Possibly the Best BBQ Side Dish Ever!

For grillers and BBQ enthusiasts, getting a few perfect side dishes in your arsenal of recipes is way to increase your grill-game. This Smoked Carrot recipe is a perfect recipe that has smoke, options for sauces and of course, outstanding flavour.

Chef Britt from All Things Barbecue crafted this video recipe for Barbecue Smoked Carrots. This dish takes humble carrots and elevates them by glazing in a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, then pairing them with vibrant parsley pesto and a cooling spiced yogurt sauce. The combination of smoky, sweet, and herbaceous flavors creates a unique side dish that’s sure to impress family and friends alike.

Choosing Carrots

Carrots are available in every grocery store everywhere. However, the best ones might not be in the grocery store. We have found different coloured ones such as red, purple, mixed red and white ones and of course the “standard” orange carrot. But if you adventure to your local farmers market you will be able to see what local farmers are growing in your neighborhood. These carrots can offer more flavour, better colour and the emotional reward that you supported a local grower.

If it helps at all, we love shorter carrots about 4-5″ in length and the standard orange in colour even though the red ones offer a great visual for your dinner guests.

Getting Started: Preparing the Carrots

For this recipe, the first step is to prepare your carrots properly. Chef Britt recommends trimming off the green tops—if you’re lucky enough to have fresh carrot tops, you can save them for your pesto, but if not, fresh parsley works perfectly as a substitute.

Rather than peeling, Britt uses a vegetable scrubber to clean the carrots. This is especially useful when working with smaller carrots, as peeling can waste a lot of the vegetable. After cleaning, she cuts the carrots on a bias into rough thirds, which helps them cook evenly and makes for a more attractive presentation.

Once trimmed, the carrots are arranged on a foil-lined sheet pan, ready to go into the smoker.

The Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Glaze

The magic of these smoked carrots lies in the glaze. Chef Britt combines several flavorful ingredients to create a sauce that’s both sweet and spicy, perfectly complementing the natural earthiness of the carrots.

• 6 tablespoons of ghee (clarified butter): Ghee is preferred over regular butter because it doesn’t burn as easily in the cooker, thanks to the removal of milk solids.
• 1/4 cup of maple syrup: Adds natural sweetness and depth.
• 1/3 cup of House of Q Sugar and Spice BBQ Sauce: This barbecue sauce is packed with baking spices that pair beautifully with the maple syrup and add complexity to the glaze.
• 1 teaspoon of garam masala: A warm Indian spice blend that adds an exotic touch and complements the other flavors.

These ingredients are whisked together and then tossed with the carrots, ensuring every piece is coated in the flavorful glaze before heading to the smoker.

Smoking the Carrots: Technique and Timing

Chef Britt uses a Yoder Smokers YS640, preheated to 400°F, to cook the carrots. They are placed on the bottom shelf of the smoker and cooked for 40 to 50 minutes. To ensure even caramelization and flavor absorption, she flips the carrots halfway through the cooking process.

During smoking, the glaze thickens and caramelizes, creating a beautiful, slightly sticky coating on the carrots. The heat also enhances the spices, producing a wonderful aroma filled with hints of cinnamon and other baking spices.

Making the Parsley Pesto

While the carrots are smoking, it’s time to prepare the parsley pesto. If you have carrot tops, they can be used for the pesto, but fresh parsley is a fantastic alternative that brings bright, herbaceous notes to the dish.

Chef Britt trims the parsley leaves, saving the stems for stock or other uses. Into a container goes a generous handful of parsley leaves, a clove of garlic for a little kick, half a cup of extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of smoked salt to enhance the flavors.

The ingredients are blended with an immersion blender until smooth. Depending on the freshness of your parsley, you may need to add more olive oil to achieve the right consistency. The pesto is then seasoned to taste, with more salt added if necessary to balance the flavors.

Preparing the Spiced Yogurt Sauce

The finishing touch to this dish is a spiced yogurt sauce made from the pan drippings left after smoking the carrots. Chef Britt collects a couple of tablespoons of this flavorful glaze and mixes it into plain yogurt, creating a creamy, slightly tangy sauce that complements the sweet and spicy carrots perfectly.

This yogurt sauce adds a cooling element that balances the richness of the ghee and the sweetness of the glaze, while the spices in the pan drippings tie the entire dish together.

Finishing and Plating

After about 40 minutes, the carrots are tender but still retain a slight chew, which Chef Britt emphasizes is important because she dislikes overcooked carrots. She gives them a final toss in the pan drippings to coat them with any remaining glaze and then plates them carefully.

The carrots are dressed with a generous spoonful of the spiced yogurt sauce, spread around to add creaminess. Next comes a drizzle of the fresh parsley pesto, which adds a vibrant green color and a burst of herbal freshness that contrasts beautifully with the sweet glaze.

The result is a dish that sings with flavor: the sweet and spicy carrots, the creamy yogurt, and the bright pesto come together in perfect harmony.

Why Barbecue Smoked Carrots Are a Must-Try

This recipe is a fantastic way to bring something new and exciting to your holiday or everyday table. The technique of smoking carrots isn’t commonly used, but it unlocks incredible depth of flavor and texture that roasting or boiling simply can’t match.

By glazing the carrots with a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, Chef Britt transforms a simple vegetable into a star side dish. The addition of garam masala introduces a subtle exotic flair that pairs wonderfully with the maple syrup’s natural sweetness and the smoky backdrop of the smoker.

The parsley pesto adds a fresh, herbal punch, while the spiced yogurt sauce provides a creamy counterpoint that cools the palate and brings balance to the dish.

Tips for Making the Best Barbecue Smoked Carrots

• Use smaller carrots: These tend to have a sweeter flavor and cook more evenly than large “horse” carrots.
• Scrub instead of peel: This preserves more of the carrot’s nutrients and flavor while ensuring they’re clean.
• Don’t overcook: Aim for tender but still slightly firm carrots for the best texture.
• Adjust pesto consistency: Add olive oil gradually until you reach a smooth but thick pesto; dry parsley may require more oil.
• Use clarified butter or ghee: This prevents burning during smoking and adds a rich, nutty flavor.

Where to Find the Ingredients

For those interested in recreating this dish, here are some of the featured products Chef Britt uses:

• Texas Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil – A high-quality olive oil perfect for the pesto and cooking.
• Noble Saltworks Hickory Smoked Flaked Finishing Salt – Adds a smoky saltiness to the pesto and yogurt sauce.
• House of Q Sugar and Spice BBQ Sauce – The backbone of the carrot glaze, packed with warm baking spices.

Final Thoughts

Barbecue smoked carrots are a delightful way to add variety and sophistication to your meal plans. Chef Britt’s recipe combines the best of smoky barbecue flavors with sweet maple syrup, warming spices, fresh herbs, and creamy yogurt to create a dish that’s anything but ordinary.

The balance of textures—from the slight chew of the carrots to the creamy yogurt and the fresh, slightly oily pesto—makes every bite exciting. Plus, the use of the smoker imparts a subtle smokiness that elevates the humble carrot to a true showstopper.

Whether you’re looking for a new side dish for the holidays or just want to experiment with smoking vegetables, this recipe is a fantastic choice. It’s approachable, packed with flavor, and uses ingredients you can find online or at your local specialty store.

For the full recipe and more barbecue inspiration, be sure to visit atbbq.com, where you can explore Chef Britt’s other creations and find all the products used in this dish.

Happy cooking, and enjoy these delicious barbecue smoked carrots that bring a burst of flavor and color to your plate!

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