This post is a Cookbook Club exclusive. Every month, we share recipe variations inspired by or following a certain blueprint. This dish is one of three that utilizes Seattle-style teriyaki sauce in a unique way, alongside this grilled corn and grilled salmon. Join the club to test these recipes alongside fellow Frienjis and provide direct feedback for my next cookbook!

Cooking carrots in a simple glaze of teriyaki sauce, stock, and butter deepens their sweet flavor while adding savory, umami depth.

Carrots have a natural affinity for Japanese flavors. Their earthy sweetness pairs beautifully with soy sauce, and because they're sturdy enough to withstand a little overcooking, they're ideal candidates for my favorite glazing technique, which I’ve written about in my book and on Serious Eats. When you cook them in a mixture of stock, butter, and a sweet and savory element—like teriyaki sauce—carrots become perfectly tender while simultaneously absorbing flavor. By the time the liquid reduces into a shiny glaze, everything is finished at exactly the same moment. It's a simple one-pan side that's equally at home next to grilled salmon, roast chicken, or a bowl of steamed rice.

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Recipe: Teriyaki-Glazed Carrots

Every recipe I publish here is personally tested, tasted, and approved.

What I love about this recipe:

Simmering and glazing happen simultaneously, so nothing is overcooked.

Butter rounds out the salty-sweet teriyaki into a silky sauce.

The same technique works beautifully with parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, or squash.

Yield: Serves 4–6Active Time: 15 minutesTotal Time: 15 to 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch disks on the bias, or into bite-sized chunks (you can also use scrubbed and trimmed whole baby carrots)

1/4 cup (60ml) teriyaki sauce—following this recipe.

1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock, or water

3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons roasted regular or black sesame seeds

4–6 thinly sliced scallions

Method

Combine carrots, teriyaki sauce, chicken broth (or water), and butter, in a 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven and place over high heat. When liquid boils, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are almost completely tender (carrots should give very little resistance when poked with a cake tester or knife), about 10 minutes. If liquid drops to below 1/2-inch during cooking, top up with a cup of hot water.

Remove lid and continue cooking carrots at a rapid boil until sauce is reduced to a syrupy glaze. Off heat, add sesame seeds and scallions. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.



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