Instant Pot steamed carrots show just how easy it can be to get perfectly cooked veggies on the table. Your pressure cooker takes them from raw to tender in no time flat. Whether you’re meal prepping, making baby food, or keeping dinner stress-free, this method works every time.

A serving bowl filled with steamed carrots garnished with chives.

Here is Why This Recipe for Steamed Carrots Works in the Instant Pot

Customizable Texture: From tender-crisp to baby-food soft, this recipe lets you choose the exact level of doneness to fit your needs. Because carrots should do what you want, not the other way around.

Quick and Hassle-Free: Zero minutes on the timer? Yes, really. Your Instant Pot builds pressure and does the work while you sit back and relax.

Freezer-Friendly: Perfect for meal prep. Blanch and freeze these carrots without worrying about them turning into mush later.

Minimal Cleanup: Steamer basket in, carrots out, and you’re done. No pots boiling over or veggie carnage all over the counter.

If you like this recipe, try our honey glazed instant pot carrots.

The Ingredients

For this recipe, all you need is carrots and water, though you can swap the water for broth. If you’d like, you can also toss in some fresh herbs like thyme or parsley to enhance the taste.

Ingredients used to steam carrots in the instant pot.

Variations

Garlic Herb Buttered Carrots: Toss the cooked carrots with melted butter, minced garlic, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley or thyme.

Spicy Chili Lime Carrots: Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a pinch of chili powder, and a dash of cayenne.

Maple Bacon Carrots: Toss the carrots with a drizzle of maple syrup and crispy crumbled bacon.

Carrots are naturally sweet and they go with a lot of flavors. Try our honey sage carrots, mustard dill carrots, or our cilantro lime carrots for some great flavor inspiration.

Tips for Steamed Carrots

For even cooking, slice larger carrots into uniform pieces. Halve thicker ones lengthwise if needed.
Use the steamer basket for best results. It keeps the carrots elevated above the water, ensuring they steam instead of boil.
Zero minutes might seem odd, but it works perfectly for tender-crisp carrots. Adjust based on your preferred texture.
As soon as the timer goes off, release the steam to avoid overcooking.
If freezing the carrots, dunk them in ice water immediately to halt cooking and lock in their vibrant color.

Storage

Fridge: Keep leftovers fresh by placing them in an airtight container and storing them in the refrigerator. They’ll stay good for up to 3 days.

Freezing: If you’d like to freeze the carrots, make sure they’re fully cooled first. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze individually, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating:To reheat, place the carrots in a microwave-safe dish and heat in 30-second intervals until warmed through. Alternatively, you can use the saute function on the Instant Pot..

A bowl of steamed carrots topped with herbs.

Steaming Carrots in the Instant Pot

Pressure cooker steamed carrots are here to remind you that cooking doesn’t have to be a chaotic mess. Need a side dish that doesn’t require constant babysitting? Done. Want carrots soft enough for baby food or crisp enough to impress the picky eaters? Easy.

You really can cook carrots in the Instant Pot. Toss them with butter, herbs, or whatever suits your mood, and bask in the glory of a dish that’s simple, stress-free, and totally on point. If you have leftovers, use them in our Instant Pot pork fried rice

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A bowl of carrots steamed in the Instant pot.

How to Steam Carrots in the Instant Pot

Steamed carrots are a simple side dish and perfect for blanching before freezing. Using the Instant Pot makes the process quick and frees up space on the stove. For blanching, simply set the timer to '0' minutes.

This recipe works with large carrots or baby carrots.

4.34 from 3 votes

Print Pin Save

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 1

Additional Time: 5

Total Time: 11

Servings: servings

Calories: 40kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

1 pound carrots baby carrots or larger carrots
1-½ cups water

Instructions

Prepping the Carrots

If you are using large carrots, scrub them clean or peel them then slice them into ½ inch thick slices. If the carrots are large in diameter, cut them in half length-wise.
Add the water to the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Place the carrots in a steamer basket and set it in the Instant Pot.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure it is in the sealed position. Cook on high pressure with the timer set for one of the following choices:

Time Settings

0 minutes for tender-crisp (great for blanching)
1 minute for tender
2 minutes for soft
3 minutes for mash-able baby food

Quick Release

As soon as the Instant Pot finishes the cooking time, do a quick release of the steam. Check the carrots for doneness. If you like them softer, replace the lid and cook for another 0 to 1 minute on high pressure.
If you are just blanching the carrots to prep for freezing, run them under cold water or submerge them in ice water as soon as you take them out of the Instant Pot.

Notes

Zero minutes on the Instant Pot may sound strange but it is not a typo. If you select zero minutes, the pressure cooker will come up to pressure then beep an alert that it is finished. It gives enough time for the carrots to cook while the Instant Pot builds up pressure but doesn’t let you keep cooking them once pressure is reached. Make sure you release the steam so they stop cooking.
When you remove the carrots from the Instant Pot, they will continue to cook (every so slightly) from residual heat.
Plunging the carrots in ice water or running them under cold water as soon as you take them out of the Instant Pot will stop them from cooking. This is a good way to ensure they keep a firm texture if you plan to freeze them.