Sides That Steal the Show · Bacon · Carrots · Maple Syrup · Rosemary · Pecans
This recipe belongs to Jeff & Lauren (@jeffandlaurenshow on TikTok), who call it “the best holiday dinner side” — one look at the video and we believed them. Whole carrots wrapped in bacon, lacquered with a maple glaze that carries a real cayenne kick, then showered with goat cheese and candied pecans while they’re still warm. They printed the recipe in full under their video, and the ingredients and amounts below are exactly theirs. The one liberty we took: they roast theirs in the oven, and we cook ours on the grill — indirect heat at the same 400 degrees, same rack, same times. If your oven is free and the grill is busy, their original works precisely as written, with a three-minute broiler finish at the end.
Best for: the holiday table next to a smoked turkey or a spiral ham — and for converting the people who think carrots are a garnish.
Grill: Indirect heat, about 400°F, lid down. Equipment: Wire rack set over a foil-lined sheet pan; toothpicks if your bacon won’t stay put. Course: Side dish.
Ingredients
about 50 minutes Rest: 5 minutes Total: about 1 hour 10 minutes
- 10 whole carrots (8 to 12, all about the same thickness), peeled
- 10 slices bacon — 1 slice per carrot, up to 1½ slices for the thickest ones
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/4 cup crumbled candied pecans
Directions
Wrap the carrots. Starting at the thick end, spiral one slice of bacon snugly around each carrot from end to end. Pin any loose ends with a toothpick — Jeff and Lauren call the toothpicks optional, and they are, right up until a wrap lets go.
Set up the grill. Build an indirect fire and let it settle at about 400°F. Set a wire rack over a foil-lined sheet pan — the pan catches the bacon drippings and the maple drips, and your grill floor stays clean.
Grill until the bacon renders. Lay the wrapped carrots on the rack, set the pan on the indirect side, and close the lid. Cook 30 minutes, until the bacon has rendered and begun to crisp at the edges and the carrots are starting to soften.
Stir the glaze. While the carrots cook, whisk the maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and chopped rosemary together in a small bowl. A cook’s note from their recipe, kept honest: half a tablespoon of cayenne is a genuine kick, not a whisper — that’s the point of the dish, sweet first and warm right behind it.
Glaze and finish. Brush the maple mixture generously over every carrot, turning them so the glaze coats all sides. Close the lid and cook 15 to 20 minutes more, until the glaze is glossy and sticky and the carrots are tender. If the bacon wants more crisp, slide the pan over the direct heat for about 3 minutes at the end — the grill’s answer to their broiler — and watch it like a hawk, because maple sugar goes from lacquered to scorched in a blink.
Rest and shower. Take the carrots off the heat and let them cool about 5 minutes — the glaze sets as it rests. Shower them with the crumbled goat cheese and candied pecans and carry the whole platter to the table while it’s still warm.
Grilling tip: Match the carrots by thickness before you wrap a single one — that’s Jeff and Lauren’s own rule, and it’s what makes ten carrots finish at the same minute. Skinny carrots surrender early; save them for the soup pot.
Credit: Recipe by Jeff & Lauren, @jeffandlaurenshow on TikTok — watch their video, and if you make these, tell them we sent you.
