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.
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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.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]Why this Recipe Works
Make a huge batch of carrots in minutes.
Minimal ingredients needed.
One pot side dish with little clean up.
Ingredients
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- 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
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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.
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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).
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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
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Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions when making carrots in the Instant Pot.
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.
Vegetables cook faster under pressure since the heat builds faster and maintains temperature better. Therefore the cooking time is reduced.
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
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
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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
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Here are a few more of my favorite easy side dish recipes.
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!
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Instant Pot Carrots
Equipment
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.