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–+ servings
A bowl of broccoli that has been cooked.

Instant Pot Broccoli (Fresh or Frozen)

This easy method for Instant Pot Broccoli works for both fresh and frozen broccoli, making for the perfect healthy side dish.
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Pressure release: 2 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 52kcal
Author: Dolly (Dash for Dinner)

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1-2 heads broccoli cut into florets (*or frozen)
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add 1 cup of cool water to the insert of a 6-quart Instant Pot (or 1 ½ cups for an 8-quart model).
  • If desired, add the salt to the water and stir to combine. This step is optional.
  • Add a steamer basket insert into the Instant Pot and place the broccoli florets inside.
  • Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and flip the valve to “sealing”.
  • Select the steam function for your Instant Pot, and select the time to read “0”. If you do not have a steamer function on your pot, you can use manual mode instead.
  • Once the pot beeps to indicate it has reached pressure and is switching over to warm, turn the pot off and flip the valve to “venting” to do a quick pressure release.
  • After all of the pressure has been released, carefully open the lid and remove the steamer basket.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

*Frozen broccoli: If preparing frozen broccoli use 1-2 pounds of broccoli florets and 0-1 minutes. Only use 1 minute if the florets of broccoli are very large. 
 
Without a steamer basket: Fit your Instant Pot with the trivet that came with your pot. If you have a silicone strainer, or a heat-proof strainer of any sort, set it on top of the trivet and place your broccoli inside. If not, carefully place your broccoli on top of the trivet and proceed to seal the pot, and set the time to "0 minutes". Once the time is up, perform a quick pressure release and serve immediately.
Your broccoli cooked without a steamer basket is likely to be on the mushy or soggy side, but it can work well in a pinch!
If you have an old-fashioned metal expandable steamer, you can place that inside of your pot and that will work as a steaming basket does.

Nutrition

Calories: 52kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Sodium: 344mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 947IU | Vitamin C: 136mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg