Instant Pot Potatoes and Carrots cook in just 3 minutes, with perfectly tender results. Make this hearty side dish on a busy weeknight or even for your Thanksgiving or Easter dinner!
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Why this Instant pot potatoes and carrots recipe is the best!
These tender vegetables cook so quickly and have such delicious flavors in just minutes! The carrots have a wonderful sweet flavor while the potatoes have a buttery taste. Both are perfectly fork tender! It's an easy way to get the whole family to eat their veggies! Pair this simple side dish with chicken, salmon or pot roast to complete your dinner on a weeknight. You can also make this to accompany other side dishes like Easy Air Fryer Roasted Tomatoes or Frozen Broccoli in Air Fryer for a big holiday dinner!
key ingredients
carrots- you can use whole carrots or baby carrots if you are short on time. Just make sure the pieces are uniform in size because smaller pieces will cook faster.
baby potatoes- I prefer Yukon gold potatoes because they are tender and creamy without lots of added butter. Large potatoes would not be a good choice because they will not cook at the same rate as the carrots. However, you could also use red potatoes because they have a similar texture.
water- some sort of liquid is crucial when using an Instant Pot. You can use chicken stock, vegetable stock or chicken broth to add even more flavor.
parsley- is a fresh herb that adds a little flavor. Fresh thyme, rosemary or sage would also taste great in this easy side dish! If you do not have fresh herbs try dried Italian seasoning.
olive oil- gives a light flavor to the vegetables while they are cooking. You could also use melted butter to sauté in the Instant Pot
step-by-step instructions
Chop your baby potatoes either in half or quarters depending on the size. They key is to have a little bit smaller potato piece so that it cooks quickly.
Next peel and cut the carrots in half. A few of my carrots were very large so I also cut the large carrots into quarters. This is important because large pieces will not cook as quickly. Make sure to use a sharp knife and a cutting board to make this job easier.
Mince the two cloves of garlic. If you are short on time you can always use the prechopped garlic that is in a jar or sprinkle a ¼ teaspoon garlic powder when you add the other seasonings. I just prefer the great flavor that fresh minced garlic adds.
I like to add a little flavor to the vegetables by sautéing garlic. You can add olive oil and minced garlic to the bottom of the inner pot and turn to the sauté mode by pressing the sauté button on the control panel. It is important to NEVER put the lid on when it is in sauté mode. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds before adding the potatoes and carrots. Stir well to coat vegetables with oil.
Then add 1 cup of water or cup of vegetable broth, fresh parsley, salt and black pepper. You do not need a steamer basket for this recipe, everything is added to the pot.
At this point you can close the lid and turn the valve to the “sealing” position. Press the Pressure button and then use the minus button to select 3 minutes cooking time.
The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to pressurize, you will hear it begin to make some hissing noises as the water begins to heat. If this is your first time using the Instant Pot do not panic that you do not see the timer counting down right away. It will take a few minutes for it to pressurize. Then the 3 minutes will start to count down.
After the 3 minutes the Instant Pot will begin a count down for natural pressure release. After two minutes you will need to release pressure with the quick release method. Do this by carefully using the end of a wooden spoon, turn the valve allowing the steam to escape. Make sure to keep your face back and away from the steam.
Serving suggestions
When the pressure has released you can scoop the veggies into a large bowl, sprinkle with additional fresh parsley and season with more salt and pepper if desired. Here are a few other ideas for seasoning this great side dish!
- tablespoons butter
- garlic butter
- lemon zest
- grated parmesan cheese
How to store leftovers
This is an easy dish to reheat the next day. Store the leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes stirring occasionally.
faq
Can you steam potatoes and carrots together?
It is important when cooking different types of vegetables together to keep in mind how quickly they cook and pair similar textures together. Also cutting them into similar sized pieces so they cook uniformly helps.
I found the potatoes and carrots cooked perfectly in the Instant Pot. The potatoes had a soft, buttery texture and the carrots were tender and sweet.
I used baby gold potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. I still chopped the baby potatoes into quarters so they were a bite sized piece. I like the texture of gold potatoes more than Russet potatoes. The gold potatoes have a buttery texture with only a tablespoon of olive oil, making this an extremely healthy side dish.
Expert tips
- An Instant Pot is a brand of electric pressure cooker. It cooks food under high pressure with a tight seal that keeps steam from escaping. The steam cooks food in a fraction of the time of a regular pot of boiling water or slow cooker!
- Never operate the Instant Pot without some sort of liquid in the pot. It must make steam to cook the food!
- Your Instant Pot is actually beginning the cooking process as it gets to pressure. This takes several minutes before the count down begins. Also after the 3 minutes is up it will continue to cook as it depressurizes. It’s always important to know that when Instant Pot recipes say the cook time is 3 minutes it’s really closer to 15 to 20. If you have never used an Instant Pot check out this step-by-step guide
Looking for other Instant Pot recipes? Try these!
Instant Pot Lemon Parmesan Orzo with Arugula
My Favorite Kitchen Tools!
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Instant Pot Potatoes and Carrots
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound baby gold potatoes, cut in half or quarters
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut in half
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Turn instant pot to the sauté position. Add olive oil and garlic and cook for 30 seconds while stirring.
- Add potatoes, carrots, parsley, salt and pepper.
- Stir well and pour water over top.
- Close lid to Instant Pot. Turn steam release valve turning to the seal position.
- Set for three minutes. The instant pot will take several minutes to come to pressure. Then the count will come on the screen and count down from three minutes.
- When the three minutes on the Instant Pot have finished allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 2 minutes. Then move the steam release valve to the venting position. Use a wooden spoon to do this and keep your face away from the steam as it escapes.
- Once the steam has released the float valve will drop so you know it is safe to open.
- Drain the water from the veggies.
- Plate your potatoes and carrots in a bowl or plater. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.
Notes
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Sue
This is a perfect side dish for so many meals!
Jeannie
great side dish! its quick and easy to make.
Audrey
What an easy instant pot recipe!
Mallory
Delicious and so easy!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you for clarifying the timing of the Instant pot, that is a very useful tip. Love this recipe and so flavorful
Deb
The perfect side dish to tuck in for lots of comfort and flavour at once!
nancy
perfect IP veggie recipe to free up a stovetop!
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady
This was so simple to make in the instant pot! It was the perfect side dish for our roast last night.