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Easy Instant Pot Glazed Carrots

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Instant Pot Carrots are a quick and easy side dish, that you will quickly fall in love with! With a simple buttery glaze, this easy recipe with fresh and earthy tarragon is out of this world.

This butter carrot recipe made in the Instant Pot or stove top are a quick, fresh, healthy and easy veggie side dish recipe, a simple side dish for weeknight dinners or fancy entertaining.

Looking for more veggie sides to accompany your main dish? Give these favorites a try: Cheesy Asparagus Bake, Balsamic Honey Glazed Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Instant Pot potatoes or this popular Corn Pudding Casserole.

Tender Instant Pot carrots in bowl on board with fresh carrots with tops in background.

Do you have stories about “why” you love a particular dish? These Glazed Tarragon Carrots have a story! I grew up liking raw regular carrots, but not loving cooked carrots, until…UNTIL I had these carrots while living as an Au Pair in Germany.

My house mom, would slow cook carrots in butter and dried tarragon and tossed with a little sea salt…that’s it, but the flavors will knock your socks off!

You’ll notice she didn’t add water, she typically used up to a stick of butter, ha! No wonder they were so amazing and I gained 20 lbs while I lived there! I have figured out a way to keep the flavor and reduce the butter!

What is Tarragon?

  • Tarragon is a perennial herb that you may not have heard of or ever cooked with before, touted as a slightly bitter herb with aromas not unlike anise, it imparts delicate flavors to vegetables, fish and chicken dishes and I always add it to my beef bone broth.
  • Don’t like licorice or anise? Do not let that scare you away, I am not a fan of either licorice or anise, but somehow this herb delivers a lot of flavor in a delicate way!

Simple Ingredients for the Perfect Side Dish

The full recipe and measurements are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Labeled ingredients for instant pot carrots.
  • Whole Carrots | Washed, peeled and sliced or chopped carrots will work, you can even use baby carrots
  • Tarragon | fresh tarragon, stems removed, leaves chopped or 1-2 teaspoons dried tarragon
  • Butter | don’t worry, it’s not a whole stick! Just a few tablespoons.
  • Water | Just a little less than a cup of water
  • Kosher Salt

How to make Instant Pot Carrots Recipe

Place carrots, and all other ingredients inside inner pot of the electric pressure cooker, seal lid, place steam valve in locked position.

Pressure Cook on high for 2-3 minutes for diced carrots (3 for softer carrots, 2 for slightly firmer, I have done 4 and they pretty much fall apart, still delicious, but three minutes is just about perfect at higher altitude). Will take about 8-10 minutes to come up to full pressure. If using whole baby carrots, increase the time to 4-5 minutes.

Perform the quick release, adjust seasonings if needed, serve immediately. Those colors are not enhanced! That’s it, that’s all you have to do for this glazed carrot recipe!

How to make Glazed Carrots on the Stovetop or Slow Cooker

This is how I originally learned to make this glazed carrots recipe, the rule of thumb here is, low and slow.

  1. Place all ingredients (with water adjustment) into a small or medium sized saucepan or slow cooker, you want the water/butter mixture to almost cover the carrots.
  2. Cover and bring to low simmer, typically simmering about 30-45 minutes until a fork slides right into them. Adjust seasonings and serve immediately.

Variations & Substitutions

  • Honey Maple Glazed Carrots | Replace the tarragon and add ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ⅓ cup maple syrup or honey or a combination of the two, if desired add ½ teaspoon cinnamon and a shake of nutmeg, making a delicious honey glaze.
  • Brown Sugar Carrots | Instead of the tarragon add ⅓ cup of brown sugar to your baby carrots, you may keep them whole or cut them up. If whole, cook under manual high pressure for 4 minutes.
  • Whole Baby Carrots | If you don’t feel like cutting carrots, use up to 2 pounds whole baby carrots, with a pressure cooking time of 4 minutes. Instant pot baby carrots will be tender and delicious!
  • Swap out the butter with olive oil for a side dish that has better health benefits
  • Try different Herbs | Use fresh thyme or rosemary
  • Replace water with a little fresh orange juice
Instant pot glazed carrots in bowl in striped tea towel.

