Best Instant Pot Potatoes and Carrots
Buttery, herby, garlicky, oniony potatoes and carrots. The Instant Pot does a great job with this easy comfort food side dish. Not fancy. Just delish.
I was skeptical about this recipe and had to make it 3 times until I got it right. Now I’m in love with it.
What to expect
There are two ways to go with this carrot and potatoes recipe:
- Plain and simple: These will taste just like boiled potatoes and carrots. Add a little bit of butter and salt after they are cooked and you’re good to go. Perfect if you’re serving a main with a gravy like pot roast.
- Flavor-packed (as per the recipe): These get a big boost in flavor from vegetable broth, sautéed onions, garlic, butter and lots of fresh herbs. Yes, a few more ingredients, but worth it.
Either way, the Instant Pot makes it easy:
- The potatoes come out creamy soft and the carrots perfectly tender
- You free up space on your stovetop or oven
- You don’t need a steamer basket – just the Instant Pot
- Short cooking time and minimal added liquid means you retain more nutrients than boiling
Cook time is about 15 minutes: 4 to 5 minutes at high pressure + 10 minutes to come to pressure.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Potatoes: Use any unpeeled waxy potato. My favorites are fingerlings, Yukon Gold potatoes, red potatoes or baby potatoes. No need to peel them. Although not the same as Yukon Gold, yellow potatoes can be used as well. I don’t suggest using russet potatoes for this recipe – they tend to fall apart and need to be peeled.
- Carrots: Use packaged or fresh from the farmer’s market.
- Broth or stock: Use a base of powder or paste with water or a ready-made broth in a box. If using a base, try adding a little extra for deeper flavor. Chicken or vegetable stock or broth work well. In a pinch, just use water.
- Herbs: I use parsley mixed with green onions.
Substitution
- Carrots: You can use baby carrots instead of regular carrots if you prefer. Just cut them in half or thirds, depending on their size.
- Herb options: Dill, cilantro, chives. Choose what you like or have on hand. You can substitute some dried herbs for fresh. Or use frozen herb cubes.
Serving Variation
- Instead of serving the carrots and potatoes in large pieces, you can mash them together after cooking in the Instant Pot. Yum.
How to make Instant Pot carrots and potatoes
Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
Tips for success
- Cut the potatoes and carrots approximately the same size for even cooking. I cut the carrots a little bit smaller since they take longer to become tender.
- Cook time for instant pot veggies depends on the size and density of the vegetable as well as how soft you like your veggies. For me, 5 minutes is perfect for potatoes and carrots cut to about 1 inch/2.5 cm in size (I like the potatoes soft and creamy and the carrots soft with a slight bite). Use 4 minutes if you like your veggies firmer. After the first time making this recipe, you will know your sweet spot. Some recipes suggest a 10-minute natural pressure release, but I’m too impatient and find the quick release (releasing the pressure immediately) works perfectly.
- Don’t discard all the liquid after cooking, as there are lots of nutrients in the liquid. I keep a couple of tablespoons of liquid, which get absorbed on standing.
- Amplify the flavors with:
- a flavorful broth or stock instead of water. My favorite vegetable stock is Better Than Bouillon vegetable base. I up the flavor by using a bit more than a teaspoon of base to 1 cup of water (237 ml). Chicken broth works well too.
- fresh herbs mixed with green onion
- sautéed, caramelized onions
- butter
Shortcuts
- Keep it simple with potatoes, carrots and water or broth. Skip the chopping of onions and herbs. Skip sautéing the onions and carrots. This option is fine with a main dish that has gravy or a sauce.
- Use baby carrots cut in half – no peeling and less chopping.
- Use frozen cubes of herbs and garlic instead of fresh (no chopping).
What to serve with this buttery, herbed potatoes and carrots recipe
This is a perfect side dish for:
- best pork roast sous vide
- Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast (No Butter Needed)
- roast chicken breast and gravy
- sweet and spicy salmon
- lemon and herb chicken (with a cool technique)
- sous vide turkey breast
- sous vide short ribs (boneless beef)
To serve the potatoes and carrots as a vegetarian main dish, try adding a can of rinsed, drained black beans topped with salsa and a dollop of sour cream.
Recipe FAQs
Yes and no. They are not grown small. Baby carrots are created from larger regular carrots. They are mechanically cut to a small size and shaped like a smaller carrot. Some say they are sweeter.
Check out these useful tips when cooking with an Instant Pot by Tasting Table.
At high pressure, potatoes and carrots cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces take just 4 to 5 minutes to cook – 4 minutes if you like a little bite, 5 minutes for soft and tender. Including the time it takes to come to pressure and release, the total time is about 15 minutes from start to finish. This doesn’t include the prep time to cut and sauté the veggies that we do for this recipe.
Both vegetables contain carotene which has significant antioxidants. The recipe also has good fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium.
Yes, you can half the recipe or double the recipe with the same amount of cooking liquid and the same amount of cooking time. Here’s an article on how to cut instant pot recipes in half.
Yes. If you’re making it a few hours ahead, let it sit at room temperature until you’re ready to serve, then warm it, covered, in the microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes.
Let the dish cool, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave covered for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring gently halfway through. Don’t freeze this one – it doesn’t hold up well.
