Quick Instant Pot Steamer Chart
Here is a quick reference chart that you can pin for later with the different timings on it. That way if you want to steam in your Instant Pot then you have a quick reference to rely on:
Rather than struggling to print the image or jotting down all the info, we have a PDF version. You can download the PDF for free in our instant pot members area including lots of other instant pot printables, and free air fryer and slow cooker printables too.
Kaviatek Stainless Steel Steamer Basket
If you want a steamer basket for Instant Pot Mini, you cant go wrong this durable stainless steel option. It is designed for 3-quart pressure cookers and is meant to be rust free for its entire lifespan.
The silicone covered handle makes it easy to lift out of your pressure cooker without having to use a hot pad to protect your hands. It uses only food grade parts, so it is completely safe for cooking with and will not seep any components into your food.
I like how the basket is reinforced on all sides to ensure stability and durability. Keep in mind that this is a smaller basket designed for smaller pots, so it may not work for your larger pot.
The mesh strainer can be a little bit difficult to clean, and thats really the only drawback this steamer basket has. I dont think youll be able to find a better quality steamer basket for the smaller 3-quart pots, so this is my top recommendation for that size of Instant Pot.
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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Use A Plate & Some Foil
This one is fun to make, and makes cleaning easier as you can keep the food on the plate when you serve it. First you need to find a plate that is oven safe, and slightly smaller than your pot.
Image by James Ransom/Food52
Then make three large, solid balls out of aluminum foil and place them in the bottom of your pot. Add water, and place the plate on top of the aluminum foil balls, and youve got a steamer thats good to go.
Collapsible Instant Pot Steamer Basket
The nice thing about a collapsible steamer basket is that it opens and closes to accommodate different sizes of pots.
The downside is that they can be somewhat shallow in depth, reducing their ability to accommodate much food.
This particular model is made with stainless steel and includes a safety hook tool to use when removing the basket from the Instant Pot.
However, in my opinion, thats just one more thing to fumble with when trying to remove hot food, and one more thing to keep up with in a sea of kitchen tools. But, it does help to keep your hand away from the steam.
The manufacturer says the steamer can expand to fit 3-quart, 5-quart, 6-quart, and 8-quart models, as the steamer can have a diameter between 5.5 and 9.5, depending on how far it is expanded.
I appreciate that it collapses down, giving it a small footprint for easy storage.
It does have silicone wrapping around the feet of the basket, which can sometimes be difficult to keep clean.
But if you want a flexible option that can fit more than one size pot, this collapsible model could be an ideal steamer basket for you.
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Want More Easy Side Dish Recipes
This Instant Pot broccoli is one of our very favorite easy side dishes! A few more we might recommend: our Parmesan potato wedges are seriously good, this BEST kale salad is delightful, and these Instant Pot Brussels sprouts are super quick. And then of course, our best green salads are always a hit.
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Cooking Broccoli In An Instant Pot
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Steam Cauliflower In Instant Pot
Add around one cup of water to the inner pot and place the steamer.
Add the cauliflower florets to the steamer basket. Close the lid and turn the venting knob to the sealing position.
Turn on the instantpot to steam mode and set the time for 1 minute and do a QR. You can do a natural release after 5 minutes if you want little mushy cauliflower in the instantpot.
If you want crunchy stir fry kind of cauliflower do it in steam mode for 1 minute and do a QR immediately after the steam completes.
After doing QR takes off the cauliflower instantpot immediately and leave it on for few minutes before you make any cauliflower curry or cauliflower instantpot recipes.
You can even wash the cauliflower florets in running water after taking them out from the pressure cooker to stop the further cooking process.
Today I did this recipe for my toddler so I did 1 minute and QR after 5 minutes to get a little mushy and I chopped the cauliflower into small pieces and seasoned it in my cast iron with some salt, turmeric, and black pepper powder.
PRO Tip: Do you know adding turmeric powder and black pepper powder will boost kids immunity and is one of the best ways to introduce spices to toddlers.
Enjoy your instant pot steamed cauliflower with your family and friends.
