Instant Pot Green Beans: A recipe for fresh green beans steamed perfectly in the pressure cooker.
These Pressure Cooker Green Beans are delicious as a side dish to Chicken Marsala, Chicken Cordon Bleu, or New York Strip Roast.

My daughter and husband love green beans. And their favorite way to enjoy them is steamed and tossed with some butter and salt.
Simple. Perfect. Easy.
Steaming fresh green beans in an electric pressure cooker is the simplest way to make green beans.
It only takes a few minutes and the green beans turn out crisp-tender every single time.
How To Steam Green Beans in Instant Pot
Step One: Prepare Green Beans
- Wash green beans and drain well.
- Trim the end off green beans.
Step Two: Place Green Beans in Instant Pot
- Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pan of the inner pot.
- Place the steamer basket in the pressure cooker.
- Place green beans in the basket.
Step Three: Steam Green Beans in Instant Pot
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and seal the vent knob.
- Turn to high pressure and set for zero minutes.
- Do a quick release of pressure.
By the time the Instant Pot has reached pressure, the green beans will be crisp-tender. If you would like your green beans a bit on the softer side, set them for 1 minute on high pressure.
Step Four: Season
- Remove green beans from Instant Pot.
- Place in a large serving bowl and season as desired.

Green Bean Seasonings
You can season these steamed beans any way you desire, but here are some of my favorite combinations.
- Butter, salt, and pepper
- Olive oil, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and pepper
- Olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and minced garlic
- Butter, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and lemon zest
Tips on Perfectly Steamed Green Beans
- If you are doubling this recipe, you may want to cook on high pressure for 1 minute instead of zero minutes.
- Feel free to saute the green beans in olive oil or butter after steaming them for a crisp exterior.
- This is a great technique to use for any recipe that requires you to parboil green beans before proceeding with a recipe.
Instant Pot Essential Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts (Fresh or Frozen)
- Instant Pot Chicken Stock
- Instant Pot Yogurt
- Instant Pot Quinoa
- Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs

Instant Pot Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans washed, ends trimmed
- 1 cup water
- desired seasonings
Instructions
- Place 1 cup of water into a 6 quart pressure cooker and 1.5 cups into an 8 quart pressure cooker.
- Place green beans into a steamer basket for the pressure cooker.
- Place the steamer basket into the Instant Pot and seal the lid closed.
- Set to high pressure and manual time of zero minutes. (Or 1 minute on high pressure for softer green beans.)
- Do a quick release of power once time has elapsed.
- Remove green beans from the pressure cooker, season, and serve as desired.
Notes
- I prefer seasoning these steamed green beans with a bit of butter, salt, pepper, and the zest and juice of half a lemon.
- Recipe can easily be doubled, but may desire to cook for 1 minute on high pressure.
Nutrition
Michelle
Can this recipe be made with frozen green beans?
Kristen Chidsey
Yes! Place frozen beans in a steamer over water. I would set for "0" minutes if thin green beans and 1 minute for thicker green beans. They will defrost and cook through. Enjoy!
MM
I don't have a steamer basket insert for my I.P. Can these be made in an inner pot?
Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hey! I would think the timing may change slightly due to the thickness of the inner pot, but it is worth a try! You may also want to try crisscrossing the green beans over the metal trivet--you may be able to stack them fairly well, which would replicate a steamer basket.
Terri
Perfect results! Thank you!
Felicia
ALMOST INSTANT PERFECTION! Fresh string beans from the garden!
Zero minute "steam" setting on the IP. I hesitated maybe 30 extra seconds (after the timer sounded) as some of my beans were big (sneaky hiding under some lower leaves). I mixed up a sm amount of dried herbs in butter and brushed the beans before serving.
SOOOO SOOOO GOOD AND EASY!.
Robert Marshall
Found your page when I was looking for a quick recipe for some green beans I was gifted, and were sitting in my fridge.
Thanks so much! They were cooked perfectly on the 0 minute setting with an immediate release. I then used butter, along with the zest of a large Meyer Lemon, and about four serving tablespoons of the Meyer Juice. The Meyer is not as bitter as a normal lemon so it went very well. A bit of sea salt and black pepper on top, and then stir it up good.
I'll be making it again, even if I have to buy them myself. 🙂