Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli is one of the fastest and easiest side dishes to make for dinner. All you need is broccoli and water and you’re all set. In just 5 minutes, you’ve got perfectly steamed broccoli.
If you’re a fan of steamed broccoli, you really need to get on this broccoli life hack. It literally take minutes to cook broccoli in the Instant Pot. In fact, you set the cook time to 0 minutes and it’s just the time it takes to come up to pressure that cooks it.
Steamed broccoli is a great addition to any meal. You can serve it on the side of your main dish. It goes well with chicken, steak, and pork chops. Or you can serve it to your kids alongside their favorite mac and cheese or sloppy joes. Since it’s so easy to make, it can become your go-to side dish.
Why You’ll Love It
- Simple Process: Making steamed broccoli in the Instant Pot is straightforward. Just add water, place the broccoli in the steamer basket, and set the cooking time. It’s a hassle-free way to prepare a healthy side dish without any complicated steps.
- Fast Cooking: With the Instant Pot, broccoli steams with zero minutes of pressure cooking, much quicker than traditional methods. You’ll have perfectly cooked broccoli in a fraction of the time, making it convenient for busy days or when you’re short on time.
- Delicious Results: Instant Pot steamed broccoli retains its vibrant color, crisp texture, and natural flavor. You’ll enjoy tender, flavorful broccoli that’s not overcooked or mushy. It’s a simple yet tasty side dish that pairs well with any meal.
Amy says: 
I love broccoli so much and this one is so easy, yum!
Ingredients You Need
This recipe is so simple, it’s almost unnecessary to list the ingredients. All you need are two ingredients and some seasoning.
- Broccoli – You can cook fresh or frozen broccoli in the Instant Pot and you can even cook a whole head of broccoli, rather than florets, if you want.
- Water – You’ll need the typical 1 cup of water (for a 6-quart) or 1 1/2 cups of water (for an 8-quart).
- Salt – Season your broccoli with salt once they’re cooked, to add some extra flavor. Adjust the amount used to fit your tastes. You could also use seasoned salt or your favorite salt blend instead.
Equipment Needed
- Instant Pot – I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus to make all of my recipes, but you can use any size or brand of electric pressure cooker. If you’re using an 8-quart pot, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly, as it requires more water to build steam.
- Steamer basket
Helpful Tips
- Use cold water
- Cook for 1 minute for softer broccoli (this can make it really soft)
- If your steamer basket does not have legs to elevate it out of the water, then place the trivet into the pot first, then the steamer basket.
- Don’t let it sit for too long before releasing pressure or the broccoli might over cook.
How To Make Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
Step 1: Prep the Instant Pot
Pour the water into the inner pot. Put the broccoli into a steamer basket and set it into the Instant Pot. If your steamer basket does not have legs to elevate it out of the water, then place the trivet into the pot first, then the steamer basket. You don’t want the broccoli resting in water, or it will become mushy.
Step 2: Pressure cook
Lock on the lid and set the valve to sealing (if necessary on your model). Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button and set the time to 0 minutes on high pressure. Yes, that’s zero minutes. If your Instant Pot doesn’t allow you to set it to zero, you can try 1 minute. Sometimes I find that 1 minute is too long. It makes the broccoli a little too soft for me. If you can only set it to 1 minute, you might want to make the florets larger so they don’t get too mushy.
It will take approximately 5 minutes to build up pressure. When the cook time is up, release the pressure manually. Don’t let it sit for too long before releasing pressure or the broccoli might over cook. Open the lid and take out the steamer basket to cool outside of the pot.
Questions About the Recipe
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes, you can use frozen broccoli in the Instant Pot. I find that it takes about the same time as fresh broccoli, but you might need to add 1-2 more minutes to the cook time to reach your desired tenderness. I always recommend trying it once so you know if you need more or less time, then you can follow that cook time next time you make it.
Should I use the steam button?
I don’t prefer to use the steam button because it’s just a preset time of 10 minutes at high pressure. This will egregiously overcook your broccoli. In fact, I never really use the preset buttons. I like to set my own time and pressure level based on the food I’m cooking. In this case, you should use the high pressure setting with zero minutes of cook time.
What if it’s overcooked?
If you like your broccoli crunchy at all, it might not work well for you to cook the broccoli in the Instant Pot. This results in a soft, steamed broccoli texture. You can’t really cook it for less than 0 minutes, so there’s no way to make it less cooked.
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Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
- Steamer basket
Ingredients
- 1 broccoli approx 2 pounds
- 1 cup (237 ml) water
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the cauliflower florets in a steamer basket. Set it inside the Instant Pot and pour in the water. Close the lid of the Instant Pot. Set the valve to sealing position.
- Press the Pressure Cook or manual button and set the cook time to 0 (zero) minutes on high pressure. It will take about 5 minutes for the pot to come up to pressure. When the time is up, do a quick pressure release and carefully remove the steamer basket from the pot.
Notes
- Use cold water.
- Cook for 1 minute for softer broccoli (this can make it really soft).
- If your steamer basket does not have legs to elevate it out of the water, then place the trivet into the pot first, then the steamer basket.
- Don’t let it sit for too long before releasing pressure or the broccoli might over cook.
Nutrition
Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.
I love broccoli so much and this one is so easy, yum!
I had to experiment a little. I didn’t believe the zero minute cooking time. It really does make prefectly cooked broccoli.
I know it sounds crazy but cooking broccoli for zero minutes gives the best results.
I always add a squeeze of lemon to my broccoli.
Great idea! Lemon is great on broccoli!