Make these Instant Pot Buttery Carrots as a quick, easy and versatile side dish for just about any meal. Tossed with brown sugar, butter and cinnamon, pressure cooked carrots are easy to throw together last minute and will add warmth and elegant flavor to your dinner.
Table Of Contents
With only a 2 minute cook time, Instant Pot Carrots take 15 minutes to make using minimal ingredients. They make a great side dish for dinners and holiday meals. Serve these buttery glazed carrots alongside your favorite main meat, like air fried meatloaf, a tender and juicy ribeye steak, balsamic roasted beef tenderloin or pecan-crusted chicken. Carrots are perfect served at your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner table too.
Ingredients
To make pressure cooker carrots you need 4 simple ingredients:
- Carrots: use whole carrots sliced into 2 to 3 inch pieces of equal thickness.
- Butter: unsalted or salted butter are both fine, as is any butter substitute such as margarines.
- Brown sugar: I prefer light brown sugar but dark brown sugar can be used.
- Seasonings: ground cinnamon and salt.
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Peel the carrots. Slice carrots into two to three inch pieces. For thicker carrots, slice each two to three inch piece in half or in quarters so each piece is of similar thickness.
STEP 2: Pour one cup of cold water in the inner pot of the pressure cooker. Add the sliced carrots to a steamer basket and place in the inner pot. Close the Instant Pot lid and lock into place.
STEP 3: Set to manual or pressure cook on high for 2 minutes. For more tender carrots, set the timer to 3 minutes. When pressure cooking time is complete, quickly release the pressure.
STEP 4: Using oven mitts, remove the steamer basket and drain the water from the inner pot. Place the inner pot back into the base of the pressure cooker. Add steamed carrots to the inner pot.
STEP 5: Add butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and salt to the pot of carrots. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix to melt the butter and coat the carrots in the butter glaze. Alternatively, melt the butter in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon and butter, then pour over the carrots stirring well.
Serve glazed carrots warm, sprinkled with fresh herbs like parsley or thyme if desired.
How To Store
Cooked carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for about five days. Let carrots cool completely, then transfer cooled carrots to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator.
Recipe Tips
- Use 1 pound of baby carrots instead of chopped whole carrots. Cooking time remains the same.
- Add the butter, brown sugar and seasonings to the steamed carrots when they are still hot so it melts nicely and turns into a smooth buttery sauce.
Recipe FAQs
While pressure cooking vegetables in a steamer basket is ideal, you can still cook them in your Instant Pot without one. To do this, place the carrots on a trivet or directly into the inner pot. Keep in mind, if they are submerged in the water they will boil rather than steam, producing a slightly different tenderness and texture.
Yes, you can pressure cook carrots whole instead of slicing them. Whole carrots need a few minutes of cook time to become soft and tender.
Recipe
Instant Pot Carrots
Equipment
- pressure cooker
- Steamer basket
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots whole or baby carrots
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar light or dark
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- fresh herbs for serving
Instructions
- Peel the carrots. Slice carrots into two to three inch pieces. For thicker carrots, slice each two to three inch piece in half or in quarters so each piece is of similar thickness.
- Pour one cup of cold water in the inner pot of the pressure cooker. Add the sliced carrots to a steamer basket and place in the inner pot. Close the Instant Pot lid and lock into place.
- Set to manual or pressure cook on high for 2 minutes. For more tender carrots, set the timer to 3 minutes. When pressure cooking time is complete, quickly release the pressure.
- Using oven mitts, remove the steamer basket and drain the water from the inner pot. Place the inner pot back into the base of the pressure cooker. Add steamed carrots to the inner pot.
- Add butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and salt to the pot of carrots. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix to melt the butter and coat the carrots in the butter sauce. *Alternatively, melt the butter in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon and butter, then pour over the carrots stirring well.
- Serve glazed carrots warm, sprinkled with fresh herbs like parsley or thyme if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Leslye says
Made this for Christmas dinner. They were a big hit The only thing I added was some honey to the recipe. Will definitely make them again soon