Food Recipes Side Dishes Vegetable Side Dishes Irish Buttered Carrots These simple steamed carrots are dressed with sweet Irish butter and flecks of fresh herbs. By Ian Knauer Ian Knauer Ian Knauer was a food editor at Gourmet Magazine, where he developed recipes in the publication's renowned test kitchen, as well as co-hosted its award-winning television shows Diary of a Foodie and Adventures with Ruth. Knauer went on to create and host his own PBS series, The Farm with Ian Knauer. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 15, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Ian Knauer Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 4 servings Jump to recipe Steaming preserves the natural sweetness and color of the carrots, keeping them tender rather than mushy.Tossing the hot carrots with melted high-fat Irish butter creates a glossy coating while also adding richness and subtle sweetness to the finished dish.Thyme and celery leaves or parsley add light herbal notes that keep this simple side fresh and flavorful. Slieve na Mbam is an Irish carrot dish in which the vegetables are cooked in butter and seasoned milk or cream. In our version, we steam the carrots first, then toss them in melted butter along with fresh thyme and celery leaves or flat-leaf parsley. It's a simple, flavorful way to highlight the sweet root vegetable — and especially well-suited to St. Patrick's Day, when spring carrots are in season. Steaming vs. roasting carrots Carrots really sing when they're roasted, which lends them some chew and caramelized flavor. Steaming, as we do in this recipe, is also a great way to prepare them: Not only do the carrots cook quickly without getting mushy, but they also retain their bright orange (or in some cases, yellow, purple, or white) color as well as their pure earthy-sweet flavor. Steamed carrots tend to be more delicate in flavor and texture, which is perfect for an unfussy preparation like this. What goes well with buttered carrots? This simple side is a great accompaniment to roasts, braises, stews, or savory pies, and goes especially well with chicken, lamb, and salmon or trout. If you're preparing these Irish buttered carrots as part of a St. Patrick's Day celebration, they'll fit right in with Irish American corned beef as well as with classic Irish sides like colcannon, boxty, and soda bread. 30 St. Patrick's Day Recipes, From Corned Beef and Cabbage to Irish Soda Bread Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Good-quality butter is the key to this simple carrot dish. Use Irish butter, which is known for its sweetness, bright yellow color, and high percentage of butterfat. Kerrygold butter is available at most U.S. grocery stores. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. 1 pound carrots, peeled and trimmed 3 tablespoons unsalted Irish butter Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 tablespoon celery leaves or flat-leaf parsley leaves Directions In a steamer basket set over simmering water, steam the carrots, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer the carrots to a serving dish. Melt the butter, then toss with the carrots along with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Sprinkle the carrots with the thyme and celery leaves. Serve. Originally appeared: March 2014 Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.