Instant Pot Broccoli

Instant Pot broccoli is something we make often at our house. The broccoli always comes out tender and delicious. Wonderful as an easy side dish or used for other recipes. 

We love using the pressure cooker for easy side dishes like Instant Pot spaghetti squash and potato salad. 

Have you ever cooked something for zero minutes? Sounds crazy but this is the method for steaming broccoli in the Instant Pot. 

It’s technically not 0 minutes because the cooker takes a few minutes to come to pressure, but it’s still very fast and cooks under 5 minutes. 

Why steam vegetables in the Instant Pot?

• They steam up quick.
• Great to cook large quantities that work well for dinner and meal prep.
• It comes out crisp tender and gorgeous bright green.

How to make Instant Pot Broccoli

Scroll to the bottom for full recipe, ingredients and video. 

1. Prepare: Wash broccoli and cut into uniform florets. Make sure not to cut them super small or they may cook to quickly.
2. Add one cup of water to the Instant Pot and then place the steamer basket or trivet inside. Pour broccoli into basket.
3. Cook: Place lid on and lock. Make sure to set the valve to sealing. Cook on manual high pressure for 0 minutes. (I know kinda strange.)
4. Once it’s come to pressure, the beeper sounds and you see time of zero, carefully do a quick release and move the valve to venting. 

How to steam broccoli in Instant Pot without a steamer basket?

If you don’t have a steamer basket, no problem. Place the trivet in the pressure cooker. Lay broccoli florets on top of the trivet, trying not to let them touch the water. Use the same cooking instructions. 

What if the broccoli is still hard?

• Start by cutting the broccoli into smaller pieces. 
• You can also place broccoli back into the Instant Pot with the lid on and let it sit for an extra 2-3 minutes. 
• If you prefer having really large pieces, pressure cook for 2 minutes instead of 0. 

What if broccoli is too soft?

• Cut the florets a little larger. 
• Try cooking on low pressure instead of high. 

Can you steam frozen broccoli?

Yes, you can steam frozen broccoli the same way. Cook on manual high pressure for 0 minutes and do a quick release. 

How to store

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. I love using this broccoli for meal prep like this BBQ chicken meal.

Recipe tips 

• I typically use 2 heads of broccoli or a large bag of pre-cut from the store. 
• If using an 8-quart pot, use 1 1/2 cups water.
• Be careful setting valve to venting. I like using a dish towel or oven mit when moving the valve. 

How to serve Instant Pot steamed broccoli

This dish is great as is or seasoning with a little salt and pepper. We also like adding Parmesan cheese for an extra treat. 

You could also add this to the top of cream cheese pasta, or green pasta. 

What kind of Instant Pot to use?

There are several different kinds of pressure cookers. We use the Instant Pot 6-quart for our family of 5. If you use the 8-quart, we recommend adding 1 1/2 cups water and if using the smaller size cut the water to 1/2 cup. 

More Instant Pot recipe

• Instant pot country style ribs – Easy and tender, BBQ country style ribs.
• Instant pot vegetable soup – Make a delicious and quick vegetable soup in the pressure cooker. 
• Instant pot french toast casserole – Tasty french toast casserole. 
• Instant pot chicken pesto pasta – Pasta with diced chicken and pesto. 

*** If you made this recipe, feel free to leave a comment and star rating below.