Some FAQs
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Cauliflower has really stepped into its own as a front and center vegetable!
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Knead & Rise Bao Dough
Heres the labor of love part of this Instant Pot steamed buns recipe.
Well need to knead the bao dough for a good 8 11 minutes until the dough is relatively smooth.
*Pro Tip: If you want to skip this workout, take out your stand mixer and let it do the work. Depending on your stand mixer, itll take roughly 6 8 minutes for it to knead the dough.
Finally, form the dough into a ball shape, then place it back into the original large mixing bowl.
Then, cover it with a damp kitchen towel or food wrap.
Now, place the mixing bowl in a warmer part of your kitchen, then allow the dough to rise.
*Dough Rising Time: Youll need to rise the dough for roughly 45 minutes 1 hour.
*Note: You can proceed to prepare the filling ingredients as you wait for the dough to rise
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Instant Pot Silicone Steamer Basket
As you can tell by the name, this product is an official IP accessory. It is made from high-quality food-safe silicone and it resists to high temperatures .
However, it doesnt have legs of its own and its not very big . On the other hand, you can buy two or three of these and stack them. This way, you can steam different types of foods, on different levels. In terms of circumference, it can be safely used with different pressure cookers .
Lastly, the basket is easy to clean and doesnt retain bits of food.
The verdict: Its a good steamer basket that wont leave a dent in your budget. However, its not as convenient as the first two products Ive discusses since its not very spacious and it doesnt have feet.
What Is A Pressure Cooker Steamer Basket
A pressure cooker steamer basket is a metal, silicone, or bamboo cooking accessory used to steam vegetables and other foods in your pressure cooker.
The main advantage of using the steamer basket in a pressure cooker is that it takes up less space in your kitchen than if placed on top of an open pot with water boiling below because it frees up your stovetop.
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How Long Do I Steam Veggies For
Less cooking time more natural texture.
It takes a bit of trial and error to get the time setting right. The vegetables still would be delicious and healthy, but you may get a mushy carrot if you are cooking it for too long or a hard carrot if you dont cook it enough.
As a general rule, If you like natural texture of vegetables , reduce the cooking time.
Please note that the time you set, is the actual time for steaming so you dont have to compensate for the preheating time.
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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.
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Converting Your Own Recipe
As fun as it is to find new recipes to try, you may want to use your instant pot to cook your own tried-and-true favorite recipes that you used to make before you had this new appliance.
Here are some tips for figuring out how to convert your recipe to be insta-pot-friendly:
- Know the insta-pots limitationsâ Pressure cooking relies on moisture so any recipe that requires dry heat methods like roasting, frying, or baking might not do so well in an instant pot.
- Start by looking for instant pot versions of your recipeâ Someone has probably already tried making a variation of your dish so refer to a similar recipe to get cook times and settings, then incorporate your choice of seasonings and ingredients.
- Use a cook time chart if you cant find a similar recipeâ If you dont find a recipe that is similar enough, you can easily find cook time charts online to help you do the conversion.
- Dont overfillâ Adjust your portion sizes to account for the max capacity of the insta-pot.
- Save sauces & dairy ingredients for the endâ Use the Saute button on low heat at the end if your dish calls for a roux or other sauce-thickening. Dairy ingredients also have to go in at the end because they might scorch or foam.
Flat Wire Round Trivet
This flat wire rack with low legs works great not just for the Instant Pot but is a perfectly-sized cooling rack for round cake pans or to protect your countertop from hot dishes.
I use this round trivet to slightly elevate chicken or other meats that are cooking in liquid. Many times this technique helps me avoid the Burn Message. I also use it to separate multiple containers that are stacked on top of each other.
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Best Steamer Basket For Instant Pot
byPauline20th April 2021, 5:29 pm
There are some great accessories you can buy for the Instant Pot, like steamer baskets and other inserts that add functionality and help you to cook food just the way you want it.
Ive taken a look at the best steamer basket for Instant Pot and provided the list here for you on the top ones I found.