If you love a potato and carrot combination, try this other great side dish – root vegetable mash.
If you make this recipe, let us know how it went! A rating & comment below mean a lot to us.
Instant Pot Potatoes and Carrots
Equipment
- instant pot or pressure cooker (6 or 8 quart)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 cup chopped onions (or more) about 1/2 an onion
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut, Note 1 1/2-3/4 inch pieces (1.3-2 cm)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm pieces, Note 2
- 1 cup vegetable stock or broth, Note 3 (or chicken broth)
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion and fresh herbs, Note 4
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- SAUTÉ ONIONS AND CARROTS: Press SAUTÉ mode on Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. Once heated (it will say HOT), add oil and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes until slightly browned and caramelized to add great flavor. Add carrots and sauté another 2 minutes. Press CANCEL, then stir in garlic.
- PRESSURE COOK: Add potatoes and broth to instant pot. Place lid on top. Turn to SEALING, then set PRESSURE to high for 5 minutes (use + and – buttons). Note 5. The instant pot will take 9-10 minutes to come to pressure, then start the 5 minute count down. When you hear the beep, do a QUICK RELEASE of pressure but turning the knob on the lid to VENTING, careful to keep your fingers and face away from the spouting steam. Press CANCEL on Instant Pot.
- FINISH: Remove lid. Pour out most of liquid accumulated at the bottom of the pot. I leave in a little bit ( 2-3 tablespoons) for extra nutrition. Add butter and herbs. Stir gently. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed (I use ~1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp pepper). Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Carrots: 1 pound/450 grams carrots = 4-5 medium carrots. Carrots take a little longer to cook than potatoes so I cut them into slightly smaller pieces. You can use baby carrots if you prefer (no need to peel) and cut them in half or thirds, depending on their size.
- Potatoes: Use waxy potatoes such as fingerling potatoes, yukon gold potatoes, red potatoes or baby potatoes. No need to peel them. I don’t suggest using russet potatoes for this recipe – they will fall apart and need to be peeled.
- Broth: Use powder or paste with water (equivalent to 1 cup/250 ml) or a ready made broth in a box. My favorite is Better Than Bouillon vegetable broth or chicken broth – rich in flavor. If it calls for 1 teaspoon per 1 cup water, I use a little more than a teaspoon for extra seasoning.
- Herb mixture: I use one large green onion (or 2 small) with fresh herbs, chopped, equivalent to 1/2 cup total. Great herbs options are dill, parsley, cilantro, chives. You can substitute some dried herbs eg. use green onion, parsley and a bit of dried herbs like Italian seasoning or thyme or coriander. (1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs = approximately 1 teaspoon dried).
- Cooking time: Timing depends on the size of the cut vegetables and how you like them cooked. For about 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces to become soft and tender, I cook them at 5 minutes. If you like your veggies and bit firmer, use 4 minutes.
- Make ahead:
- To make the potatoes and carrots a few hours ahead, let the completed dish sit at room temperature until ready to serve. Then warm it in the microwave on high for 2-3 minutes covered.
- For leftovers, store the dish in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, then microwave covered for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently half way through. To freshen it up, you can add additional chopped herbs just before serving.
- Do not freeze.
Can I roast carrots and potatoes if I don’t have instant pot?
Hi Danna, yes, you can definitely roast the potatoes and carrots. It won’t be quite the same though – roasting gives crispy edges instead of the tender, saucy texture from the Instant Pot.
Toss with oil, salt, pepper, and garlic (skip the broth). Roast at 425°F for 25-30 min, flipping halfway, until fork-tender and golden. Toss with a little butter and herbs at the end. I haven’t tested this exact version in the oven, so treat this as a starting point.
Yum! I did make a few changes…I had a rutabaga and some red cabbage on hand that I wanted to use up, so I added that. I added 1/2 TBS of seasoned salt, some minced onion, and garlic powder. It turned out great…I even opted not to use the butter at the end as I felt it didn’t need it. What a great, hands off way to cook root vegetables…I will probably do this again!
I love when people adapt our recipes to suit their needs. Thanks for sharing Heather!
I had to add a little more Kosher salt at the end and then it popped.. just what I was looking for.
Is it okay if I put a stick of butter in the pot with the veg right away?
I wouldn’t recommend that Leanne. The butter might burn or separate. It’s best to add it after cooking as per the recipe. Also, the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons (not 8 tbsp/1 stick), but the amount is up to you of course 🙂
I did add a half stick after draining half of the water. The spices went in, continued to cook and then I added a little more Kosher and water. Fresh wild chives for the finish, yummy.
Glad you enjoyed it. The fresh wild chives as a finish sound great!
I only had a few small white potatoes and some carrots from another recipe so I cut is way down. I didn’t need to drain any broth. I have all the fresh herbs growing at home. I always fudge the recipes a bit to my taste. I didn’t have any onion so I sautéed with dried minced and it added to the smoky sautéed flavor to the carrots. I sprayed my IP with olive oil non stuck spray for easier cleaning.
Glad you liked it Holly. I love when readers tweak a recipe with what they have and like. Thanks for sharing.
Going to get some more carrots for this! Never remember to get out the instant pot.