Buttery Peas and Carrots

Buttery peas and carrots is a simple side dish to make. This is comfort food the whole family will love. This easy recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish.

a pan of peas and carrots

Simple Side Dish Recipe

Dinner doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious. That is why home cooks need to have a handful of recipes in their back pocket that are quick and easy to make, yet still, taste great.

Cooking the main course is a snap; just throw a roast or chicken into the oven, and the whole family is happy. Side dishes, on the other hand, can be a little more tricky.

A great side dish is one that pleases everyone and plays well with lots of different proteins. It gets bonus points if you can make it with staple ingredients you already have in the house.

It doesn’t get much better than peas and carrots when it comes to a simple side dish that is versatile and a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes.

Carrot Notes

Most people prefer tender-crisp carrots. That means the carrots are soft on the outside but still offer a little crunch in the middle.

For larger chunks of carrots, it can take up to 9 minutes at a boil to reach the tender-crisp stage. Since this recipe calls for sauteing the carrots beforehand, reducing the boiling time to 6 – 8 minutes is adequate.

It is worth noting that you will need to adjust the boiling time accordingly if you cut your carrots into smaller sizes or prefer harder or softer carrots.

Find out more on how long to boil carrots.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Frozen peas
  • Baby carrots or regular carrots
  • White onion
  • Butter
  • Water or chicken stock
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
carrots, peas, butter, chicken stock, and onion for peas and carrots

How to Cook Peas and Carrots

  1. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat.
  2. Add chopped onion, stir, and cook the onions for a couple of minutes.
  3. Add carrots and cook until they are tender.
  4. Add frozen peas, water or stock, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
  5. Cover and cook for 6 minutes or until the peas are cooked through.

Recipe Tips

Hold off on adding all the salt until the end. It is easy to overwhelm the balance of this side dish with too much salt. Especially if you are using chicken stock to replace the water, leave out half the salt at the beginning of the recipe. You can taste and add more salt if you think it is necessary right before serving.

Please treat your peas right. Frozen peas are perfect for this dish. In fact, unless you have access to straight-from-the-garden peas, flash-frozen peas have the best flavor. You don’t have to thaw peas, but at least remove any large ice crystals before adding them to the chicken stock to avoid watering it down.

Add spices for additional flavor. Do you want to add a dash of flavor to your peas and carrots? Mix a bit of the spice used in the main course into the peas and carrots before serving.

a skillet with peas and carrots

What to Serve Peas and Carrots With

Check out more of my vegetable side dish recipes and the best quick and easy recipes here on CopyKat!

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a pan of peas and carrots

Buttery Peas and Carrots

Buttery Peas and Carrots is a classic and healthy side dish that's perfect for any dinner.
5 from 3 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Peas and Carrots
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 201kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 1 pound baby carrots or 4 large carrots
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion or shallots
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup water or chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat butter in sauté pan over medium heat. Use a pan that has a lid so you can cover it for the final cooking step.
  • When the butter foams, add finely chopped onion.
  • Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
  • Add carrots and cook until they are tender.
  • Add frozen peas and stir to coat them well.
  • Add water or chicken stock, salt, and pepper.
  • Cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until the peas are cooked through.

Nutrition

Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 775mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 16542IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erin buscetto

    5 stars
    Delicious! I swapped out white onion for red since I needed to use it up worked perfect! I also added grated Parmesan cheese for added flavor. Definitely use chicken broth if you have it brings the dish together.

  2. Erin buscetto

    5 stars
    Delicious! I swapped out white onion for red and also added grated Parmesan cheese. Definitely use chicken broth if you have it.

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