Instant Pot Potatoes and Carrots

How to cook Instant Pot potatoes and carrots at the same time! The best 3 minute healthy side dish that pairs well with any dinner. Easy to make in a Ninja Foodi pressure cooker too.

If you want to cook some simple potatoes and carrots tonight, I agree that is a great side that is cheap too. Using high pressure, you can cook together in less than 10 minutes, that is why it’s one of many Instant Pot recipes here we make often.

We have made pressure cooker carrots and potatoes before. BUT when you want to throw several things together you might wonder exactly how it’s done.

It’s easier than you might think! Use our printable Instant Pot vegetable cook times sheet you can do it a lot more often and get everything just right. You want each bite to be the same tenderness as the next so the perfect pairing is where it’s at.

Ninja Foodi Potatoes and Carrots

If you’re looking for an easy Ninja Foodi recipe you can use that pot as well. They all basically work the same but the only alteration with this is to remember to use the lid that is not attached with the pressure cook button on the front.

Ingredient Notes

When it comes to potatoes there is a wide variety to choose from. You could use petite sliced in half like we did with our Instant Pot baby potatoes alone. Those are fun in different colors for sure. We’ve used these for air fryer roasted potatoes before too, they’re super versatile. Good ol’ Russet potatoes are the cheapest and most common choice though.

You can use bagged baby carrots if you want to save yourself a bunch of time. Either way this is an easy and quick side dish we just add butter and salt and pepper.

And you are going to need about 1 1/2 cups of some sort of liquid to steam. Water is a given but doesn’t offer any flavor so beef broth is usually better, I mean you could even use beer if you wanted a bit of that taste.

Tips

The key to success for this dish is to ensure all pieces are the same size. 1″ cubes are pretty perfect so both get fork tender, then season as desired.

Seasonings are up to you. You could use Mrs. Dash for a sodium free option that still has great flavors. I opt for Italian seasonings, garlic salt, pepper, melted butter when done….just depends what I have on hand.

How long does it take to cook vegetables in a pressure cooker?

That depends on what you’re cooking. Instant Pot broccoli is the shortest at just 1 minute while Instant Pot fried cabbage is a close second. All take under 5 minutes though no matter which you choose. It does take a bit for the pressure to build up too to keep in mind but when done the pressure should be immediately released or they will get mushy.

Early on I discovered how well an “old fashioned” vegetable steamer basket worked inside my IP. Back in the day my mom used it inside a pot on the stovetop to make pressure cooker cauliflower and all sorts of things.

They are quite inexpensive and is a must when you don’t want to submerge your food into the liquid below. I use this all the time when making Instant Pot hard boiled eggs too.

without Vegetable Steamer Basket

If you do not have one NO worries. You can still make potatoes and carrots together. The only difference is that “boiling” them will break down the taters more than steaming them. You can omit the steamer basket and put directly into pot with 2 cups water or broth. Salt the water on top and cook on high pressure that way. You’d then need to drain, season and serve.

Choose which method you want or need at the moment. If you do have the basket you can season it before and after cooking. This will give them a bit more flavor. You can add a few pats of butter on top when they’re in the basket too. Then when it’s done everything is well melted and ready to serve. Taste once done and re-season as desired.

How long do you cook baby Potatoes and carrots together?

In a pressure cooker it takes just 3 minutes! Keep in mind it takes about about 10 to reach pressure and start the cook time countdown but still so easy because you can walk away until the beep goes off. You would use the same timing if you slice those in half. If you use a bag of baby carrots you can cut down the prep since those are similar in size than chunks but the timing wouldn’t change.

SO easy right?? Garnish with parsley if you like, add some garlic butter on top or some sweetness like brown sugar. 😉 Serve with your favorite Mississippi pot roast recipe and comfort food is served. Of course you can make these on the stovetop or in a slow cooker but why would you with this super quick cook time?

Other Vegetable Recipes You’ll Love

One pot meals are game changers for sure. We make this, Crockpot carrots and our mixed air fryer vegetables several times a week with a protein. Wash outsides of vegetables. On a cutting board cube both into 1″ pieces. The smaller they are the softer they will get.

Once you try these mixed vegetables you may be blown away and want to try this with other groupings. If you love Instant Pot corn but want to make it with other things then give our Instant Pot steamed vegetables a whirl.