Steaming a head of broccoli in the Instant Pot will soon become your favorite way to cook it! Going from fresh to tender in minutes and without a messy hassle is just another reason to love this simple recipe.

Whether you like your broccoli crisp or like it more tender (like my kids do) then this recipe is for you. You can adjust the cooking time by as little as a minute and make a HUGE difference with your Instant Pot broccoli.
Cooking broccoli florets for 0-2 minutes makes it go from crisp to tender in such a short time. Add in the seasoning mix at the end and you can pack a lot of flavor into every perfect bite of broccoli. Use this Instant Pot broccoli recipe for dinner tonight and see what I mean.
🥘 Ingredients
- Fresh Broccoli
- Water (for cooking)
- Olive oil
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
BeeyondCereal is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.
- Measuring spoons
- 6qt Instant Pot
- Mixing bowl
🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make Instant Pot steamed broccoli with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Wash your broccoli well and trim it into nice sized florets.
Place 1 cup of water inside the Instant Pot and place the broccoli in the steamer basket or lay on the trivet inside of the Instant Pot.
Close the lid and seal it.
Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 0-2 minutes. 0 minutes will give you crisp broccoli while 2 minutes is much more tender.
Do a Quick Pressure Release when the time is up.
Drain the water and remove the broccoli. Place broccoli into a large mixing bowl with olive oil and seasonings.
Toss to coat.
Serve warm.
🍴 Recipe Tips
You can cook your broccoli in Instant Pot steamer baskets like I used, or you can simply lay them on your Instant Pot trivet. Both methods work, but I really love the steamer basket because it's convenient.
Cooking your broccoli for 0 minutes is an option because the pressure cooker will still cook as it comes up to temperature/pressure. Once it's reached, (it should have been a few short minutes) and it should be perfect for crisp cooked broccoli.
You can adjust the seasoning mixture to taste, and even halve the broccoli (or double it) for the recipe, but do not change the amount of water requested as your Instant Pot will need a minimum amount of liquid in the pot to work ad come up to pressure.
💭 FAQs
You can keep leftover steamed broccoli in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days before it needs to be eaten or tossed. For best results, I recommend eating it sooner rather than later.
You could. Because the broccoli has been cooked, you can freeze it. If you plan to freeze it, flash freeze the broccoli for 1-3 hours on a baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container for up to 3 months. This will keep it from all sticking together and makes it easier if you just wanted a little and not the entire bunch.
More great Instant Pot recipes to try
- Instant Pot Asparagus
- Instant Pot Zucchini
- Instant Pot Beef Back Ribs
- Instant Pot Taco Zucchini Boats
- Instant Pot Bacon
- Instant Pot Tuna Casserole
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh broccoli (about 1 pound) ($1.29)
- 1 cup water ($0.00)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil ($0.13)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder ($0.05)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder ($0.05)
- ¼ teaspoon salt ($0.02)
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper ($0.01)
Instructions
- Wash and chop broccoli into nice sized floret pieces.
- Place 1 cup of water into Instant Pot and place broccoli in a steamer basket or on a trivet. Lower into Instant Pot.
- Close the lid and seal it shut. Set it to High Pressure for 0-2 minutes. (0 for crispy and 2 for very tender or 1 for somewhere in between.)
- Do a Quick Pressure Release to release steam and remove broccoli from Instant Pot. Drain water and place broccoli in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix with olive oil and seasonings until well coated.
- Serve warm.
Leave a Reply