Learn how to steam vegetables in the Instant Pot for the EASIEST side dish for dinner! This steam vegetables how to method works for all your favorites: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and more!
I think the perfect dinner might be one where I hit “go” on the Instant Pot, walk away for a while, and come back to dinner being done. Doesn’t that sound nice?
I have that figured out with the slow cooker…Salsa Chicken and Pumpkin Chili are “dump and done” recipes we make often. But I haven’t figured that out for the Instant Pot…
Instead, I rely on my pressure cooker to make meal COMPONENTS that I can easily mix and match to make dinner quickly during the week. And since every healthy dinner needs vegetables, learning how to steam vegetables in the Instant Pot is the answer!
I truly think steamed vegetables are the perfect healthy side dish for many meals. Quick, simple, and nutritious!
STEAMING OF VEGETABLES RECIPE INGREDIENTS
My go-tos for steaming vegetables without a steamer are broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. I usually have these on hand, and they work with just about any meal. But you can use this method for perfectly cooked vegetables of all kinds in the Instant Pot.
- Baby carrots. These tend to cook best, but large carrots cut into rounds work too.
- Cauliflower florets. You’ll want to cut these into a consistent size, so they cook evenly.
- Broccoli florets. Again, consistent size is best. Just remember, the smaller they are, the faster they cook.
- Water. You need water to create the steam! I measure a cup of water which gives you less than 2 inches of water.
Other steam vegetables ideas to cook in your pressure cooker include green beans, brussels sprouts, bell peppers, onions, asparagus, zucchini, and anything else you can add to a vegetable medley!
INSTANT POT STEAMED VEGGIES RECIPE
I’m a huge fan of NOT buying kitchen appliances you don’t need, but I finally caved and bought an Instant Pot steamer basket, and I am SO glad I did!
I used to make steamed veggies recipes WITHOUT a basket, using a small Pyrex bowl instead, but that didn’t give me consistent results. I dug around for the best basket for the Instant Pot and decided on this one. I love that it…
- Is affordable
- Fits perfectly into my 8-quart Instant Pot (here’s one for the 6-quart Instant Pot and one for the 3-quart Instant Pot too)
- Has a silicone handle, so I can easily remove the basket without burning myself
- Has silicone “feet” so it doesn’t slip around on my countertop
- DOESN’T require any cutting or bending or any alterations whatsoever in order to fit in my Instant Pot
- Is dishwasher safe!
- And it’s much easier than putting a large pot of water to boil!
So while you CAN steam vegetables in an Instant Pot without a steamer basket, I don’t recommend it. Splurge and treat yourself – your future self will thank you!
Note: You need a glass lid in order to use the steamer function on the Instant Pot, not the Instant Pot lid, and odds are you already have one that works! If you have a cookware set with different sizes of pans (similar to this set), try using a larger lid that fits on top of your Instant Pot.
HOW TO STEAM VEGETABLES IN INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS
The key to using your Instant Pot to steam veggies AND TO BE EFFICIENT AT THE SAME TIME is to put the vegetables that take the longest to cook in the steamer basket FIRST.
Then, cook them for their total time MINUS however long it takes to cook the next vegetable.
For example, when I made Instant Pot vegetables, I put the carrots and cauliflower in first and let them steam for 15 minutes.
Then I carefully added the broccoli, put the lid on top, and set the timer for 1 minute. When the timer went off, all of the vegetables were done at the same time!
Step 1: Add water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the steamer basket inside the Instant Pot and add the carrots and cauliflower.
Step 2: Place a glass lid on top and cook on the “steam” function, setting the timer for 15 minutes. (You can also use the “sauté” function if your model doesn’t have a “steam” setting.)
Step 3: When the timer goes off, CAREFULLY lift the lid and use caution as the hot steam will escape quickly! Check for doneness by piercing the vegetables with a fork. They should be almost easy to pierce. Add additional cooking time, one minute at a time ONLY if necessary.
Step 4: Add the broccoli and replace the lid. Set the timer for one minute.
Step 5: When the timer goes off, remove the lid again and pierce the broccoli to check for doneness. Again, ONLY if necessary, add additional cooking time one minute at a time.
Store any leftover steamed vegetables in an airtight container in the fridge. Eat within a few days. They won’t freeze well, so I don’t advise making a large batch during meal prep. Luckily, now you know how to steam vegetables easily, and you can quickly make more!
TIPS FOR THE BEST RECIPES FOR STEAMED VEGGIES
It’s important to consider what you’re actually cooking when you’re steaming vegetables in an Instant Pot. Cooking times will vary depending on the food!
- Broccoli cooks fast on the stove, so it will cook fast in the Instant Pot too.
- Carrots take longer on the stove, so they’ll take longer in the Instant Pot as well.
- Cauliflower falls somewhere in the middle, depending on how tough the stem of the florets is.
- As a general rule of thumb, the harder it is to poke a fork through a vegetable RAW, the longer it will need to cook in the Instant Pot.
For example, it takes some effort to stick a fork through a raw carrot. But it’s much easier to poke the stem of a piece of cauliflower. And you can stick a fork through a broccoli floret without any issue at all.
