What Is Good To Put On Steamed Broccoli
Steamed broccoli is great for meal prep, but you can dress it up with a few simple additions!
- Sliced almonds or walnuts .
- Roasted garlic cloves
- Seasoning, try garlic powder, salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, onion powder, or a dash of cayenne pepper if you want it spicy.
- Cheese, glorious cheese! Try topping your steamed broccoli with shredded cheddar, mozzarella, or parmesan. Do this after its done steaming but while the broccoli is still really hot. You want to give it a chance to melt a little bit.
- Dried cranberries or golden raisins with a dash of balsamic vinegar for a holiday version.
Tips For How To Make Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
- Cut the broccoli into even sized pieces, otherwise they will cook at different rates and wont be the same texture and some may overcook.
- Adding water to the bottom of the instant pot is critical! Otherwise your pot may say burn, and the broccoli might not steam properly.
- Set your instant pot for 0 minutes for just soft but still slightly crunchy broccoli. Do 1 minute for a softer version. And 2 minutes if you want it to be really, really soft.
- Make sure you quick release the pot right away, because your broccoli will keep cooking while the pressure is coming down. Without an instant release, it will get pretty soft.
How To Steam Broccoli In The Instant Pot
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Is Steamed Broccoli Better Than Raw
Taste-wise, I think so! Im actually not a fan of raw broccoli at all, but really enjoy steamed broccoli. Nutrient-wise, studies actually point to steamed broccoli being more nutritious than rawSCORE!
Were walking you through how to steam broccoli three different ways for the quickest, easiest green veggie side!
- Cassy Joy Garcia
- Method:Stovetop, Instant Pot, or Microwave
- Cuisine:American
What Kind Of Meat To Use:
When choosing cuts of meat for this recipe, I suggest a boneless chunk roast cut into strips. They willl become so tender when pressure cooked. As a warning, other stir-fry cuts intended for quick searing might become tough when pressure cooked.
You can also use sirloin steak or your preferred lean cut of beef.
** One thing that is crucial to remember, is to use Low-Sodium Soy Sauce over regular soy sauce. Any others and your dish will be too salty, so choose your soy sauce with less sodium.
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Facts About Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
Every time the Instant Pot is cooking something, there is a pressure build up. This pressure is co-related to the amount of liquid and cooking time. Pressure level also contributes in this process. Thus, quantity of water, time and pressure level are important factors contributing to the texture, color and taste of the steamed broccoli.
For example, lets consider two scenarios:
Scenario A: Cooking with 1 cup of water for ZERO minutes.
Scenario B: Cooking with 1/2 cup of water at ZERO minutes.
Here, it will take longer for scenario A to come to pressure than scenario B. Which means, A is cooking for longer than B, because of more liquid, it will take more time to come to a pressure.
For crisp broccoli, I prefer 1/2 cup of water, ZERO minute at LOW pressure.
Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli Ready In Minutes
If you love a quick side dish, youre going to love this Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli. Steam up perfect broccoli florets in under 5 minutes with minimal effort and perfect crispness with your Instant Pot!
Does your family love to eat steamed vegetables? Its one of my favorite ways to prepare fresh vegetables because its such a fast way of cooking and the vegetables retain so much of their nutritional value.
And steamed broccoli is one of my familys favorites! I count myself lucky that everyone of us, even the girls, love to eat broccoli. The girls will tell you its one of their favorite vegetables!
I think its so important to introduce kids to vegetables at a young age and keep serving them as they grow up. I can definitely tell that the more they are exposed to a food, the more likely they are to eat it.
Broccoli is one of those foods that I serve at least twice a week, and I think thats the main reason they love it so much. I used to steam broccoli in the microwave and that definitely works, but once we tried instant pot steamed broccoli, we found a new favorite!
If you dont have an instant pot, you can always steam broccoli in the microwave as well, but if youre like me, you love this multi-function cooking appliance!
This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission from your purchase. See full disclosure for details.
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Instant Pot Steamed Vegetables Without A Steamer Basket
Im a huge fan of NOT buying kitchen appliances you dont need, but I finally caved and bought an Instant Pot steamer basket and I am SO glad I did!
I used to make Instant Pot steamed vegetables WITHOUT a steamer basket, using a small pyrex bowl instead, but that didnt give me consistent results.
The vegetables at the top of the bowl were steamed, but the ones at the bottom the ones that werent really getting any air circulation werent.
So that left me with some steamed vegetables and more work to do in the kitchen.
