Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli. It is so easy to cook Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli in your electric pressure cooker. The broccoli tastes amazing and your family will never know that you used frozen broccoli. Get ready for a new Instant Pot taste sensation.
Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli
Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli is our new favourite side here in the Milner house and you can see why.
- You don’t have to worry about chopping the broccoli
- You don’t have to worry about the freshness of the broccoli
- You don’t have to wait as long to cook your frozen broccoli
My BIGGEST pet peeve about fresh broccoli, is it going off too soon. You buy some broccoli and before you used it, its changed colour and you look at it with suspicion. You want to know if you use it now how your food will taste, or how on earth you can cook it when it falls to bits.
I remember trying once to rescue it and it was useless because it tasted so disgusting and I wish I didn’t bothered!
But the problem for us is that being based in Portugal, we get such a hot summer and our spring and autumn is also HOT and it makes it hard to keep our broccoli at its best even a day after grocery shopping.
BUT use frozen broccoli instead and you don’t have to worry about this anymore. Just grab what you need from the freezer and cook with it as usual. Plus, if its out of season you don’t have to pay a huge price tag for it.
[convertkit form=2256754]
Can You Steam Frozen Broccoli?
Yes, you can. I prefer steamed vegetables over boiled because boiled vegetables lack:
- Flavour – You will notice the difference in flavour straight away when you go from boiled vegetables to steamed vegetables.
- Nutrients – When broccoli is boiled the nutrients leave the broccoli and you don’t get all the benefits that broccoli has to offer.
- Texture – Because frozen broccoli has more water in it and you add boiling to this, you end up with very mushy broccoli.
I swapped boiling broccoli for steaming broccoli back in 2012 and couldn’t imagine going back to boiled again now.
How To Season Frozen Broccoli
When I place my frozen broccoli in the instant pot, I will season it with salt and pepper. This can be done before cooking or just after. It comes down to personal choice.
What is worth mentioning, is that the pressure cooker requires more seasoning because of the way it pressure cooks. So, to save money on seasoning you can just season afterwards.
How To Steam Frozen Broccoli
Use the instant pot of course. The instant pot or other brands of electric pressure cookers are AMAZING for steaming vegetables. You can also do fresh or frozen vegetables and broccoli is one of my favourites.
You dump your frozen broccoli in the instant pot and it does the hard work for you.
Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli Vs Instant Pot Fresh Broccoli
If you’ve followed my popular Instant Pot Broccoli recipe you will know it takes just 2 minutes to cook fresh broccoli in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.
Compare this to cooking Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli which takes 0 minutes.
When you’re wondering about cooking with fresh vs frozen broccoli in the Instant Pot it is as simple as just adjusting your cooking minutes.
If you want to make broccoli soup with frozen broccoli in the Instant Pot, then simply take down your cooking minutes from 4 minutes for soup to 2 minutes for soup. Imagine that….broccoli soup in 2 minutes!
If you wanted to use broccoli as part of a typical dinner, then just reduce the time by 2 minutes.
Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli Overload Method
There is sometimes that I cook my Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli for 2 minutes instead of 0 minutes and that is when I use the overload method.
If you want to cook other vegetables at the same time, that takes longer to cook, such as Brussel Sprouts then you overload the Instant Pot.
Place the Brussel Sprouts at the bottom as they take longest to cook (or carrots) and then load the top of the steamer with broccoli (or cauliflower). It means that the broccoli has less chance to breathe, meaning that it needs a longer cook time.
How To Cook Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli?
Cooking frozen broccoli in the instant pot is one of the EASIEST EVER instant pot pressure cooker recipes.
- Place water and a steamer basket in the instant pot.
- Add frozen broccoli.
- Pressure cook.
- Season.
- Serve.
You can also swap broccoli for cauliflower or do one of those broccoli and cauliflower mixed bags. Not need to change the cook time as both frozen cauliflower and frozen broccoli are the same.
More Instant Pot Frozen Vegetables
Earlier this month we showed you how to cook frozen vegetables in the Instant Pot. Not just Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli but other favourites too. We covered frozen cauliflower, frozen sprouts and so much more.
It was a big experiment here for us at RecipeThis.com as we got the chance to see what vegetables tasted good and which didn’t and which ones we would repeat. I recommend that you read our Instant Pot Frozen Vegetables for more frozen vegetable ideas.
How Long To Steam Frozen Broccoli?
The wonderful thing about steaming frozen broccoli is that the cook time is JUST 0 minutes.
Many new instant pot users always wonder what I am talking about when I say cook for zero minutes.
It basically means, set the instant pot cook time to 0 minutes and the instant pot will beep when it goes to pressure.
Instant Pot Frozen Broccoli
Ingredients
Kitchen Gadgets:
Recipe Ingredients:
- 750 g Frozen Broccoli Florets
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Place a cup of water into the bottom of your Instant Pot Inner Pot. Add to it your trivet, followed by your steamer basket. Load your steamer basket up with frozen broccoli florets.
- Place the lid on your Instant Pot, set the valve to sealing and cook for 0 minutes.
- When it beeps quickly release pressure, remove the lid, and check with a fork that your broccoli is cooked. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Can’t make it now? Then pin it for later!
Is the setting “pressure cook” or “steam”?
Hi Kellie
The setting is pressure cook 🙂
I’m not sure how I managed to mess this up. I actually use my instant pot pretty regularly and often steam vegetables in it with just a cup of water, particularly sweet potatoes. This time the pot never came to pressure and the bottom burned. I put in one cup of water. I did notice steam wafting from the lid. Not just through the pressure valve but from all over. I’m wondering if it’s time to replace the sealing ring. Any thoughts?
Hi Amanda,
Sorry about the late reply. Yes i would check the sealing ring by taking it out and looking to make sure it is nice and smooth. Put it back in and do a water test and see if it does it again and if it does get a new sealing ring 🙂
Let us know if you need anymore advice 🙂
Hi! Thanks for sharing your instructions! I’m assuming the pressure is set to high (as opposed to medium or low)?
Hi SP,
Yes that is correct. All our instant pot recipes are on high pressure unless it states otherwise.
Love your pressure cooker frozen broccoli. Thanks for keeping us well fed and happy ???? ????????????????❤️
This looks so amazing! Changing my meal plan as I type to include this recipe.
I always hated frozen veggies as a kid. But this is a life changer. So delicious and not as bad as you would think. Says the frozen veggie hater that has got a new liking for frozen broccoli thanks to the instant pot.
It cooks for 0 mins?
Do you mean as soon as it gets pressurised, I need to release the pressure
Hi Lauren,
Yes, set your pressure cooker to 0 minutes then press steam or manuel. Then when it reaches pressure it will automatically finish then release the pressure 🙂