I haven’t tested every vegetable known to man, but here’s what I’ve tested so far for STEAMING of vegetables:
- Baby Carrots: 16 minutes
- Cauliflower Florets: 16 minutes
- Broccoli: 1 minute
Your steaming time will also vary a bit depending on how firm or soft you prefer your recipes for steamed veggies to turn out. Steaming vegetables for a shorter time will give you a more al dente, firm texture, while steaming broccoli or other veggies for longer will give you a softer, more tender texture..
HOW TO SEASON STEAMED VEGETABLES
I love to keep my steamed veggie recipes simple with a little butter, salt, and pepper. But I’m also a fan of Ranch Seasoning Mix, Poultry Seasoning, and Homemade Seasoning Salt.
Use a drizzle of olive oil instead of butter if you need dairy-free flavor but still want a delicious taste.
STEAM VEGETABLES HOW TO SERVE
I make these healthy Instant Pot recipes often and keep them in the freezer for easy weeknight dinners:
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Brown Rice
- Instant Pot Beans
- Quinoa in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
Need more ideas for serving Instant Pot steamed vegetables? Try these yummy meals:
MACRO-FRIENDLY STEAMED VEGGIES RECIPE
When you follow this steam vegetables how to guide, you have an easy way to get in more produce for your meal.
Remember that the goal is to fill half of your plate with produce. Instant Pot steamed vegetables are a great way to hit that goal!
If you’re watching your fat, stick with simple seasonings and skip the butter or olive oil (or use a very small amount).
Want to keep the steamed veggies recipe low-carb? Stick with lower-carb veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, celery, or asparagus.
INSTANT POT STEAMED VEGETABLES FAQS
Is learning how to steam vegetables and making boiled veggies the same?
Not quite. Boiled veggies are fully immersed in the hot water and soak up some of the liquid as they cook. Steaming of vegetables keeps them separate above the water, and they cook in the moist, hot steam from the hot water.
How can you steam vegetables without a steamer basket?
You can make steamed vegetables in the Instant Pot using a Pyrex or heat-proof bowl. However, I found that the doneness of the vegetables was uneven. I much prefer a steamer basket like this one.
Can I make steamed frozen vegetables?
This recipe uses fresh vegetables. If you choose to steam frozen vegetables from frozen, you may need to adjust the cooking time. Since most frozen veggies are blanched before freezing, they’ll likely need less time for steaming.
MORE YUMMY VEGGIE SIDE DISHES
- Fajita Veggies
- Butter Parmesan Zoodles
- Easy Pan-Roasted Broccoli
- Cauliflower Rice
- Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes
- Garlic Green Beans
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How to Steam Vegetables in the Instant Pot
Learn how to steam vegetables in the Instant Pot for the EASIEST side dish for dinner! This steam vegetables how to method works for all your favorites: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and more!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 3–6 Cups 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Instant pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1–2 cups raw baby carrots (220g)
- 1–2 cups raw cauliflower florets (248g)
- 1–2 cups raw broccoli florets (180g)
- 1 cup of water (237g)
Instructions
- Add water to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the steamer basket inside the Instant Pot and add the carrots and cauliflower.
- Place a glass lid on top and cook on the “steam” function, setting the timer for 15 minutes.
- When the timer goes off, CAREFULLY lift the lid and use caution as the hot steam will escape quickly! Check for doneness by piercing the vegetables with a fork. They should be *almost* easy to pierce. Add additional cooking time, one minute at a time ONLY if necessary.
- Add the broccoli and replace the lid. Set the timer for one minute.
- When the timer goes off, remove the lid again and pierce the broccoli to check for doneness. Again, ONLY if necessary, add additional cooking time one minute at a time.
Notes
Store any leftover steamed vegetables in an airtight container in the fridge. Eat within a few days. They won’t freeze well so I don’t advise making a large batch during meal prep.
The vegetables came out perfect, however, my instant pot boiled dry twice. I caught it as quickly as I could. I used 1 cup of water as directed. I’ll just make sure I add more water
Since there isn’t steam button on the duo plus instant pot how do you steam?
Hi Dottie,
You would use the saute button. Place vegetables inside of a steamer basket with water on the bottom. Cover with a glass lid and steam that way. Hope this helps.
An alternative to a longer cook time is to slice the firmer vegetables very thin. I quarter my carrots lengthwise and then slice them the width of a nickel. A mandolin makes this very easy.
They cook quickly when steamed with broccoli florets.
Hello OC,
Thank you for sharing the tip!
Did you use a glass lid or the lid that comes with the instant pot
Julie,
You can use either. If you use the lid that comes with the IP, you don’t have to lock it.
I make our veggies in the instant pot all the time. To the bottom add 1 cup water, insert the steam basket, dump in as many veggies as you want and close lid. I push STEAM and set for 0. Once it comes to pressure and beeps, I release the pressure and they’re perfect every time. We do not like our veggies mushy. You could let it sit for 1 minute possibly 2 before releasing pressure but it will turn to mush if you wait any longer.
Not sure if I missed it, but why can’t you put the regular lid on the instant pot to cook the veggies?
A glass lid is used for the steam function, sauté, and slow cooker. The Instant Pot comes with a pressure cooking lid so a good glass lid is best.
What setting do you put on the instant pot, “Steam”?
We cut the time down since we like our veggies cooked but crisp. The cauliflower still came out like mush, should have gone in with putting it in along with the brocolli.