Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli

Name: Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 3 min
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))

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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.

a white plate filled with steamed broccoli

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.

For more instant pot veggie recipes, make sure to check out my Instant Pot Asparagus, Instant Pot Cauliflower, Instant Pot Brussel Sprouts and Bacon, and Instant Pot Green Beans.

Why This Recipe Works

Simple ingredients. We don't need much to make a tasty batch of broccoli. With some fresh veggies, oil, and seasonings, we can have a side dish worthy of any meal.
It's fast! With just a few minutes on the clock, you can have a batch of perfectly cooked broccoli in such a short time.
Perfectly cooked every time. This recipe is great for getting perfectly cooked broccoli every time. No need to worry about overcooking or undercooking them because once you figure out how tender you like your broccoli, the rest is easy.

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🥘 Ingredients
🍽 Equipment Needed
🔪 Instructions
🍴 Recipe Tips
💭 FAQs
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

steamed broccoli in steamer basket in front of instant pot

🥘 Ingredients

Fresh Broccoli- You will need some fresh broccoli that has been washed and cut into florets.

Water- This is necessary for helping to get your Instant Pot to cook properly.

Olive oil- Use olive oil to help hold the seasonings onto the veggies after they've cooked.

Seasonings- You will want to use some basic pantry staple seasonings like salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.

🍽 Equipment Needed

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🔪 Instructions

Check out how to make Instant Pot steamed broccoli with these simple step-by-step instructions:

A colander filled with wash broccoli florets

Wash and trim your broccoli into floret sized pieces.

an instant pot with a trivet water and broccoli florets inside

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.

steamed broccoli inside an instant pot on a trivet

Close the lid and seal it. Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 0 minutes. Do a Quick Pressure Release when the time is up.

Drain the water and remove the broccoli. Place broccoli into a large mixing bowl.

olive oil and seasoning covered steamed broccoli in a mixing bowl

Add the olive oil and seasonings.

seasoned steamed broccoli in a mixing bowl

Gently toss well to coat the broccoli evenly.

Serve warm, and enjoy!

a large pile of steamed broccoli on a plate

🍴 Recipe Tips

You can cook your broccoli in Instant Pot steamer baskets, 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. If you want softer or "mushy" broccoli, you can cook it for up to 2 minutes.

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 and come up to pressure.

💭 FAQs

How long is steamed broccoli good for?

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.

Can I freeze steamed broccoli?

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

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5 from 1 vote