Peel and chop carrots into 1-inch coins. Place the prepared carrots in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the carrots are just fork-tender about 10-12 minutes. Once tender, drain the water from the carrots and return the carrots to the hot pan.
Add orange juice, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and butter to the carrots and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the glaze has coated the carrots and begun to caramelize, remove the carrots from the heat.
Stir in the orange zest and serve the glazed carrots.
Notes
Carrots: Baby carrots will work in place of the diced carrots if desired. No need to cut the baby carrots. The garlic is optional. Feel free to omit it if you don't care for garlic.Be sure to use pure maple syrup (or honey) for these glazed carrots. If not, the taste will be artificial and overly sweet.Pro-Tip: Zest the orange BEFORE cutting to juice.Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don't recommend freezing the carrots once glazed.