Smoked Carrots with Honey Glaze

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Smoked carrots with honey glaze are so tender and sweet, they make the perfect side dish for almost any meal. With their sweet honey flavor infused with smoke, they're a whole new way to enjoy carrots!

I love cooking with carrots, and my husband, Ken, loves smoking just about anything. It only seemed natural to combine the two when I decided to make yet another batch of honey-glazed carrots. What we came up with was pure magic!

Closeup shot of smoked carrots with honey glaze and parsley on plate with a fork.

Smoked Carrots Recipe

This was inspired by my other recipe on this site, and pairs well with this amazing chicken recipe.

Ingredients

It only takes a handful of ingredients to make these delicious carrots, and chances are you have all of them in your kitchen right now. It's that simple!

Carrots
Melted butter
Sea salt
Coarsely ground pepper
Fresh parsley, chopped

See the recipe card at the end of the post for amounts and cooking times.

Instructions

If you thought the ingredient list was simple, just wait until you see the recipe itself. It's an absolute breeze. It comes together quickly and packs a punch of sweet flavor with almost zero effort.

Step 1: Prep the Carrots and Smoker

Preheat your pellet smoker and line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper.

While the smoker is preheating, wash and pat the carrots dry. Chop the ends off of both sides of the carrots and then slice them in half on a 45-degree angle.

Step 2: Coat the Carrots with the Honey Mixture

In a large mixing bowl, pour the melted butter, honey, salt, and pepper over the carrots and mix well to coat.

Step 3: Smoke the Carrots

Line the carrots on the baking sheet in a single layer and place them in the smoker until they're fork-tender.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Hint: Don't peel your carrots. The nubby skin actually helps the carrots hold on to all that delicious honey coating.

Closeup shot of forkful of honey glazed smoked carrot over plate of more smoked carrots

Substitutions

Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this smoked carrots recipe.

Brown Sugar - If you don't have honey, brown sugar works very well.
Sugar Free - If you're watching your sugar intake, you can find sugar-free or low sugar brown sugar substitutes at the grocery store.
Smoke Pellets - Use any kind of pellets you want for this recipe. Any smoke flavor will pair well with the honey in this recipe.
Salted Butter - If you only have salted butter, use that and simply omit the sea salt.

Variations

Want to personalize this smoked carrots recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.

Spicy - Add chili pepper flakes to the glaze for a kick of flavorful heat.
New Potatoes - To add even more oomph to the recipe, try adding new potatoes to the mix, as well.
Cook them Whole - You can cook these carrots whole, as well!

If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy our smoked cauliflower recipe.

Equipment

It takes next to nothing to make these delicious carrots. You'll only need a few items.

Knife and cutting board
Mixing bowl
Smoker

Storage

You can store these carrots in the refrigerator for three to five days. You CAN freeze these carrots, but we don't recommend it, as the texture changes.

Tips

This is one of the simplest recipes you'll ever make. That being said, there are a few things to know to ensure you make the absolute best carrots possible.

Use high-quality pellets. Bargain basement pellets have lots of fillers and not a lot of flavor.
Mixing the carrots with the honey mixture is easiest by hand. Just use a rubber glove.
Be sure your carrots are totally dry. The honey mixture won't stick to wet carrots.
Mix the carrots for about a minute or so. Doing this allows the butter to begin to stiffen a little, helping the mixture stick to the carrots.

Closeup shot of fork piercing one of several smoked carrots on a white plate

More Carrot Recipes

Do you like carrots? Here some recipes you may also like to try.

FAQ

Do you have questions about smoked carrots with honey glaze? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about this smoked carrots recipe.

Can I smoke these in a regular smoker?

You can smoke these carrots in a regular smoker, but pellet smokers are easier for a recipe like this.

What kind of pellets should I use?

You can use any flavor you like. They all work well. I do recommend using high-quality pellets, however.

How long will these last?

These carrots will last for between three and five days.

Can I freeze them?

I don't recommend freezing the carrots. You can do it, but their texture will change.

How do I reheat them?

To reheat these carrots, place them on a baking sheet and heat them in the oven at 350 until hot.

What can I serve these carrots with?

You can serve them with almost anything. Their sweet flavor makes them the perfect accompaniment to beef, pork, chicken, and even fish.