I love how quick and easy it is to make steamed vegetables in the Instant Pot once you have a steamer basket. Not all steamer baskets are created equal, though.
Some are definitely better than others and will allow you to cook food easier because of the features they offer. So, Ive narrowed down the list of whats available to give you my top picks.
A steamer basket is not included in the standard Instant Pot purchase. Youll have to buy one separately as an added accessory. Thats why I think its important to go through whats out there on the market and give you the best options.
How To Reheat Frozen Steamed Buns With Instant Pot
1. Its not necessary to thaw the steamed buns2. Fill up about 1 cup of water into the inner pot of Instant Pot3. Place a metal trivet in there. Place a bamboo basket or a plate4. Arrange the frozen steamed buns on top5. Close the lid. Turn the steam release valve to sealing. Press steam or pressure cooker. If you choose steam, set timer to 5 minutes. If you use pressure cooker setting, set timer to 2 minutes. Release pressure immediately after6. Enjoy the warm steamed buns
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For Simple Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli:
- Chop broccoli head into florets.
- Place a steamer basket or trivet into the pot along with one cup of water.
- Place the broccoli into the basket . Here, you can add any spices, oil/butter, and fresh lemon youd like. Close the lid.
- From fresh: Cook on HIGH pressure for 0 minutes yes, zero. It will cook as the pot comes to pressure.
- From frozen: Cook on HIGH pressure for 2 minutes.
- Finish broccoli with a quick pressure release. Season now if youd like or add additional seasonings if youve already done so.
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Instant Pot Corn On The Cob
If you have an Instant Pot, PA-LEASE do not ever make corn on the stove! Just pop them in your Instant Pot steamer basket and make them in their in just a couple minutes!
Making them in the basket helps so none of the corn sits in the water, and you can just pull them out as soon as theyre done cooking. I dont like leaving the corn in the pot too long after cooking, or else it tastes overcooked like canned corn.
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Broccoli Recipes: 10 Ways To Soup Up Those Stalks
By: Erin Coleman,B.S. Nutritional Science, R.D., L.D.,
Writer at The Fit Father Project
Are you just steaming your broccoli? From flavorful florets to succulent stalks, our healthy broccoli recipes will blow your mind!
Broccoli offers numerous health and wellness benefits, is an excellent source of vitamin C, and contains iron, calcium, potassium, and vitamin A.
- Calories: 30
- Fat: 0 grams
Because broccoli is a rich source of fiber, it enhances heart health by keeping blood cholesterol levels in check.
It can also reduce your risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.
Broccoli also gives you a boost of energy, helps meet your bodys daily micronutrient needs, and aids in healthy weight management.
Check out these nutritious broccoli recipes that are packed with nutrient-dense ingredients and are exceptional for your health!
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Dip fresh sliced veggies, whole-grain crackers, or pita chips in this flavorful edamame and broccoli dip!
Ingredients
- 1 pound of shelled, cooked edamame
- 1 pound of broccoli florets, cooked
- 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons of chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons of chopped basil
- 2 teaspoons of all-purpose seasoning
Instructions
- Puree edamame, broccoli, garlic, and onion in a food processor for 2 minutes.
- Add sour cream, yogurt, basil, and pepper and blend the mixture until its smooth and creamy.
- Add lemon juice to taste.
- Serve and enjoy!
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How Do I Use A Steamer Basket In My Instant Pot
The concept is rather simple the steamer basket goes directly into the inner pot of the Instant Pot. First, you have to add the required quantity of water so the IP can build pressure and create steam.
Next, place the veggies or dumplings in the basket, close the lid, and set the timer. The last step is a bit tricky and requires a bit of trial and error because you cant sample the state of your veggies while steaming. The secret is to time the cooking according to the type of vegetables and their state . Also, if youre steaming dumplings, the time will be different.
Lastly, you can add seasonings if you want, but I prefer adding them at the end after the steam has done its job.
As a side note, the steaming function is not just for veggies and dumplings. You can also steam meat such as oysters, fish, or even chicken. The secret is to adjust the timing and the pressure according to each type of food.