I dug around into the best steamer basket for the Instant Pot and decided on this one. I love that it
So while you CAN steam vegetables in an Instant Pot without a steamer basket, I dont recommend it. Splurge and treat yourself your future self will thank you!
Note: You need a glass lid in order to use the steam 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 try using a larger lid that fits your instant pot.
How To Serve Pressure
You can serve your broccoli as is right out of the steamer. You can also add other ingredients to your broccoli like:
- Seasoning toss with your favorite seasoning and add to your broccoli like taco seasoning, ranch spice blend, guacamole spice mix
- Cheese you can add cheese to decorate your broccoli. You can add parmesan, mozzarella, or shredded cheddar
- Garlic mince a clove of garlic and stir it through your broccoli
- Onion finely dice the onion and put it on the veggie
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Can I Steam Vegetables In An Instant Pot Without A Steamer Basket
If you are planning to steam vegetables in the Instant Pot regularly, I highly recommend purchasing a steamer basket. But if you want to try and see if steaming in Instant Pot is for you, you can still make steamed vegetables in the Instant Pot without it.
As far as I know, all Instant Pot models are sold with a metal trivet. So, you can use the trivet to elevate the vegetables above the water. I recommend placing large slices of firm vegetables such as carrots or cauliflower over the trivet and then place the rest of the vegetables on top of it.
The large pieces should prevent the smaller pieces from dropping to the bottom of the cooking pot.
Other Ways To Cook Steamed Broccoli
While making instant pot steamed broccoli is my preferred way, there are other methods you can use to make steamed broccoli.
- Microwave Before buying an Instant Pot, I always steamed broccoli in the microwave.
- Cut the broccoli florets in smaller pieces and put into a microwave-safe bowl with a small amount of water in the bottom of the bowl.
- Place a microwave-safe lid or plate upside down on top of the bowl.
- Be sure the steam can vent through a small hole or crack into the microwave.
- Cook for about 2 minutes and check. Microwaves vary on cooking times.
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More Instant Pot Basics Recipes From My Kitchen
- Steamed Carrots in Instant Pot: Cooking carrots in the Instant Pot is so quick, easy, and delicious! Made in only a few minutes, they are great for an easy veggie side.
- Instant Pot Pasta: Informative how-to guide explaining the pasta cooking time formula, pasta-to-liquid ratio and pressure release technique.
- Cooking Beans in Instant Pot: Most tender beans using an Instant Pot, with or without soaking.
- How to Cook Lentils: Perfectly cooked lentils every time with these tips and tricks.
- Instant Pot Quinoa: A foolproof method for making Instant Pot Quinoa that is virtually hands-off.
- Basmati & Jasmine Rice: A fail-proof recipe to make fluffy Basmati rice and Jasmine rice two ways.
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Get Steamed Broccoli Recipes Without Steamerpictures
Get Steamed Broccoli Recipes Without SteamerPictures. How to steam broccoli is a guide to get crisp, bright green broccoli every time without a steamer. How to perfectly steam broccoli every time.
However, even if you dont have a steamer, you can still cook your broccoli to taste the same. Can i do it without a steamer basket? Place all in a steamer basket.
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How To Steam Broccoli In Instant Pot Without Steamer Basket
If you do not have a steamer basket, then there are other ways you can steam broccoli. You can steam broccoli by using a trivet. Like the steamer, you will need about half a cup of water.
While cooking, try to place the broccoli in such a way that it does not come in contact with water. Then cook the broccoli as described above. Once the broccoli is cooked, gently remove it from the instant pot with tongs or a spoon. Your broccoli is now ready to serve.
Can I Steam Broccoli In My Instant Pot Without A Steamer Basket
The steamer basket is one of the best and most useful Instant Pot accessories worth getting your hands on, but if you dont already have it, and are wondering if you can still steam broccoli in the Instant Pot, well yes, you can!
You can either cut the broccoli into larger chunks and place them on the trivet, or into smaller, bite sized florets and then directly place them in the inner pot along with the water.
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Step 4 Place The Steamer Basket Into The Insert
Carefully lift the steamer basket and place it into the Instant Pot insert. Close the Instant Pot lid with vent on sealing position. Pressure cook for ZERO minutes. Yes, ZERO minutes is all you need to steam the broccoli in Instant Pot.
The broccoli is cooking until it takes time for Instant Pot to come to the pressure. So technically it is cooking for more than ZERO minutes. To be precise, broccoli cooks for around 8 minutes in Instant Pot.
Faq About Steamed Broccoli
HOW TO PICK FRESH BROCCOLI Look for fresh, green color broccoli heads with tight and firm stalks, without any yellow or black spots. The head of the broccoli should feel heavy. The ends of the stalks should be fresh looking.
