Sous vide glazed carrots are truly fantastic. In this recipe, we sous vide carrots with butter and a touch of salt and sugar, then finish them in a pan for a perfect glaze. The result? Insanely good and fool-proof glazed carrots for any occasion.
I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. Why spend an hour cooking carrots sous vide when you could simply glaze them in a pan? But I decided to give them a try cause I heard great things, and my mind was instantly changed. They are amazing.
First off, the flavor tasted like the true essence of a carrot. Second, glazing the carrots the traditional way takes a lot of practice and skill to make perfect. With the sous vide, it is incredibly simple to get awesome results. And last, the texture comes out perfectly fork-tender and delicious.
Now go on and whip up sous vide glazed carrots for your next soirée, fancy dinner, or literally any occasion. You won’t be disappointed.
Packaging
An essential part of cooking sous vide is putting ingredients in an air-tight bag or container. The two most common techniques to package your ingredients are vacuum sealing and using the water displacement method.
A vacuum sealer removes all the air and seals the contents of a plastic bag through a vacuum. Ensuring the food is airtight and properly sealed prevents the bag from floating, which can result in uneven cooking. Since we are adding liquid in the bag, please make sure your vacuum sealer is capable of sealing liquids. If not, please use the displacement method.
The displacement method is a technique where you first place your food and marinades in a sous vide bag, submerge the bag in a container of water, and allow the pressure to force all the air out of the bag.
Both of these methods work for this recipe, so use whichever you feel more comfortable with!
Carrot Time and Temperature
Through lots of R&D, we’ve found that cooking the carrots sous vide at 85C/185F for 45 minutes is the perfect combo. This time and temperature gives the carrots the perfect texture and taste that you are seeking.
Just make sure you have a reliable sous vide that accurately regulates the temperature of the bath or your results may vary (check out the Anova or Joule).
The 45 minutes is for carrots cut into ½ inch pieces. If you leave baby carrots or slim heritage carrots whole, give them about 1 hour, and cut any fat ends from big carrots in half lengthways so every piece is close to the same thickness. Even pieces matter more than anything else here, because the bath cooks each piece exactly as thick as it is.
Glazing the Carrots
Once the carrots finish in the sous vide, remove the bag from bath and pour contents into a large pan. Cook over medium high heat, swirling the pan every minute or so to evenly glaze the carrots.
Once most liquid has evaporated and the carrots are nice and glazed, plate the carrots. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and flake salt and enjoy!
Glazed carrots for a holiday table
Carrots are one of the easiest sides to get done early, and on Thanksgiving or Christmas that frees up the stove when you need it for gravy.
How much to make. One batch (1 lb of carrots) serves 4. On a big holiday spread with several sides, plan on about ¼ lb per person, so 3 lb in three bags feeds 12. Keep each bag to one batch and lay it flat so the carrots sit in a single layer.
Make ahead. Cook the bags up to 3 days before. When they come out of the bath, put the sealed bags straight into a sink of ice water for 20 minutes, then into the fridge. On the day, tip the cold carrots and all the liquid into a wide pan and glaze them as usual. They take a few minutes longer because they start cold, and they warm through while the liquid reduces.
Timing with other sides. Our sous vide mashed potatoes cook at 194°F / 90°C, so do them first, then let the bath drop to 185°F / 85°C for the carrots. If dinner runs late, take the carrots out on time and chill them rather than leaving them in the water, as they keep softening. For the full day plan, see our Thanksgiving planning guide, which pairs well with the whole sous vide turkey.
Flavour swaps. Swap the sugar for the same amount of honey or maple syrup, add a strip of orange zest or a few sprigs of thyme to the bag, or finish with a pinch of chilli flakes. Taste the glaze before the salt goes on, as honey and maple vary in sweetness.
Special Equipment
Sous Vide Machine – This one is obvious. To cook sous vide, you’re going to need a device to precisely regulate the temperature of the bath water. The two best sous vide machines in the game right now are the Anova Precision Cooker and the Breville Joule.
12-quart Container – Although you can use a basic stockpot for your sous vide cooking needs, I highly recommend buying a large plastic container. They are inexpensive and spacious, so you won’t have to worry about cooking a large batch of cheesecakes in a small pot. I recommend a 12 quart Rubbermaid container, as it is BPA free, sturdy, and large enough for just about anything you will be cooking.
Container Lid – If you are going to buy a plastic container, I highly suggest buying a compatible lid for it. When you sous vide for a long duration, the heat of the water causes evaporation. With a lid, it eliminates a majority of the evaporation so you can cook for hours care-free.
Next Level Sous Vide –Looking to take your sous vide skills to the next level? The Next Level Sous Vide eCookbook will push your culinary boundaries with 65 delicious recipes that are equally approachable and tasty. With pro tips and a detailed explanation of the sous vide process, you will be on your way to maximize your sous vide skills.
Check out our full list of recommended gear here.
Frequently asked questions about sous vide carrots
Q: Can I make sous vide glazed carrots ahead of time?
A: Yes. Cook them in the bag up to 3 days ahead, chill the bag in ice water, keep it in the fridge and do the pan glaze just before serving.
Q: How long do you sous vide carrots?
A: 45 minutes at 185°F / 85°C for ½ inch pieces. Whole baby carrots need about 1 hour.
Q: Can I use baby carrots?
A: Yes. Use them whole and give them about 1 hour. Bagged baby carrots are cut from bigger carrots and can taste a little flat, so I add an extra pinch of salt to the glaze.
Q: Why are my carrots still firm?
A: The pieces were cut thicker than ½ inch, the bag was crowded, or the bath had not come back to 185°F / 85°C when the timer started. Give them another 15 minutes and check one.
Q: Can I double the recipe in one bag?
A: You can fit 2 lb in a large bag if it lies flat, but two bags cook more evenly and are easier to glaze in batches. Glaze one batch per pan so the liquid reduces quickly.
Sous Vide Glazed Carrots Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut ½ inch
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon butter, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
- Italian parsley, chopped for garnish
- Flake salt for garnish
Instructions
Preparation
Set sous vide machine to 85C/185F.
In a bowl, mix together cut carrots, sugar, salt, water and butter sliced into 1 tablespoon pieces.
Pour ingredients from bowl in sous vide bag and remove the air through a vacuum sealer or the displacement method. Drop the bag in the bath 45 minutes.
Glazing
Remove bag from bath and pour contents into a large pan. Cook over medium high heat, swirling the pan every minute or so to evenly glaze the carrots. Once most liquid has evaporated and the carrots are glazed, plate the carrots. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and flake salt.
I made these carrots to accompany a sous-vide steak I was making and it came out fantastic.
It was my first time doing two sous-vide items at a time and I was really unsure how to do this. I started by cooking the carrots first as they required the highest temperature, then allowing the carrots to hang out in the water bath as I cooked the steaks at a much lower temperature (at this point, the carrots were just along for the ride). I was pumped that the carrots didn’t cook any further and came out perfectly cooked, tender but not mushy.
I’ll be using this recipe again and often.