Easy Buttered Peas and Carrots
Basic buttered peas and carrots get a nutty upgrade with browned butter. Steamed carrots and frozen peas come together for an easy side dish that is ready in about 20 minutes. You only need a few ingredients for a simple veggie that pairs well with everything from weeknight dinner to holiday meals.
Pair these Browned Butter Peas and Carrots with Mini Shepherd Pies for a cozy dinner.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Have you heard the saying, “what grows together goes together?” Fruits and vegetables that grow under similar conditions in similar locations and in a similar timeframe are not only ready to harvest at the same time. But they also tend to taste good together. This is the case with carrots and peas.
Of course, these days, fresh carrots are available year-round, and frozen peas preserve the sweet flavor and bright color at their peak. So this veggie combo makes a great side dish any time of the year. But maybe you are a little bored with basic carrots and peas, yet still want something a little simpler than Honey Dijon Peas and Carrots. So let’s look at the easiest way to give them deep, rich, nutty flavor.
How to Make Peas and Carrots Taste Good
I have one word: butter. But not just any butter. Specifically, it’s all about browned butter. Just a bit of deliciously nutty browned butter adds a huge punch of flavor to this easy side dish. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Butter is better. When you brown the butter, you really only need a little to transform a dish. Cauliflower rice becomes anything but basic. It makes mashed butternut squash velvety and delicious. And the fresh flavors of simply sauteed summer vegetables really pop.
- So simple. These aren’t your basic buttered carrots and peas, but they are still easy to make with only a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of prep time.
- Works for any occasion. Since it’s ready in about 20 minutes, you can easily add them to any weeknight meal. But the rich flavor makes them worthy of a holiday feast. Not to mention, it’s easy to double or triple the batch for a larger gathering.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
This is a super simple way to add more flavor to peas and carrots. You only need a few ingredients and a few simple steps. Here is a quick overview, with the full amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Fresh carrots – peeled and sliced about 1/4-inch thick. They look really elegant cut at an angle, but you can just cut them into circles.
- Unsalted butter
- Plain frozen peas – regular or petite peas work, depending on your preference. No need to thaw them.
- Fresh thyme – optional, but it adds a nice flavor that pairs especially well with holiday meals. You can also use other herbs, such as parsley, or dried thyme if that is all you have.
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Buttered Peas and Carrots
- Prepare the carrots. Peel and slice the carrots, then steam them until crisp-tender, or to your desired texture, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Brown the butter. Heat a pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and let it melt and start to foam. Stir frequently with a whisk or spatula until the butter becomes golden in color and some brown bits start to collect at the bottom.
- Stir in veggies. Add steamed carrots and frozen peas to the butter, and stir to coat. Cook until peas are hot, and carrots are golden.
- Season and serve. Stir in the thyme, and season the sautéed peas and carrots to taste with salt and pepper. Serve right away.
Peas and Carrots FAQs
Browned butter adds a nutty flavor to plain veggies in just minutes. Melt unsalted butter over medium-low heat until it turns golden and brown bits collect at the bottom, then toss in your steamed carrots and frozen peas straight from the bag.
Go slow and watch it carefully, keeping the heat low. Do not rush the process. Stir it frequently until the color is golden but not too dark. If it starts to burn, you’ll need to throw it away and start over, or it will taste very bitter. In this case, it’s fine not to get it completely browned before adding the carrots and peas, because it’ll continue to develop its flavors and aroma after you toss in the veggies.
If you want to make this all in one pot, you can steam your carrots and remove them from the pot. Then, after pouring out the water, brown the butter in the same pot and proceed. This way, you dirty fewer dishes.
Fresh thyme, salt, and pepper are all you need here. Stir in a teaspoon of thyme leaves after the peas are heated through, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Parsley works too if that’s what you have on hand.
No, you’ll just add the frozen peas directly to the browned butter with the steamed carrots and cook until the peas are hot and the carrots turn golden. It only takes a few minutes.
Frozen peas turn hard from overcooking. They do not take long to cook, which is why I recommend adding them without thawing them. If you use thawed peas or petite peas, add them after the carrots have sautéed for a couple of minutes so that they don’t cook too long and get hard.
Make it a Meal
- This kid-friendly side goes great with a kid-friendly dinner like Beefaroni or Homemade Sloppy Joes.
- This recipe is so super quick you can easily serve it with a weeknight meal of Worcestershire Sauce Cubed Steak or classic Beef and Potato Skillet Dinner.
- Pair these buttery veggies with a Lemon Herb Crockpot Roast Chicken or savory Bottom Round Roast for Sunday dinner.
- Add them as a simple side with your Roast Turkey for Thanksgiving or Baked Ham for Easter.
- And of course, the rich flavor from the browned butter makes this perfect for a holiday meal, perhaps alongside a Cranberry Crusted Prime Rib Roast.
More easy vegetable side dish recipes
Buttered Peas and Carrots with Browned Butter
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into quarter-inch thick slices
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 8 ounces plain frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Peel 1 pound carrots and cut them into quarter-inch thick slices, at an angle if desired. Place carrots in a steamer rack over simmering water and steam until crisp-tender, as you prefer, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- While the carrots are steaming, heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter and let it melt and start to foam. Stir frequently until the butter becomes golden in color and some brown bits start to collect at the bottom. Be careful not to burn the butter.
- Add the steamed carrots and 8 ounces plain frozen peas to the butter, and stir to coat the peas and carrots.
- Cook until the peas are hot and the carrots have developed a nice golden color. This will only take a few minutes.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I like to cut my carrots at an angle, but this is just for appearance. You can just cut them into circles.
- If you want to make this all in one pot, you can steam your carrots and remove them from the pot. Then, after pouring out the water, brown the butter in the same pot and proceed.
- You can use regular or petite frozen peas.
- Store leftovers: They can be stored in the refrigerator overnight in an airtight container. Then reheat in a skillet or in the microwave.
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my frozen peas kind of became hard?
Oh no, I’m sorry. Did you use the “normal” sized peas or the petite peas? Neither take very long to cook, but the petite peas cook especially fast. You could always toss them in after you’ve sauteed the carrots for a couple minutes so that the peas just barely have time to heat through.
This looks like a side dish that I think will be great for an addition to Thanksgiving dinner!
Ooo, I think you’re right!