Ingredients

500g Carrots Peeled and Siced
3 tbsp Butter Softened
2 tbsp Honey
Salt and Pepper
Pinch Dried Thyme

Method

Step 1: Prep the Carrots

Start by washing and peeling your carrots. Slice the carrots evenly, about 1/4 inch thick. Uniform slices ensure that they all cook at the same rate. You can do rings or batons.

Step 2: Dress and Season

In a microwave-safe dish, add your sliced carrots. Drop in the butter. There’s no need to melt it beforehand; it will melt as the carrots cook. Drizzle the honey over the carrots. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and finally add a pinch of dried thyme or rosemary.

Step 3: Add Water and Cover

Add a splash of water (roughly 1 tbsp) then cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid or cling film. If using cling film, ensure there’s a small gap for steam to escape, as this helps in cooking the carrots evenly.

A glass dish containing carrots covered with cling film

Step 4: Cook

Place the dish in the microwave and cook on high power for about 7-8 minutes. The exact time may vary depending on your microwave and the thickness of the carrot slices.

This timing is based on a 900w microwave. If you have a lower-wattage microwave, add 1-2 minutes to the cooking time. If you have a higher-wattage microwave, start checking the carrots after 6 minutes.

Step 5: Stir

Halfway through (around 3-4 minutes in), carefully remove the dish from the microwave. Be cautious of steam. Gently stir the carrots to ensure they are evenly coated with the melting butter and honey. This step is crucial for even cooking and glazing.

Cooked carrots in a glass dish in the microwave

Step 6: Stand and Serve

After the total cooking time, let the dish stand in the microwave for a minute. This allows the carrots to finish cooking in the residual heat. Carefully remove the cover. Stir the carrots gently, ensuring they are well coated with the glaze that has formed, then serve.

Tweaks

Add Citrus Citrus pairs so well with carrots. You could add a few slices of orange to the bowl or dress with some lemon zest.
Use Baby Carrots This method for cooking carrots in butter and honey glaze works really well with whole baby carrots.

Substitutes

Make it Vegan I’ve opted for honey but you can use any other liquid sweetener such as maple syrup if you want to make it vegan. You’ll also need to swap the butter out for oil.
Swap the Herbs Thyme and rosemary both work well with carrots but you could try fresh tarragon, oregano, chervil or mint.

Storage

In the Fridge To store leftover microwave glazed carrots in the fridge, place them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Remember to let them cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

In the Freezer Let them cool to room temperature, then spread them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen carrots to a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tips

Use Uniform Pieces: Regardless of how you cut the carrots, you must cut them evenly to get a uniform cook. You’ll end up with some raw and some mushy pieces.

Stirring is Important: Stirring the carrots midway through is important to get them coated in the melted butter. Otherwise, you’ll just end up with carrots sitting on top of a pool of butter.