This incredibly easy recipe for Instant Pot Green Beans results in fresh green beans that are steamed to crisp-tender perfection in minutes!
Serve Instant Pot Green Beans with a dab of butter or seasoned with fresh lemon zest and toasted almonds for a simple, yet delicious side dish that pairs perfectly with entrees such as Chicken Marsala, Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu, or New York Strip Roast.

While I love Green Beans Almondine and Green Bean Casserole, when I am looking for a simple recipe for fresh green beans, Instant Pot Green Beans is the recipe I turn to.
Steaming fresh green beans using an electric pressure cooker is the easiest way to prepare fresh green beans, And the results are perfection!
How To Steam Green Beans using the Instant Pot
While this is an incredibly simple recipe, if you are unfamiliar with cooking in an Instant Pot or the functions of your Instant Pot, be sure to start with How to Use an Instant Pot for the best results on this and future recipes. You will find the full recipe in detail in the recipe card below.
Step One: Prepare Green Beans. Unless you purchased bagged green beans from the produce section that are already washed and trimmed, you will need to wash your green beans and trim off the ends before pressure-cooking them.
Step Two: Add Water to the Inner Pot. It is best to use cold tap water to ensure accurate cooking time. Use 1 cup for a 3 or 6-quart electric pressure cooker model, and 1-½ cups for an 8-quart model.
Step Three: Add Green Beans to the Inner Pot. The best tool to use for steaming green beans in the inner pot is a steamer basket. However, if you don't have one, just carefully place the green beans on a trivet. Don't set your beans in the water, as this will boil the beans, not steam them.

Step Four: Pressure Cook. To perfectly steam green beans in the Instant Pot, you only need to bring the pressure cooker to pressure. That means you want to set the cooking time to 0 minutes. If you desire softer green beans, set the cooking time to 1 minute.
Step Five: Release Pressure. This is one recipe that it is crucial to immediately release pressure after the cooking time has elapsed. In the case of this green bean recipe, release pressure as soon as pressure has been reached, as by the time the Instant Pot has reached pressure, the green beans will be perfectly crisp-tender and you want to immediately stop the cooking process.
Green Bean Seasoning Suggestions
You can opt to serve your steamed green beans in salads, with a simple pinch of salt and pepper, or dress them up a bit using one of the following options.
- Saute with butter. Remove the green beans from the inner pot. Drain the water and dry the inner pot. Return the inner pot to the Instant Pot. Add 1-2 tablespoons of butter and turn on the saute function. Once the butter has melted, add in the green beans and saute with the butter until lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
- Drizzle with olive oil. Toss the green beans with olive oil. Add crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and minced garlic as desired.
- Add fresh lemon. Toss the steamed green beans with kosher salt and the juice and zest of a fresh lemon for a simple, healthy side dish.
- Add parmesan cheese. Toss the green beans with butter or olive oil, then grate parmesan cheese over the green beans.
- Top with toasted nuts. Much like Green Beans Almondine, you can add butter and then top with toasted nuts, like almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
∗ helpful tips to remember∗
- If you would like softer green beans, cook for 1 minute on high pressure.
- Use caution when doing a quick pressure release. Be sure to stand back from the venting knob and use a wooden spoon or pot holder to unlock or release the venting knob.
- Feel free to saute the green beans, inside the inner pot using the saute function in olive oil or butter after steaming them for a crisp exterior.
- Use Instant Pot Steamed Green Beans in any recipe, like Homemade Green Bean Casserole or Italian Potato Salad, which requires you to parboil green beans before proceeding with a recipe.
More Instant Pot Side Dishes
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
- Instant Pot Rice Pilaf
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Instant Pot Potato Salad
If you enjoyed this recipe for Instant Pot Green Beans, I would love for you to leave a review and comment below.

Instant Pot Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans washed, ends trimmed
- 1-1½ cups water see note
- desired seasonings
Instructions
- For a 6-quart Instant Pot, pour 1 cup of cold tap water into the inner pot. For an 8-quart Instant Pot, pour 1½ cups of cold tap water into the inner pot.
- Place a metal trivet or steamer basket inside the inner pot and place prepared green beans carefully on the trivet OR in the steamer basket.
- Close the lid, being sure the venting knob is sealed or locked.
- Using the manual or pressure cook button, set the cooking time to 0 minutes on high pressure. If you are desiring soft green beans, set the cooking time to 1 minute.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, immediately do a quick release of pressure. To do this, use a long utensil and carefully knock the venting knob from the sealing to the venting position. Stand back to prevent being burned by the steam.
- Remove the green beans from the pressure cooker. Season and serve immediately.
Notes
- Butter, salt, and pepper
- Olive oil and garlic
- Toasted nuts and butter
- Lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and olive oil
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. 🙂