Slow Cooker Orange, Honey Herb Glazed Carrots
If you’re looking for an easy side dish for family meals, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, Slow Cooker Orange Honey Herb Glazed Carrots are just what you need. Made with a few simple ingredients, this ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ recipe requires minimal prep. The sweet and savory carrots cook in a blend of honey, orange juice, orange zest, and fresh herbs, then
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Slow cooker help for large meals
The crock pot is a valuable cooking vessel when it comes to making large family meals. A busy weeknight, a casual dinner when entertaining, and especially at holiday dinners. Using the slow cooker frees up precious oven space and gets a head start on meal prep.
An Easy Christmas and Thanksgiving side dish
This carrot recipe is the perfect side dish that I have been serving for Thanksgiving dinner and sometimes Christmas. My choice is with either Roast Turkey, Herbed Beef Tenderloin (picture below) and a Creamy Mashed Potato Casserole. This has been my go-to since I first posted this recipe in 2016.
Sweet carrots are the perfect vegetable for the slow cooker because they require a long cooking time. They also bring out the natural sweetness of the carrots. This delicious side dish is perfect for picky eaters or those who aren’t fans of Brussels sprouts. It’s also one of those great recipes you can serve all holiday season.
Slow Cooker Carrots Orange Glaze
The simple glaze is the start of the show. Unsalted butter, flavorful orange juice and zest along with honey (you can substitute maple syrup). Fresh rosemary and sage are a delicious combination.
Best Carrots for the Slow Cooker
You can use regular carrots cut lengthwise or chop them into small rounds—the choice is yours. You can even use a bag of baby carrots that are pre-peeled, or whole carrots that have been peeled and cut. If you can find rainbow carrots, they make for a beautiful presentation.
Leftover Slow Cooker Carrots
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Crunchy Topping for Crockpot Carrots
A finishing touch of crunchy toasted pecans. They are a great crunchy option to offset the little bit of sweetness, along with fresh parsley. You can also use chopped almonds, walnuts, or any of your favorite nuts—or omit the nuts altogether.
Vegan Side Dish
Where this is a vegetarian carrot side dish, you may want to make it vegan. Simply swap the butter for vegan butter and the honey for maple syrup.
If you’ve made these Slow Cooker Orange, Honey Herb Glazed Carrots, please leave a star rating in the recipe card. You can also leave a comment or ask a question below.
Slow Cooker Orange, Honey Herb Glazed Carrots
Crockpot orange, honey and herb glazed carrots are a stunning side dish that will be a stunning addition to your holiday or Sunday dinner table.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut in half
- Chopped pecans
- Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Turn crockpot on high.
- Add the butter, honey, orange zest, juice, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper to a bowl and whisk to mix well.
- Add the carrots to the crockpot and pour over the butter mixture. Mix to coat the carrots.
- Put on the lid and cook on high for 2 hours, or low for 4 hours stirring every hour.
- For the last hour, leave the lid off so the liquid will reduce and thicken.
- Add the pecans to a dry sauté pan over medium low heat and toast, stirring often until they smell fragrant. Allow to cool.
- Serve carrots garnished with pecans and parsley.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 283Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 20mgSodium 444mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 6gSugar 16gProtein 3g
This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.
Janette is a professionally trained chef based in California who channels her passion for cooking into thoughtfully crafted recipes. Her culinary creations are inspired by her English heritage as well as her favorite global cuisines, including Indian and Italian. Connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for more delicious inspiration. More About Janette…
11 Comments on “Slow Cooker Orange, Honey Herb Glazed Carrots”
I’m making this recipe x5 for a crowd. How do you suggest I cook the carrots since they won’t all fit in a crock pot? I was thinking of cooking them in an aluminum roaster. What do you think?
I think any large roasting pan with a lid (or cover with foil) and roast at 400°F for around 20-30 minutes (depending on how thick the carrots are cut). They will cook faster if they are in an even layer instead of crowding the pan so you may want to use multiple pans. Enjoy 🙂
Really good point about the cooker real estate problem Janette. I always have that issue and have a terrible time trying to juggle and time everything right!
This is the perfect solution – and what a beautiful-sounding side dish!
You are SO right, during the holidays the oven certainly is precious real estate! So this is such a genius idea – to make use of the crock pot! Loving the ginger and honey combo too!
These look gorgeous! What a great combination! Love the video!
I make honey ginger carrots frequently but never in the crock pot! Good to know!
I’m going to add ginger next time. Thank you Linda.
Mmmmm. Carrots are one of my favorite veggies. Love the idea of doing them in a crockpot. Bet this would be great with parsnips, as well.
I’m usually not excited about carrots, but your recipe looks amazing with the fresh herbs!
Wow! These look so good! Your pictures make me want to grab one right off the screen!
Oh I love carrots and these sounds so delicious….. love the crumbled pecans on top and the honey orange sauce sounds yum.