I’ve been making these braised carrots for 30 years and they never get old. They’re still one of my go-to side dishes. Something about the tarragon and garlic just makes carrots taste special. Even people who don’t like carrots end up requesting this braised carrots recipe after they try them.
Plus, the one-pan situation means less clean up. And if you’ve got kids, invite them to join in and peel the carrots while you handle the rest. Helping in the kitchen is a great no-pressure opportunity to expose kids to foods they don’t eat, like carrots with tarragon.
Why You’ll Love This Braised Carrots Recipe
- It’s easy and relatively quick to make. Once the ingredients are in the pan, this braised carrots recipe is hands-off.
- The addition of tarragon brings a freshness and the garlic adds even more flavor to the braised carrots.
- It’s a versatile veggie side that’s great for weeknights and special occasions. And these tarragon braised carrots pair well with dijon salmon, orange-marinated salmon, roast pork, or added to grain bowls.
- Braised carrots are make-ahead friendly: These tarragon carrots reheat well for lunches for a side on your busiest weeknights.
What is Braising & Why It Works Well for Carrots
What’s braising, you ask? It’s a cooking method that involves searing and then cooking slowly with a little liquid, lid on. This method works well here because searing the carrots brings out the their sweetness and cooking them slowly helps impart flavor from the garlic.
Ingredients to Make Carrots with Tarragon
- Carrots: I make these braised carrots using regular carrots. For an even more colorful dish, try using multi-colored carrots. You can use baby carrots, but my preference is regular carrots because they look nicer sliced and are sweeter.
- Unsalted butter: For sautéing the carrots. You can use all olive oil if you prefer.
- Olive oil: My preference is Kirkland brand extra virgin olive oil because it’s got great flavor and is reasonably priced.
- Garlic cloves: The garlic lends a nice depth of flavor to the braised carrots. Use fresh, whole cloves of garlic. If you want to use jarred, chopped garlic, you can. I like the garlic cloves because they become tender and sweet.
- Dried tarragon gives the braised carrots a hint of brightness. If you want to use fresh tarragon, use double the amount. Don’t like tarragon, you can leave it out. I’d recommend squeezing a little lemon juice over the carrots when they’re done cooking to add some brightness that will be missing without the tarragon. You can also add some chopped flat leaf parsley at the end.
- Water: Not technically an ingredient. But you can substitute chicken stock for it if. you’d like to add another layer of flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Add during the cooking process and then taste at the end and add more if needed. I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. It’s less salty than regular salt (like Morton’s). So if you use regular table salt when cooking, you’ll want to use half the amount of salt called for.
Dietitian note: If you’d like to make the braised carrots dairy free, substitute more olive oil for the butter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Peel 2 lbs of carrots.
2. Slice diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. I slice them on the diagonal. But you can slice the carrots so they’re circles if you prefer.
3. Peel garlic cloves and slice lengthwise. Set aside.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the carrots and 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper pepper.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan and place the lid on it. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 20 minutes
6. Add the sliced garlic cloves and stir. Replace the lid.
7. Cook on low for another 15 minutes or until the carrots and garlic are tender but not mushy.
When the carrots are cooked, add the tarragon to the braised carrots and stir. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Expert Tips From a Registered Dietitian
Parents often ask how to “get” their child to eat certain foods (like veggies). But that’s not how it works. You can’t get kids to eat vegetables (or other foods they don’t like). Bribery and pressure don’t work and often backfire.
Focus instead on creating low-pressure opportunities to try foods kids don’t eat. For example, serve these carrots with tarragon family style and allow kids to help themselves if they decide they want to try them.
And remember, just seeing the carrots and seeing you enjoy them create as exposures to new foods.
Troubleshooting Tips & Recipe FAQs
Definitely. You can make them ahead and reheat them. Or serve them room temperature.
Reheat the in your microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with the bowl with a paper towel and reheat according to your microwave manufacturer’s instructions. You can also reheat them on the stove top by sautéing them over medium high heat for a few minutes. Another option is to reheat them in your air fryer. I have a Cusinart Air Fryer and I reheat them at 325 F for about 7 minutes.
These braised carrots shouldn’t get mushy when reheated.
If the garlic burned it’s either because it was added too early in the cooking process or because the heat on the burner was too high. Remember to add the garlic after the carrots have already cooked for about 20 minutes. And keep the heat low during the braising process.
Rate the Recipe
If you love these carrots or are just looking forward to making them, we’d love it if you take a moment to comment and give this braised carrots recipe 5 stars.
Braised Carrots with Garlic and Tarragon
Ingredients
- 2 lbs carrots peeled and sliced diagonally
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons water or chicken stock
- 1/2 head of garlic peeled and sliced
- 1 Tablespoon dried tarragon (or 2 Tablespoons fresh)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and slice the 2 lbs of carrots diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. I slice them on the diagonal. But you can slice the carrots so they’re circles if you prefer.
- Peel and slice the garlic cloves lengthwise.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to a large sauté pan over medium high heat.
- Add the carrots and 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper pepper. Sear the carrots on one side until they start to turn golden brown. Then stir and continue to sear for 3-5 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan and place the lid on it. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the sliced garlic cloves and stir. Replace the lid.
- Cook on low for another 15 minutes or until the carrots and garlic are tender but not mushy.
- When the carrots are cooked, add the tarragon to the braised carrots and stir.
Notes
- Feel free to use more or less garlic and tarragon if you prefer.
- For dairy free braised carrots, use olive oil in place of butter.
- If you don’t like tarragon, omit it and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end along with 2 tablespoons of chopped flat leaf parsley.
- If you’d like to use baby carrots instead of regular carrots, you certainly can. Slice them in half lengthwise. You’ll likely need to adjust the cooking time.
We’re Elizabeth & Anna!
It’s great to have you here. We’re registered dietitians and we share tips to support you in raising kids with a healthy relationship with food.
