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Katie's Cucina » Recipes » Instant Pot

Instant Pot Carrots

Published: Apr 18, 2022 · Modified: Mar 28, 2023 by Katie · This post may contain affiliate links

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Top view of a white plate with carrots, grilled chicken and rice with logo on corner.
White bowl filled with carrots, and Instant pot in the background with recipe title text on image for Pinterest.
White plate filled with carrots, chicken and rice with recipe title text on image for Pinterest.
Two photos split by text on image for Pinterest; top of carrots in instant pot and bottom of white bowl filled with carrots.
Two photos split by text on image; top of an Instant Pot with carrots and butter, bottom of white bowl filled with carrots.
White bowl filled with carrots and thyme sprinkled on top with recipe title text on image for Pinterest.
Two photos split by text on image; top of an Instant Pot with carrots and butter, bottom of white bowl filled with carrots.

Instant Pot Carrots are perfectly cooked and done from start to finish in about 15 minutes. This is an easy side dish for dinner or cooking for a large group of people. It’s versatile and can be customized to fit your needs.

White bowl filled with baby carrots with a blue and white checkered cloth next to it.

We eat carrots as a side dish in my house 1-2 times a week. It’s so simple to make fresh carrots and thanks to the Instant Pot it’s even easier! This recipe works on both baby carrots (which is my preferred method since there is no cutting or peeling required) or on whole carrots that you will need to peel and cut if you’d like. I feel confident once you make Instant Pot Carrots you’ll never go back to cooking them on the stove top again.

Jump to:
  • Why this Recipe Works
  • Ingredients
  • Directions
  • FAQs
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Easy Side Dish Recipes
  • Instant Pot Carrots

Why this Recipe Works

Make a huge batch of carrots in minutes.

Minimal ingredients needed.

One pot side dish with little clean up.

Ingredients

ingredients on counter; carrots, brown sugar, honey, and butter.
  • Carrots – I like to use baby carrots, but you can easily use whole carrots or peeled and cut carrots.
  • Water – 1 cup is all you need to let them cook in. Some carrots will not cook in water and that’s okay.
  • Brown Sugar – I like to sprinkle on a little brown sugar to bring out the natural sweetness.
  • Honey – I love a good honey glazed carrot and that’s just what these are.
  • Butter – Add two tablespoons of butter to the carrots when they cook for a richer flavor.

Directions

Top view of instant pot filled with babay carrots, butter and honey.

First, Pour one cup of water into the Instant Pot. Then, add the carrots to the Instant Pot. Top with butter, brown sugar, and honey.

Stainless Steel Instant Pot on marble counter.

Select “steam” for 3 minutes (with pressure valved in the “sealing” position). Close the Instant Pot and let the carrots cook. When they are done cooking and the timer goes off place a towel on top of the pressure valve and release the pressure (this is called forcing pressure).

Top view of an instant pot with cooked baby carrots.

Once the pin has dropped, carefully unlock and remove the lid. Mix well and top with additional honey and thyme. Serve immediately or keep on warm until your meal is ready.

FAQs

White bowl filled with carrots with Instant Pot in background.

Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions when making carrots in the Instant Pot.

Can I use whole carrots in the pressure cooker?

Yes, you can peel and keep the carrots whole or slice into 1-2 inch pieces. The cooking time will remain the same for a more al dente style carrot.

Why does it take less time to cook vegetables in a pressure cooker?

Vegetables cook faster under pressure since the heat builds faster and maintains temperature better. Therefore the cooking time is reduced.

Do Pressure cookers destroy nutrients?

According to CNET: u0022Some research even suggests that pressure cooking destroys anti-nutrients, or compounds that inhibit the body’s ability to absorb and utilize nutrients.u0022

What does come to pressure mean?

The term u0022come to pressureu0022 means that the pressure cooker needs to come up to the correct temperature before it begins to officially start cooking the food. Typically this takes the amount of time you’ve set the food to cook for. So for this recipe it will take about 3 minutes to come to pressure and 3 minutes to cook.

Tips & Tricks

White bowl filled with baby carrots and herbs on top.

Here are all my tips and tricks when making Instant Pot Carrots.

  • Cooking Time – If you like more al dente carrots cook for only 2 minutes. If you like softer carrots cook for 4 minutes.
  • Toppings – There are wide variety of ways to flavor Instant Pot Carrots.
    • Italian – Add dried Italian seasoning with Olive Oil.
    • Dill – Add fresh chopped dill and butter.
    • Classic – Add dehydrated onions to the carrots before steaming and add additional butter after done cooking.
  • Quantity – This recipe calls for 2 pounds of carrots that feeds about 10 people. However, you can make just a single pound of carrots and the cooking time is exactly the same.

Easy Side Dish Recipes

White pltae filled with baby carrots, chicken, and rice.

Here are a few more of my favorite easy side dish recipes.

  • Two loaves of garlic cheese bread with one cut into 4 pieces resting on a wood cutting board.
    Garlic Cheese Bread
  • Close up shot of sautéed zucchini and tomatoes resting in a pan.
    Sauteed Zucchini and Tomatoes
  • White oval dish filled with beets, feta, spinach, and balsamic drizzle.
    Beet Salad with Feta
  • White bowl filled with cooked beets.
    Instant Pot Beets

If you make this Instant Pot Carrots recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

Don’t forget to FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, and subscribe to my email list!

Square photo of a white bowl filled with cooked baby carrots.

Instant Pot Carrots

Instant Pot Carrots are perfectly cooked and done from start to finish in about 15 minutes. This is an easy side dish for dinner or cooking for a large group of people. It's versatile and can be customized to fit your needs.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Instant Pot, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 68kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

  • 1 Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 lbs carrots
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey + additional for topping + additional for topping
  • 1 teaspoon thyme for topping

Instructions

  • Pour one cup of water into the Instant Pot. Then, add the carrots to the Instant Pot. Top with butter, brown sugar, and honey.
  • Select "steam" for 3 minutes (with pressure valved in the "sealing" position). Close the Instant Pot and let the carrots cook. When they are done cooking and the timer goes off place a towel on top of the pressure valve and release the pressure (this is called forcing pressure).
  • Once the pin has dropped, carefully unlock and remove the lid. Mix well and top with additional honey and thyme. Serve immediately or keep on warm until your meal is ready.

Notes

  • Cooking Time – If you like more al dente carrots cook for only 2 minutes. If you like softer carrots cook for 4 minutes.
  • Toppings – You can omit the sugar and honey and instead add dried herbs like Italian seasoning or even fresh or dried dill for more of a savory carrot side dish.
  • Quantity – This recipe calls for 2 pounds of carrots that feeds about 10 people. However, you can make just a single pound of carrots and the cooking time is exactly the same.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5c | Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 82mg | Potassium: 295mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 15235IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @KatieJasiewicz or tag #katiescucina!

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About Katie

Katie is a busy mom of 2 children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don't take hours to cook! She started her blog 10 years ago as a way to help others get cooking in the kitchen.

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I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. A busy mom of two children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don’t take hours to cook! My mission is to create easy-to-make modern comfort food for the busy family. (more)

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