carrot Salad listed as a salad this week. Smoked paprika sounds like a great spice for this carrots! I’ll have to try it. 🙂
How great is this?! You know one of the things I love most about your blog MJ is that you have a way of appreciating everyday ingredients and elevating them to star status with the use of herbs, spices — and other flavorings ;-). I love the idea of using bourbon here and I can well imagine (even taste) how well it would marry with carrots… (you can’t see me right but I’m licking my lips!). Love carrots too and they are one of those rare vegetables that is actually more nutritious cooked than raw (cooking brings out the carotenoids in carrots/tomatoes :)).
What a nice thing to say Kelly!! Thanks! 🙂 I did not know about the advantage of cooked carrots over raw. Thanks for that information! For years I cooked carrots in apple juice, then one day I was out of it, so I grabbed the bourbon. Now I use apple juice only when I run out of bourbon. 🙂