HOW LONG DOES FRESH BROCCOLI STAYS GOOD Fresh broccoli stays good for up to 10 days in the refrigerator. Store the fresh broccoli, unwashed in a clean, dry, open plastic bag in the refrigerator. You can also use some vegetable bags to store the broccoli.
HOW TO STORE FRESH BROCCOLI Store the unwashed broccoli in a loose plastic bag in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. Wash the broccoli just before consuming it. Wet broccoli can develop mold, which is not safe to consume.
CAN FRESH BROCCOLI BE FROZEN Yes, you can freeze the fresh broccoli. Wash the broccoli, cut the broccoli head into medium size florets. Store these broccoli florets into freezer bags. Consume within a month for best results.
CAN I USE FROZEN BROCCOLI FOR THIS RECIPE Yes, you can use frozen broccoli for this recipe. However, it frozen broccoli may not have the same taste and texture as to fresh broccoli.
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Which Is More Nutritious Raw Steamed Or Boiled Broccoli
The nutritional value of broccoli depends a lot upon how you prepare the broccoli. One of the key factors in preserving most of its nutritional values is not to cook the broccoli for too long.
Raw broccoli is considered to maintain all its nutrients value but however, consuming raw broccoli can irritate or cause discomfort bowls. Thus, it is important to cook the broccoli to a right temperature, without losing its nutritional values.
Boiling the broccoli, losses most of its nutrients value. However, steaming or microwave the broccoli, for few minutes, helps retain most of its nutrients and it also prevents from any bowl discomfort.
A quick stir fry also helps retain most of its nutrients value. Thus, it is important not to cook the broccoli for long. You can steam, microwave or do a quick stir fry, would work just perfect.
How To Steam Broccoli Without Steamer Basket
If you are wondering how to steam broccoli in Instant Pot without steamer basket, let me tell you that its certainly possible and its easy too!
- Wash and cut the broccoli into florets.
- Place the metal trivet inside the steel insert along with 1 cup water.
- Place the broccoli florets on top of the metal trivet.
- Pressure cook following the Instant Pot broccoli cooking time chart shared in this post.
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The Fastest Way To Cook Broccoli Is In A Pressure Cooker In Less Than 5 Minutes You Are Done
Perfectly steamed broccoli that is tender, crisp, and still has all the nutrients and doesnt require any cooking time. Yes, you cook broccoli in zero minutes. So are you ready to learn how to make instant pot broccoli? Join me in the bistro kitchen!
If you are talking fast food then this is one of those recipes. Am I serious? Oh yes, I am because the fastest way to cook broccoli is in your Instant Pot or Crockpot Express.
It is not even cooked because by the time your pressure cooker builds up pressure your veggies are cooked and done.
It takes no more than 5 minutes to build up pressure and when you Quick Release the pressure cooker your broccoli is done.
Just season with some salt and pepper and your fast side dish is done.
How To Steam Instant Pot Vegetables
We used a metal steam basket but you can also use an ovenproof dish that fits inside the Instant Pot. Separating the vegetables from the water prevents the nutrients from escaping into the liquid. This is not a problem if youre making soups or braising vegetables, because you end up consuming the liquid. But when you boil vegetables, you discard the cooking liquid.
The main rule for steaming any kind of vegetable is TO NOT OVERCOOK it. Soggy, over-soft Brussels sprouts and mashy carrots are not how nature intended these vegetables to be eaten. Cooking them just enough will retain some crunch for texture and their vibrant colour.
When pressure cooking, you have to experiment with the timings for how long you need for different vegetables and quantities. Using the STEAM button will set your Instant Pot to 10 minutes at HIGH Pressure, which is WAY too long for steaming say Brussel sprouts or carrots.
There is a handy chart for cooking vegetables on the official Instant Pot website, but we think some of those times could be even lower. The point is, you have to experiment with the times to see what readiness works for you. We prefer veggies on the crunchier side, and thats how you would have them served to you in a good restaurant.
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How Long Do You Steam Broccoli In The Instant Pot
Because it takes time for the Instant Pot to pressurize and de-pressurize, broccoli cooks in just a zero minute cooking cycle. That means as soon as the pot pressurizes the cooking cycle will stop immediately, so you dont end up cooking the broccoli for too long.
While the cooking cycle is only zero minutes, the total time in the Instant Pot is up to 15 minutes when you take into account the pressurization aspect. So, be sure to set your expectations accordingly if you need to time the rest of your dinner.
