We all want fast side dishes to accompany a healthy dinner. Especially during the holidays, having recipes like these smoky roasted Instant Pot carrots is a MUST. Tender and moist, with a pop of smoky flavor, these carrots are sure to please everyone, even picky eaters.
I don’t know about you, but I always find myself wanting more carrots in my diet. Problem is, I get tired of eating them raw. Bugs Bunny may have enjoyed his signature carrot on the daily, but I find the act of chewing whole carrots is like slow crunchy torture. Ain’t I a stinker.
So throwing carrots in the Instant Pot, with a delicious seasoning sauce is a way I can actually enjoy my carrots, without the never-ending munching. It’s a win-win. You can serve these carrots with this soy-free vegan turkey, this southern gravy, and these fluffy vegan biscuits for an awesome spread.
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Ingredients needed
This recipe is a spin off of my vegan bacon bits, which is packed with mouth-watering smoked flavor (and highly addicting!). To make this recipe, you will need:
- Carrots. I like using baby carrots (to make this recipe even easier!), but you can also use whole, peeled carrots.
- Tamari or soy sauce. Either sauce works here. Keep in mind that using tamari keeps these carrots naturally gluten-free.
- Maple syrup. Adding a touch of maple syrup helps sweeten these carrots + creates a caramelized sauce.
- Liquid smoke. I like using liquid smoke to give these carrots an extra mesquite kick, but this is totally optional.
- Smoked paprika. Smoked paprika gives these carrots an added smoky flavor, but you can also swap it for regular paprika if need be.
- Cayenne pepper. A pinch of cayenne brings a little heat to these carrots, but feel free to omit this if you are sensitive to spicy foods.
- Salt. I use Himalayan pink salt.
- Cornstarch. I use non-GMO cornstarch to help thicken the sauce at the end.
How to cook carrots in the Instant Pot
- Prepare your carrots. I like to use a bag of baby carrots, but you can also use whole, peeled carrots (slice the carrots into 1-inch coins) and transfer to Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
- Prepare your sauce. Whisk together maple syrup, tamari (or soy sauce), liquid smoke, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Pour sauce on top of carrots and stir to coat the carrots.
- Secure Instant Pot lid and check vent cap. Set Instant Pot to Manual, HIGH setting for 5 minutes. After the time is up, do a quick release with the vent cap.
- Place Instant Pot on Sauté setting. Remove 2 tablespoons of liquid from the carrots mixture and whisk it with cornstarch. Pour back into Instant Pot and mix until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooking carrots in the Instant Pot doesn’t take long at all! In this smoky carrots recipe, it takes only 5 minutes.
You don’t need a lot of liquid to steam carrots. In this recipe, I use a little over ¼ cup of liquid and use cornstarch to thicken up the sauce at the end.
Absolutely! If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can bake these carrots in a preheated oven (400° F / 204° C) for 45-60 minutes, or until fork tender.
Allergy Information and Notes
- These Instant Pot carrots are 100% vegan, meaning they are meat-free, egg-free, and dairy-free.
- Be sure to use tamari sauce if you want to keep these carrots naturally gluten-free. Otherwise, you can always substitute with soy sauce.
- Add in chopped onions and garlic for extra flavor.
- Want to bake these instead? Bake carrots in your oven at 400° F (204° C) for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may be able to skip the cornstarch altogether– just check to see if the sauce has started to caramelize all on its own.
More easy side dishes
- Best Vegan Biscuits Recipe in the Air Fryer or Oven
- Stupid Easy Guide for Cooking Rice in the Instant Pot
- Easy Carrot Apple Soup (And Why Southerners Can’t Enjoy Fall)
- 30 Vegan Side Dishes That Will Make Your Thanksgiving The BEST
- Amazing Vegan Cornbread Stuffing That’s Secretly Gluten-Free
Easy Smoky Roasted Instant Pot Carrots
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 32 ounces baby carrots
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt (I use Himalayan pink salt)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Prepare your carrots. I like to use a bag of baby carrots, but you can also use whole, peeled carrots (slice the carrots into 1-inch coins) and transfer to Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
- Prepare your sauce. Whisk together maple syrup, tamari (or soy sauce), liquid smoke, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Pour sauce on top of carrots and stir to coat the carrots.
- Secure Instant Pot lid and check vent cap. Set Instant Pot to Manual, HIGH setting for 5 minutes. After the time is up, do a quick release with the vent cap.
- Place Instant Pot on Sauté setting. Remove 2 tablespoons of liquid from the carrots mixture and whisk it with cornstarch. Pour back into Instant Pot and mix until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
Notes
- I like to use a bag of baby carrots, but you can also use whole, peeled carrots (slice the carrots into 1-inch coins) and transfer to Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
- Be sure to use tamari sauce if you want to keep these carrots naturally gluten-free. Otherwise, you can always substitute with soy sauce.
- Add in chopped onions and garlic for extra flavor.
- Want to bake these instead? Bake carrots in your oven at 400° F (204° C) for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may be able to skip the cornstarch altogether– just check to see if the sauce has started to caramelize all on its own.
Nutrition Information
Susie
These are good to serve as a cocktail lil Smokey.
Sonya
I got out the Instant Pot and then we lost power (due to a wreck). So we grilled them in cast iron with some water first until tender, then removed water and added the sauce. I skipped the cornstarch step since we were outside on the grill. They were delicious! My husband said to keep these in the “rotation”.
Randi Tisdall
Oh this is great Sonya! Way to turn a power outage around lol!! Also good to know they can be grilled 🙂