Instant Pot Broccoli

5 from 27 votes

Steaming Instant Pot broccoli is quick and effortless! Make steamed broccoli in just 10 minutes for a tender-crisp, healthy side dish every time.

Prep Time2

Cook Time1

Pressurizing and Release Times7

Total Time10

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 15kcal

Add broccoli florets to a steamer basket; rinse with tap water and drain.
Pour the water and add salt into the pressure cooker pot. Set the steamer basket of broccoli on the bottom of the inner pot of the pressure cooker.
NOTE: *If your steamer basket isn't specifically meant for use in a pressure cooker, you may need to place it onto a trivet to hold it above the water. Some baskets have feet, so they can be placed directly into the water.
Place the lid on the IP and set it to "seal". Manually set Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 0 minutes for tender but firm broccoli. (The vegetables will steam during pressurizing time).
Use 1 minute for softer cooked broccoli. Turn the venting lever to close or seal, if needed.
When pressure cooking is done (listen for the long beep), use a quick release by carefully turning the lever or pressing the pressure release button.
Use pot holders to remove the steamer basket. Rinse the broccoli under cold water to prevent it from overcooking, and drain before serving.
Season with salt, pepper, or other seasoning of choice.
If you have picky veggie eaters, serve their steamed broccoli smothered in Velveeta cheese sauce or white bechamel cheese sauce!

When selecting broccoli, choose heads that are firm, have tight florets, and are a deep green color, avoiding any with yellowing or wilting.
To clean broccoli thoroughly, soak it in a bowl of cold water with a splash of vinegar for a few minutes to remove dirt and pests. After soaking, rinse it under cold running water and gently scrub the florets with a vegetable brush.
Finally, pat the broccoli dry with a clean towel before cooking or storing it.

Recipe Variations:

Velveeta cheese sauce – It’s a familiar taste we know and love! It almost makes this taste like broccoli and cheddar soup.
Bechamel cheese sauce – This is a super simple, delicious homemade white cheddar sauce. It’s so quick you can even make it while the broccoli is steaming!
Finally, a simple topping of parmesan cheese or melted butter could make steamed broccoli easier to eat.

Storing Instructions:

Reheating veggies will always cook them a little more and also make them softer. Because this steamed broccoli recipe is so quick, we recommend cooking a fresh batch instead!
But if you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can either reheat the vegetables in the microwave or with a little water on the stovetop. Ironically, it will take too long to reheat already cooked broccoli in the Instant Pot… it’ll end up mushy too.
That being said, there are other simple ways you can use leftover cooked vegetables! Add them to a pot of bean and ham soup, toss them into a pineapple chicken rice bowl, or bulk up the nutrition in chicken fried rice.