Storage

Store leftover carrots in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. These tender carrots may be frozen, but it will change the texture slightly.

Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan with a little additional water and/or butter.

All you need for these tender carrots is an Instant Pot and a good knife!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you cook carrots with butter and tarragon ahead of time?

Yes, under cook them slightly and rewarm for a few minutes on the stove top before serving.

Does Boiling Make Carrots Soft?

Sure does! If you have never cooked or boiled carrots not only does it make them soft, but it also brings out the sweetness of the carrot.

What do tarragon carrot recipes go well with?

Tarragon is a lovely herb that brings out the best in fish and chicken dishes, however; I have served Tarragon Carrots with Easter or Christmas Ham Braised Beef, Roasted Chicken or Butter Chicken.

Can I use dried tarragon in this carrot recipe?

You bet! Depending on how much you like tarragon, start with 1 teaspoon, taste and add up to 2 teaspoons.

Is this Instant Pot Carrot Recipe vegetarian?

Yes it is, or use coconut oil or vegan butter and make it vegan!

These Instant Pot Carrots are such a great side dish, perfect for a busy weeknight or to make holiday meal prep a snap. This simple recipe is a great option when you want a veggie, but don’t have a lot of time, but don’t want to compromise on flavor!

More great vegetable recipes

What to serve with Instant Pot Carrots

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Long pin for instant pot carrots with image of carrots in bowl with fresh carrots behind.

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Instant Pot Carrots recipe.

Easy Instant Pot Glazed Carrots

Author: Kathleen Pope
5 from 9 votes
This recipe for easy Instant pot glazed Carrots is so simple, with the fresh, earthy flavor of tarragon, a little butter and sea salt, you will have an incredibly easy, quick and tasty side dish.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Course Side Dishes and Condiments
Cuisine American, French, German
Servings 6 -8 servings
Calories 91 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 – 2 lbs carrots, peeled, washed and sliced
  • 3-4 stems fresh tarragon, leaves pulled and chopped or 1-2 teaspoons dried tarragon
  • 2-4 tablespoons butter
  • ¾ cup water, reduce to ¼ – ½ if making on stovetop
  • 1 teaspoon of kosher sea salt, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Instant Pot InstructionsPlace all ingredients inside pressure cooker, seal lid, place steam valve in locked position. Pressure Cook on high for 2-3 minutes (3 for softer carrots, 2 for slightly firmer, I have done 4 and they pretty much fall apart, still delicious, but three minutes is just about perfect at altitude). Will take about 8-10 minutes to come up to full pressure.
  • Immediately release the steam valve release when time has finished, adjust seasonings if needed, serve immediately.

Stovetop Glazed Tarragon Carrots

  • Place all ingredients (with water adjustment) into a small or medium sized saucepan, you want the water/butter mixture to almost cover the carrots. Cover and bring to
    low simmer
    , typically simmering about 30-45 minutes until a fork slides right into them. Depending on how thick you cut your carrots they can take more or less time. Sometimes I chop my carrots so they will cook faster. Adjust seasonings and serve immediately.
    Or place in slow cooker, on low for several hours until tender.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Calories: 91 kcal Carbohydrates: 9 g Protein: 1 g Fat: 6 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g Cholesterol: 15 mg Sodium: 377 mg Fiber: 3 g Sugar: 4 g

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Fresh Cooky is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Kathleen Pope, The Fresh Cooky.

About Kathleen Pope

Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer

Hi, I’m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen. Read more about Kathleen here.

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15 Comments

    1. I always think fresh is better, however; that being said, I don’t often have fresh tarragon on hand. And have most often used dried, both methods since it is either pressure or slow cooked bring out the wonderful tarragon flavor!

  1. 5 stars
    I’m always on the lookout for fun veggie dishes, and the whole family adored these! Tarragon is such delicious addition to them, and we’ll definitely make them again.

  2. We don’t use carrots as a stand alone side dish enough and it’s a tragedy! These carrots were the perfect texture and that tarragon just sets the flavor off! YUM!

  3. 5 stars
    So simple to make, but what a difference this is with the flavor of tarragon. This is one of those side dishes that we could eat every day!