Have you ever found yourself wondering, How Long to Boil Carrots? We have too! Whether the boiled carrots are to enjoy as an easy side dish on those busy weeknights or you plan to use in another recipe, like Candied Carrots, for a special occasion, sometimes you just need to know how long to boil carrots!
Perfect Boiled Carrots Recipe
At our house, we always have fresh carrots in the fridge! They are such a versatile root vegetable that makes a great side dish. Enjoy raw carrots as a healthy snack with a healthy veggie dip, dice them and toss in your favorite soup recipe, enjoy on a summer salad, or use them to make a holiday side dish.
Cooking carrots is surprisingly super easy and can be done with baby carrots, whole carrots, carrot batons, any size or type of carrot! They have a naturally sweet flavor that will even please picky eaters. Follow along as we show you just how easy this cooking process is.
What You Will Need
- carrots – any variety of sweet carrots will work! Just grab your favorite from the local grocery store or farmer’s market!
- water – just enough water to cover the carrots that are being boiled in the pot.
How To Boil Carrots
The first steps to boiling carrots is to gather the carrots you plan to cook and prep them. If using whole carrots, you will want to use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer layer, remove green tops (if they have them), and then cut into carrot sticks, carrot coins, or leave them whole.
Should I Add Salt to the Boiling Water?
No, adding salt to the boiling water when cooking is not needed. It can affect the natural sweetness of the carrots and doesn’t help with the cooking process.
Best Ways To Serve Boiled Carrots
Classic boiled carrots can be mixed with some butter or olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt alongside any main dish! They make a great addition to a whole roasted chicken, cast iron pork chops, or some grilled chicken thighs. And if you want to jazz up this simple side dish, feel free to season carrots with a sprinkling of fresh herbs, like parsley. Add a drizzle of pure maple syrup or brown sugar for added sweetness or a little bit of red pepper flakes, for a kick of heat to the cooked carrots!
Seasonal Variations
Depending on the time of year that you are making boiled carrots, there are a variety of different ways to serve them for the season:
- Fall & Winter: toss carrots in butter with a sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or cloves.
- Spring & Summer: add some light & bright flavors, like lemon juice, fresh chives, or any other fresh herbs that are popping out of the garden, perfect for chopping and adding to your cooked carrots!
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- How long to boil baby carrots? Approximately, 8-10 minutes but this will vary depending on the thickness of the baby-cut carrots. Smaller carrots will need less time than larger, thicker baby carrots.
- How long to boil whole carrots? Large, whole carrots will take longer to boil. More like 10-15 minutes of cooking time. If you want to cook whole carrots faster, you can cut them into sticks, coins, etc. Cutting them into smaller pieces will allow them to cook faster than in whole pieces.
- Can I boil frozen carrots? Yes, you can use this same cooking technique for frozen carrots but they may give you a more soft or mushy result.
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How Long to Boil Carrots
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: How-To
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
A quick and easy tutorial on How to Boil Carrots to use in your next side dish recipe! Perfect for busy weeknight dinners!
Ingredients
- 8 medium/large carrots, peeled and sliced
- water
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan 3/4 of the way with water. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
- Add carrots and let simmer 8-10 minutes or until fork tender.
- Drain carrots and serve as-is, with some butter and salt, or make Candied Carrots!
Notes
- Cook Time: Depends on the thickness of the carrots. Feel free to start testing after the 6 or 7 minute mark if you want your carrots more on the firm side. 8-9 minutes should be more soft, but firm and then 10 minutes or more will be quite soft.
- Storage: store leftover boiled carrots in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 13
- Sugar: 1.4 g
- Sodium: 21 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.9 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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