How to Microwave Carrots

0.0 from 0 votes

Written By Acacia Crossley

As comforting as a takeaway or frozen meal may be, it isn’t exactly the best thing to feed your body, especially when it’s been a particularly challenging day.

In these exact situations, your microwave can become your best friend. Everyone knows a microwave is great for heating frozen ready meals and instant noodles, but how good is a microwave at cooking something a little healthier? 

To microwave carrots, pop them into a bowl once prepared, add a splash of water and microwave for around 2 minutes. Stir then repeat for a further 2 or 3 minutes.

How to Microwave Carrots

Out of all the vegetables available in the world, carrots are by far one of the most well-known and widely used. No matter if they are frozen or fresh, carrots are an accessible way to stick with your 5 a day.

Usually, carrots are cooked by being steamed or roasted, but here is a simple method for cooking tasty carrots in your microwave: 

  1. Prep Carrots
    Before you microwave your carrots, peel them and chop them into bite-sized pieces. 
  2. Add Water
    Place the carrots into a microwave-safe bowl, ensuring that they do not rise past the bowl’s rim. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water. 
  3. Cover
    Use a damp tea towel or plate to cover the bowl completely. 
  4. Microwave
    Place the carrots into your microwave and set the power on high. Microwave for 2 minutes. 
  5. Stir 
    After 2 minutes, remove the bowl. Use a fork to give them a quick stir, adding another tablespoon of water if the rest has evaporated. 
  6. Microwave Again
    Microwave the carrots for a further 2-3 minutes, depending on how large your carrot pieces are.
  7. Check Again
    Remove the carrots again, this time using your fork to pierce the carrots to check if they need to be cooked longer. If the fork meets minimal resistance, then you can move on to step 9. If not, see the next step. 
  8. Microwave Again! 
    For carrots that are still slightly undercooked, replace the cover on top of the bowl and continue to microwave the carrots in 30 second intervals. Make sure to remove the carrots to check if they are cooked after every interval to avoid overcooking. 
  9. Drain And Serve
    Once your carrots are completely cooked, drain any remaining water from the bowl and serve the carrots straight away. 

How to Microwave Carrots Successfully

You may think that using a microwave to cook a simple vegetable like a carrot is an easy task, which it is, so long as you follow the guidelines above.

Still, here are a few tips and tricks you can use to ensure that your carrots are as tasty as possible when cooked in your microwave: 

  • Smaller Pieces = Less Cooking – Like any vegetable, the smaller your chop your carrots the less time they will take to properly cook. Luckily, carrots are a versatile vegetable and can be just as tasteful when diced as in bigger chunks. 
  • Frozen Vs Fresh – You can microwave frozen carrots as easily as fresh carrots. Because frozen carrots will already be a little softer than fresh carrots by the time they defrost, frozen carrots should not take any longer to microwave than fresh carrots. 
  • Allow Room – Avoid overcrowding the bowl you microwave your carrots in. Otherwise, you risk the carrots clumping together or, if a few are poking over the bowl’s rim, cooking unevenly. 
  • Add Seasonings – As long as you wait to have drained and fully cooked your carrots, you can flavour microwaved carrots however you want. Simply toss the carrots in your seasonings of choice as soon as they have finished cooking and before serving. 
Flavoured Carrots

Why You Should Microwave Carrots

Most people would turn their nose up at the suggestion of cooking any vegetable in a microwave, much less a well-known vegetable like carrots.

But there are some advantages to doing so: 

Much Quicker

Many people skip out on veggies in their dishes because of how long they usually take to cook.

But due to the nature of a microwave, you can have fresh steamed carrots in significantly less time than you would traditionally cooking the carrots; 4 or so minutes compared to 10. 

Versatile Method

Not all methods for cooking carrots get the same results from fresh carrots as their frozen counterparts.

However, for many people, frozen carrots are much more cost-effective.

The microwaving method detailed above is perfect for any carrot that you want to cook via steaming and will produce nearly identical results every time. The same can not necessarily be said for your oven. 

Perfect For One

The issue with cooking for only 1 or 2 people is that it is very easy to turn to cheap, unhealthy food for dinner, as going to the full effort of cooking a nutritious meal may seem pointless.

But by using your microwave, you have no reason to skip out on including healthier ingredients in your meals. This applies to various other vegetables including broccoli and brussel sprouts.

Why You Shouldn’t Microwave Carrots

However, like all non-conventional cooking methods, there are some downsides to microwaving carrots: 

Only One Cooking Method

The great thing about carrots and the main reasons that they are used in so many cuisines is their versatility.

They can be roasted, steamed, fried, and various other cooking methods.

That being said, when cooking carrots using your microwave, you will only be able to cook your carrots via steaming as a microwave doesn’t have a heating mechanism to roast or fry the carrots. 

Lack Of Flavour

Roast or frying carrots is the best way to not only enhance the naturally sweet flavour of the carrots but also incorporate some extra flavour into the veggies.

While you can toss your microwaved carrots with some herbs or seasonings once they have been cooked and drained, you will not get that same in-depth flavour that other cooking methods produce. 

Microwaving Carrots FAQs

Do you have more questions about using the microwave to steam carrots? Then check these out:

Is It Better to Boil or Microwave Carrots?

There is nothing wrong with microwaving carrots. In fact, it is better than boiling them! Boiling is more energy intensive but also sees a lot of flavour leech out into the water.

Is It Safe to Microwave Carrots?

Of course! A microwave can safely be used to cook carrots as well as a range of other vegetables.

Sources

We have verified the information on this page using the following resources:

BBC Good Food

A Couple Cooks

Leave a Comment