With just five ingredients and two simple steps, these Slow Cooker Carrots are a seriously easy side dish recipe for tonight (plus they’re infused with garlic and balsamic…helllooo flavor-town).
I’m the worst at side dishes in that…I always forget to make them. If I get my act together enough to make us a decent main course, chances are pretty high that I will completely neglect to consider a side dish until we’re sitting down for dinner and I realize our plates are 90% chickpeas. The struggle is real.
So I’ve been focusing lately on coming up with some ultra-easy side dish recipes for the forgetful like me. And today, that means these Slow Cooker Carrots!
Ingredients in slow cooker carrots
Ready to give your tastebuds a treat with the most flavorful glazed carrots you’ve ever had?! You’ll need only a few ingredients.
- Carrots: First, you obviously need some carrots! Start with 1-1½ lbs of healthy carrots (there are 6 to 8 carrots in a pound).
- Garlic: From there, you’ll need 4 to 6 cloves of garlic. This is a must to reach that magic flavor.
- Olive Oil: Next, 2 tablespoons of olive oil will help the carrots soak of up all of the flavors. It’ll also keep the carrots from burning in the pot and will help them reach that nice perfect “glaze.”
- Balsamic Vinegar: Say hello to flavor with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
- Salt and Pepper: Last but not least, sprinkle in ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper for the perfect final touch.
How to make these Crockpot Carrots
Slow cooker recipes are a dream, aren’t they? You throw everything in the slow cooker in the morning before you start your day. Turn it on and let it soften the carrots to tender perfection. When you’re home in the evening, you’ll have slightly caramelized, garlic-infused, balsamic carrots! This is what side dish dreams are made of, guys.
For less mess, I highly recomend using these slow cooker liners which basically eliminate all the dishes!
Add extra flavor with this sweet ingredient
Craving a little something extra with your carrots? There’s one more ingredient that can be added for a sweet twist: brown sugar! Yep, brown sugar makes a fantastic glaze for carrots and it tastes delicious when paired with the savory flavor of the garlic.
To use brown sugar, simply include around 1/4 cup when you add everything to the slow cooker.
Main dishes to pair with balsamic carrots
Now that you’ve had time to nail this side dish, how about some main courses? Pair these balsamic carrots with any of the following recipes for a complete meal.
Have Leftovers?
Blend your leftover carrots up to make this dreamy Carrot Hummus!
Ingredients
- 1 to 1½ lbs carrots 450 to 680 g
- 4 to 6 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp olive oil 30 mL
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 30 mL
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Prep: Add all ingredients to a slow cooker, tossing to evenly coat carrots.
- Cook: Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, or on low for 6 to 8 hours (or until tender). It's useful to use slow cooker liners for this recipe to prevent carrots from sticking to your slow cooker.
Crystal says
This looks delicious! Could baby carrots be used? If so, does anything else need to change?
Sarah says
Hi Crystal! I haven’t tried it but I think baby carrots would work just as well 😀 The time probably won’t change all that much unless they’re pretty skinny, then I would probably shave off an hour. Would love to hear how it turns out for ya!
MARGARET ROBINSON says
I am going to try these on the weekend. From the pic, it looks as though the carrots might burn in the bottom of the slow cooker? The ‘after ‘ pic at the top of the page shows that bottom and sides of the slow cooker are quite browned..???
Sarah says
Sorry for the delay, Margaret! The balsamic and garlic can get a little crispy in spots, but it’s a flavor I really like with the earthy carrots! I usually just soak the pan in soapy water overnight and it cleans just fine (otherwise use a slow cooker liner, another favorite of mine!)
Ruth says
Looks amazing! Was just looking for some new ideas, with the kids home… and had gotten a delivery from our local farm, so the carrots are looking great in the slow cooker now – and with the liner, who needs extra kitchen work now? 🙂 thanks!
Sarah says
Love it! (And aren’t those slow cooker liners amazing?) Enjoy!
Bobby Jones says
Going to try it tomorrow. Ever use barbecue sauce in it?
Sarah Bond says
I haven’t, but I think it would be tasty! 😀
Jack says
I’ve made these several times with different vinegars, depending on what I’m esting them with. I made them with Stubbs reduced-sugar BBQ sauce, which is very vinegary. They came out great, I tried one on a hotdog bun with two strips of smoked tofu, pickles & slaw, it was very good.