Easy Instant Pot Steamed Green Beans

Learn how to steam fresh green beans in the Instant Pot for an incredibly simple and versatile veggie side dish.

Instant Pot Steamed Green Beans are succulent and fresh and cook faster than you can boil water.

cooked green beans in a steamer basket

Note: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase, this site may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

While I love canned green beans as much as anybody, I have to admit that canned green beans are no comparison to fresh green beans straight out of the garden.

In the summer months, I love to step into my garden and pick a handful of fresh green beans. The breath of fresh air is a nice break during the day, and I can easily steam them in my Instant Pot as part of a quick and healthy lunch.

Instant Pot steamed green beans are really easy to make, thanks to an Instant Pot steamer basket.

The beans cook to perfection while the Instant Pot comes up to pressure, so it’s faster than boiling water on the stove – even if you double the number of green beans.

So not only are Instant Pot green beans perfect for lunch, these crisp-tender, bright green veggies are perfect for serving with your favorite dinner meals as well.

I like to serve Instant Pot Steamed Green beans with Instant Pot Chicken and Stuffing and add a side of cranberry sauce. Another favorite pairing is Instant Pot Chicken and Rice and the most amazing doctored-up Jiffy cornbread.

All these green beans need is a little butter or olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, but you can check out more seasoning ideas below.

If you love fresh green beans, you will love these easy Instant Pot steamed green beans.

More Instant Pot Green Bean Recipes To Try:

A serving of green beans steamed in the Instant Pot on a white plate next to a piece of pan-seared tilapia.

Tips for Perfect Instant Pot Steamed Green Beans

  • Wash and dry the green been and remove any that are mushy, discolored or otherwise not up to par.
  • Trim off the stem ends as they are tough and woody.
  • For slightly firmer green beans, cooking at 0 minutes will suffice.
  • If you prefer more tender beans, cook for 1 minute.
  • You can easily double or triple the amount of beans to feed a crowd.
  • This method is perfect if you have a recipe that calls for parboiled beans.

How To Season Instant Pot Green Beans

I have no problem eating these green beans as is, straight out of the pressure cooker. I love the fresh, earthy taste and like to enjoy a handful with my lunch.

I like to add a little seasoning when I’m serving them with a full meal or for guests.

  • Melted butter (or olive oil), salt and pepper.
  • Butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
  • Lemon juice, lemon zest and slivered almonds.
  • Olive oil, freshly grated parmesan cheese and pepper.
  • Olive oil, crushed red pepper, salt and garlic.
  • Sesame oil, stir-fried garlic and a splash of fish sauce or soy sauce

TIP: After steaming the green beans, dry out your insert pot and heat the butter or oil in the pot using the Instant Pot Saute button. Toss in the beans and seasonings.

The beans will warm through and crisp up ever so slightly on the outside for a delicious side dish everyone will love.

How to Steam Fresh Green Beans In The Instant Pot

It’s really easy to make Instant Pot steamed green beans.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

  • Water
  • Fresh green beans
  • Seasonings as desired

How to Make It:

(Full printable recipe is available below)

Trim the green beans. First, you’ll trim the ends of the green beans to remove the stems and discard any mushy beans.

fresh green beans that have been washed and trimmed, placed in the steamer basket

Prepare the Instant Pot. Next, you’ll pour water into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add the green beans to the steamer basket and lower into the Instant Pot.

fresh green beans in a steamer basket in the Instant Pot

Steam the green beans. Then, you’ll close the Instant Pot and set the lid to sealing. Cook at high pressure for 1 minute (or 0 minutes for firmer green beans), followed by a quick pressure release.

Remove the steamer basket from the Instant Pot and drain the beans.

freshly cooked green beans in a steamer basket on a white kitchen towel

Season and serve. Last, you’ll season the green beans and serve.

pressure cooker steamed green beans on a white plate next to cooked fish

Notes and Adaptations:

  • There are several ways you can serve steamed green beans. I like to toss mine with a little bit of melted butter or olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and and a little bit of garlic powder. You can also drizzle them with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, or slivered almonds.
  • Feel free to adjust the quantity of green beans as needed. In the summer, I will often pluck just one serving’s worth of green beans from my backyard plants and steam them as part of my lunch. You can also double the amount of green beans if you need to serve more.
  • If your model of pressure cooker doesn’t allow you to select a cook time of 0 minutes, simply program it for 1 minute, and as soon as it comes to pressure and starts counting down, press cancel.

Recommended Equipment:

Yield: 4 Servings

Instant Pot Steamed Green Beans

green beans in a steamer basket

Steaming fresh green beans in your Instant Pot is a quick and easy way to enjoy a delicious side dish.

Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Additional Time 7 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed

Instructions

  1. Pour water into the insert pot of the Instant Pot.
  2. Add green beans to a steamer basket. Lower the basket into the insert pot.
  3. Close the lid and set the vent to the sealed position. Select a cook time of 1 minute at high pressure (or 0 minutes for firmer green beans).
  4. After the cook time is complete, perform a quick release of pressure. Carefully remove lid and lift the steamer basket out of the pot (it will be hot!). Serve beans with desired seasonings (see notes below for recommendations).

Notes

  • There are several ways you can serve steamed green beans. I like to toss mine with a little bit of melted butter or olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and and a little bit of garlic powder. You can also drizzle them with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, or slivered almonds.
  • Feel free to adjust the quantity of green beans as needed. In the summer, I will often pluck just one serving's worth of green beans from my backyard plants and steam them as part of my lunch. You can also double the amount of green beans if you need to serve more.
  • If your model of pressure cooker doesn't allow you to select a cook time of 0 minutes, simply program it for 1 minute, and as soon as it comes to pressure and starts counting down, press cancel.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 35Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.

Want more delicious recipe ideas?

Check out even more mealtime inspiration on my Pinterest boards!

collage image featuring two photos--one of fresh green beans in a steamer basket and the other of cooked green beans on a white plate

Categories:

, , , , ,

Easy family-friendly recipes in your inbox!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  1. This recipe did not work at all. They came out crunchy and practically raw. I could have just served them out of the bag.

    1. Chrysti Benner says:

      Hi there! They shouldn’t be crunchy, but they should be crisp-tender, with a slight bite to them. You could add 1-2 minutes of cook time if they were too crisp for your liking, or if you prefer even softer green beans, you can try this recipe instead: https://marginmakingmom.com/instant-pot-fresh-green-beans/

You'll Also Love..