Carrots are like the working class of vegetables. These humble roots are a staple in our kitchens, but almost always as a complement – rarely as a star.

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One of the simplest and most delicious ways I’ve ever had cooked carrots was when I went to my friend Rachel’s house for dinner. She and her husband prepared a wonderful meal and we had a sweet time of fellowship. While I don’t recall the main dish we enjoyed, I certainly remember the carrot side dish. She shared with me how they prepared them and I couldn’t believe this simple recipe was so amazing. I’ve made it many times since then, and always with pleasing results.

I hope you’ll be amazed and blessed too with this awesome side dish. It is so simple, and can be varied depending on the herbs and spices you have on hand. The cutting method and cooking method can be varied slightly, too, so the results are something you’ve made your own.

Ingredients for easy skillet carrots

It starts really basic with three main ingredients. I’m not trying to oversimplify things — these delicious sautéed carrots really are simple. I’ll share some specific seasonings to get you started but if you want to wing it, you can do that too. It’s fun!

• Matchstick or julienne carrots
• butter or oil
• herbs and seasonings, including salt

You’ll need a skillet or other wide-bottomed pan that’s safe for stovetop cooking. It’s helpful to have a lid for the pan. (I have a very large soup pot with a lid; I’ve used that for sautéing vegetables when I was temporarily without a skillet.)

How To Cut Matchstick Carrots (julienne)

Julienne sounds intimidating and fancy, but it’s French for “matchstick.” (Joking! It is a French word but it’s apparently a proper name.) You can buy matchstick carrots if you want to save time, but it’s pretty easy to cut them yourself. Here’s how:

1. The first step is to wash and peel or scrub the carrots and cut off the very tops. Pro tip: Don’t throw away the peelings and tops! Instead, put them in a freezer bag and stash in the freezer until you make homemade chicken broth. Do the same with your onions and celery scraps. They can all go in the same bag. They’ll contribute to a very flavorful homemade broth you can make in your own kitchen very easily and basically for free.
2. Cut each carrot into two- or three-inch lengths.
3. Next, slice each carrot lengthwise into slabs.
4. Then, stack the slabs and cut again into thin, matchstick size strips.

These matchstick carrots cook quickly and give lots of surface area to be covered with delicious spices and herbs.

If you prefer, you can cut the carrots into coin-shaped pieces instead, just make them very thin. A mandoline slicer helps. If you do that, the cooking time may be a little bit longer and you’ll have a higher carrot-to-spice ratio. (It will still be good.)

Oil or butter for skillet cooking?

Butter tastes good but sometimes it can be a little more watery and it tends to brown quickly when sautéing. For this skillet carrot recipe I generally use a little oil to do the actual cooking and then add softened butter at the end if I feel like it needs it.

Good seasonings for carrots

Two seasonings that are very traditionally paired with carrots are thyme or dill. You could even just use a little salt and dill with these cooked carrots and it would be awesome. Fresh herbs are good and they look really pretty but I’ll be honest – dry herbs keep well in the pantry so that’s what I usually use.

Another option, and the one my friend Rachel used, is to season your carrots with a premixed seasoning blend. This was ah-mazing and such a brilliant, genius idea for making use of all those spice mixes we might impulse-buy. I believe hers was a steak seasoning. I’ve also used fajita seasoning and other mixes. Just check to see if your mix includes salt, because if it does, you’ll want to omit the salt in the recipe.

Seasonings that pair well with this simple carrot recipe include many you’ll already have in your spice rack. Since carrots are such an easy and economical choice, you can try them all to see which you like best! That said, there are a few flavor combos that pair well with carrots.

Carrot Seasonings

Carrots are the perfect vegetable to host some of your favorite spice blends. Have fun experimenting with steak seasoning, salt-free seasonings, or choose some of the single spices below.

• Dill
• Thyme
• Parsley
• Garlic
• Onion
• Cumin
• Tarragon
• Ginger
• Cinnamon
• Black pepper

Don’t forget salt. Salt brings out the flavor in most other seasonings, so unless you’re cutting back for health reasons, don’t omit it. If you’re using salted butter, taste and see if you think it needs more.

Simple Skillet Carrots Recipe

Heat oil in a skillet on the stovetop. Add matchstick carrots and cover, cooking on medium-low heat for several minutes until the carrots start to soften. Uncover and season liberally with your chosen spices. Stir frequently to keep from burning and cook just until the carrots are tender “to the tooth” (al dente, like pasta).