Ginger Ale Carrots
Tender carrots with a subtly sweet glaze…made with…ginger ale?! You better believe it!! These delicious ginger ale carrots are only 3 simple ingredients and one of our favorite easy side dish recipes!
The Easiest Glazed Carrots Recipe
A few years ago, we traveled to Cat Island, Bahamas for my sister’s wedding. It was a no-frills (though beautiful!) place, so we cooked our own lunches with whatever we were able to round up.
As the designated chef of the family, my husband was called upon to prepare a meal for around twenty people a day using very limited provisions.
Here is what my husband had to work with:
- a yellow-fin tuna caught on the previous afternoon’s deep-sea fishing trip
- a bag of lettuce
- a handful of extra large carrots
Of course the fresh-caught tuna on a bed of lettuce was amazing! However, it was surprisingly the carrots that stole the show.
Somehow, my husband transformed those carrots into something absolutely incredible using only a can of ginger ale he found in the fridge. Those ginger ale glazed carrots lasted about five minutes and were the surprise star of the meal!
Note: For your convenience, I’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used to make this recipe. Read our full disclosure policy here.
What You Need:
- Medium bag of carrots
- 1 can of ginger ale
Seriously! That’s it!
Essential Equipment: My husband uses the Kila Chef 11″ Tri-Ply Copper Bottom Frying Pan
— you get all the benefits of cooking with copper, but at a fraction of the price of fancy solid copper pans!
Can You Use a Different Type of Soda?
If you want to try this recipe, but don’t have any ginger ale at home, don’t worry! While I especially love the extra tang of ginger ale, Sprite, 7-up, or a similar lemon-lime soda will also work and taste fantastic.
The flavor might be slightly different, but it will still be sweet and savory with that perfect caramelization you can see in the pictures. YUM!
How Does Soda Caramelize Vegetables?
Caramelization is a process where sugar is cooked until it browns. This already happens to a certain extent when cooking fruits or veggies themselves. The natural sugars are released and caramelize when cooked at high temperatures.
When we add a can of soda to this dish, the liquid cooks off, leaving a glaze of sweet caramelization on top of the carrots. It’s like a boost of flavor!
How to make Ginger Ale Glazed Carrots
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
First, prep carrots by washing and peeling. Cut off the tops, then slice about 1/4″ thick.
Add to a large sauté pan over medium heat with a pat of butter or cooking oil. Brown carrots for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour an entire 12oz can of ginger ale into the pan, stir, and cover. Reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes on low.
Remove lid, stir, and enjoy!
The next time you’re scrambling to create a fabulous holiday meal, or just a Tuesday night diner, don’t worry!
If you’ve got a bag of carrots, a can of ginger ale, and twenty minutes, then you can make this delicious and easy side dish!
More of our favorite easy vegetable side dish recipes:
- Asian Inspired Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Savory Sausage & Spinach Skillet (only 4-ingredients!)
- Broccoli with Garlic Sauce
- Ranch Green Beans
- Hearts of Palm & Artichoke Salad
- Roasted Beet Hummus
- Slow Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Here’s a printable version of this super-easy Ginger Ale Glazed Carrots recipe:
If you love this recipe, rate it! You can also tell us what you think in the comments below.
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Ginger Ale Glazed Carrots (with VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 1 bag carrots medium bag
- 1 can ginger ale
Instructions
- Wash & peel carrots. Cut off and discard ends and tips. Cut into slices 1/4" thick.
- Add carrots to greased frying pan on medium high. Brown for 2-3 minutes.
- Add up to a full can of ginger ale to carrots. (You can start with half and if it looks like the liquid is not enough to cover the bottom of the pan, add more). Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Pin our Ginger Ale Carrots recipe on Pinterest:
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Can’t wait to try them. Matt, you are a natural in front of the camera.
He is, isn’t he?? I spent years training to do that and he just hops in front of the camera and is a star 🙂
This recipe looks fantastic, I can’t wait to try it out. I remember making ginger ale scones a few years ago and they were great, so I’m sure these will be too!
Hmm…ginger ale scones sound interesting! Would be curious to see that recipe! Let me know what you think about the carrots 🙂
I am making these for thanksgiving tomorrow. I am wondering if it would be a good idea to cook them in a slow cooker. I am just wondering if the sugars in the gingerale will burn the carrots. I was thinking maybe on low for a few hours. What do you think?
I asked the hubby and he says just to make sure the carrots are fully submerged in liquid so they don’t dry out or scorch. You can add chicken broth or water to the ginger ale (50/50 ratio) and then drain the excess before serving. Let me know how long you end up cooking them for 🙂
It’s hard to get fresh carrots where I’m at for cheap do you think this would work well with frozen carrot slices?
HI Rebecca- The chef says that you can, but you’ll need to adjust a few parts of the recipe. First, thaw carrots and pat dry. Since the carrots are already pre-cooked, the cooking time will be much shorter and you’ll basically be adding a quick sear. Start with your pan on high heat and add a tablespoon or two of cooking oil (make sure your carrots are as dry as possible to prevent any oil splatters from mixing with water droplets on the carrots). Add carrots and allow to sear to a golden brown, stirring frequently. (This shouldn’t take very long). Once seared, you can add ginger ale and reduce heat to medium. You’ll have to eyeball the amount of ginger ale, since I don’t know exactly how many carrots you’re using. You want enough ginger ale to add that sweet flavor, but just enough that you can reduce so the carrots are not swimming in liquid. Simmer on medium until carrots are soft and golden brown.
I’d like to try with canned carrots then put them in a heating dish until we’re ready to eat – they could be in there for up to an hour. Do you think this will turn out OK? It sounds like I”m going to have to make sure they’re dry before searing them. Then the ginger ale, then maybe drain that and put in warming dish? Would it taste good to add butter?
Since canned carrots are already cooked, preparing them as described in the original recipe would be too much and they may get too soft. What I’d recommend instead is to reduce the ginger ale by itself in a saucepan until it reduces to about half. Then add drained carrots to the heating dish with the sauce. If you want to try a little butter, add it to your ginger ale while reducing – this will make it into a thicker sauce. Hope this helps!
In both your blog and in the recipe itself, the ingredients call for 1 can of Ginger Ale. In the BLOG instructions, you say to add an ENTIRE 12 oz. can of soda to the carrots. In the RECIPE, you say to add a HALF of a can… I give up! Which is it? A whole can or a half of a can? Not trying to be nit-picky, but that’s a lot of difference. Thanks.
Hi Jeannie – You can’t really go wrong here, so don’t worry too much! Depending on how many carrots you’re using, you may need 1/2 can or up to a full can. Start with half the can, and if it’s not enough to cover the bottom of the pan, add more. I updated the recipe directions to clarify. Hope this helps!