Pressure cooker carrots can be made savory or sweet! They come out perfectly tender every single time in your Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi. Make them plain or as Instant Pot carrots and potatoes together.

If you’re looking for a vegetable side dish, steamed vegetables are so healthy and yummy! Made sweet or savory they come out tender and delicious every time. It’s one of our favorite Instant Pot recipes we make a lot.
Ninja Foodi Carrots
It doesn’t matter what brand you have. We’ve made them in our Ninja Foodi too! With this brand you use the lid that is not attached with the pressure cook button to make tender. And we have made air fryer carrots with the lid that is attached, all in the same pot!
Just a little liquid in the bottom and a vegetable basket you can make perfectly cooked Instant Pot steamed vegetables way faster than making them on the stovetop and healthier than boiling them too.
Ingredient Notes
- Carrots can be fresh, peeled and sliced into sticks or wide dials for the cook time listed below. You could use just orange or the multi colored variety.
- Water is needed in the bottom to steam but really any liquid would work. If you wanted to add a little bit more flavor you could use broth instead.
Savory
What we usually top these with butter, parsley and some like a squeeze of lime. Salt and pepper are a given but garlic powder would be optional.
Sweet
Some like a sweeter touch with a light drizzle of honey or even real maple syrup with some butter. That way you get the savory element all at the same time with a sprinkle of salt.
You will want a steamer basket or some way of keeping them out of the water. If you just have a trivet you’d need to stack them back and forth so they don’t fall off. If you want to add sweetness just sprinkle brown sugar on top when they are done. OH MY either way theseare fantastic.
with Onions
You could add sliced white or yellow onions into the mix if you like those together too. Similar to how we cook carrots in microwave, you would want to dice for very soft or slice so they stay in tact
Tips
You begin by removing the outsides of your veggies with a peeler. This is kind of a given but let’s go step by step so nothing is forgotten. Slice in half so you have shorter pieces, or all equal pieces at least. Alternatively, a bag of baby carrots can be used. When done you can add your butter and parsley, to the top so the heat will then allow it to melt.
Pressure Cooker Carrots Recipe
Equipment
- 1 vegetable steamer
Ingredients
- 1 lb carrots, peeled, cut into sticks
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Pour water into pot and lower down steamer basket. Put prepared carrot sticks inside trying to overlap the least amount possible.
- Close lid and steam valve. Set to pressure, high, for 3 minutes.
- Quick release steam. Lift lid and turn pot off.
- Lift carrots out, drain water in pot and put carrots into pot without basket.
- Put butter and parsley on top of carrots and put lid back on just to contain the heat and allow the butter to melt around the carrots for a min. or so.
- Lift lid, squeeze with lime and serve. * Can also use baby carrots if you'd like.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More carrot recipes you’ll love
Of course apple carrot cake muffins are so good for breakfast or even dessert. You can add them into our easy Instant Pot minestrone soup, it can be packed full of sliced carrots. Here’s how to make honey roasted carrots in the oven as a side dish.
You can even cook this a bit longer and make homemade baby food with some carrots. Or add a bunch into our Instant Pot chicken noodle soup for a quick meal.
Instant Pot cauliflower and Instant Pot corn are great too when we are all about Instant Pot fish for dinner. Instant Pot squash is a great vegetarian choice to add to your meals also this week!
FAQ
The easiest way is to use a vegetable steamer so your veggies don’t touch the water below. In just a few minutes they will become perfectly tender.
Depending on how thick your pieces are, 3 minutes is usually perfect. Same goes for Ninja Foodi carrots and Crockpot carrots as well. I like using baby carrots really.
These carrots were easy and so delicious! Will be making again!
Such a simple recipe yet tastes fantastic. It’s a new family favorite!
OH good
If I double the amount of carrots, do I also double the liquid ingredients? (Not sure with the Instant Pot)
No you should be fine with the same timing