This recipe for Instant Pot Carrots is so easy and delicious. It makes the perfect healthy side dish for a holiday meal or for an ordinary weeknight. This is a 20-minute recipe that is vegan-friendly and gluten-free.

cooked carrots in a white baking dish

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for an easy vegetable side dish to go with dinner. I tend to make a simple green salad or steamed or roasted vegetables.

This super easy recipe for Instant Pot Carrots is a great side dish that goes with almost any main dish.

long unpeeled carrots in a white colander

Recipe Steps

Step One

For this easy Instant Pot recipe, wash two pounds of carrots and chop them into about 1-inch chunks. You can cut them on the diagonal to make them prettier.

You can also use baby carrots, if you prefer. Baby carrots do not need to be chopped for this recipe. 

chopped carrots in a glass bowl

Step Two

Place the chopped carrots in a 6-quart Instant Pot with a cup of water and set the cook time to 2 minutes on high pressure.

Isn’t it great that it only takes 2 minutes to cook carrots in a pressure cooker? That does not include the approximate 10 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure or the 5 minutes of prep time. Still, this dish can be done start to finish in less than 20 minutes.

instant pot carrot process shots

Step Three

Once the cooking time is complete, all you have to do is drain the carrots, toss them with ghee, butter, vegan butter, or coconut oil, and fresh thyme, and you’re done!

If you don’t have fresh thyme on hand, you can always use dried thyme or any other fresh herb you like.

These Instant Pot Carrots are sweet, perfectly cooked and delicious.

Pro Tips

  • Use baby carrots in this recipe, if you prefer. Baby carrots do not need to be chopped so this will save you time.
  • The Instant Pot is a pressure cooker that uses steam to cook food. So, steaming vegetables in the Instant Pot is a perfect fit. You generally only need about 0-3 minutes of cook time at high pressure to create a perfectly-steamed non-starchy vegetable (unless you’re cooking at artichoke, those need a lot more time).
  • You’ll notice that I said you can cook vegetables in the Instant Pot for 0 minutes. That’s right! For delicate vegetables like broccoli that you don’t want to overcook, you would set the time for 0 minutes. Don’t worry, they will still get cooked as the pot comes up to pressure. Then, you would use the quick-release after the pot beeps and you’re done.
  • In today’s recipe for Instant Pot Carrots, you only need 2 minutes at high pressure. Learn more about how to use an Instant Pot.

instant pot cooked carrots with thyme

More Easy Instant Pot Side Dishes

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Instant Pot Carrots – So Easy & Delicious

instant pot carrots in dish

★★★★★

4.9 from 13 reviews

This recipe for Instant Pot Carrots is so easy and delicious. It makes the perfect healthy side dish for a holiday meal or for an ordinary weeknight. This is a 20-minute recipe that is vegan-friendly and gluten-free.

  • Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 minutes
  • Total Time: 17
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: pressure cooker, Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: Healthy
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh carrots, washed
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon melted ghee, butter, or coconut oil*

Instructions

  1. Prep: Chop the carrots into approximately 1-inch chunks.
  2. Combine: Place the water in the base of a 6-quart pressure cooker. Add the carrots.
  3. Cook: Lock on the lid and make sure the valve is set to seal. Set the cook time to 2 minutes on high pressure.
  4. Release the Pressure: When the cooking time is complete, carefully quick-release the pressure.
  5. Finish: Remove the lid and pour the carrots and water into a colander.
  6. Serve: Add the drained carrots to a serving dish and pour over the melted ghee or coconut oil. Toss with the thyme and serve hot or at room temperature.

Notes

  1. *Use coconut oil or vegan butter to make this recipe vegan.
  2. Use baby carrots in this recipe, if you prefer. Baby carrots do not need to be chopped so this will save you time.

Keywords: pressure cooker carrots, instant pot vegetables, instant pot steamed vegetables

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