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Looking for an easy green bean recipe? You have to try Instant Pot Green Beans! Ready in minutes, the Instant Pot delivers perfectly cooked green beans that are steamed to crisp-tender perfection!
The Easiest Green Bean Recipe
When I am looking for a simple side dish and have fresh green beans on hand, this Instant Pot Green Bean recipe is my go-to!
Steamed in the moist heat the Instant Pot is known for, the green beans become perfectly tender, yet retain a crisp bite that makes the dish feel so fresh and elegant--but couldn't be easier to make.
Served plain or dressed up, Instant Pot Green Beans are the easy side dish you will find yourself making again and again. They pair perfectly with everything from simple weeknight meals, like honey chicken skillet or lemon pepper chicken, to elegant meals like a ribeye steak or New York strip roast.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Note on Green Beans
Selecting Green Beans to Pressure Cook
This recipe for Instant Pot Green Beans is designed for pressure cooking string beans or snap beans (standardly labeled green beans) and includes the cooking times for both fresh and frozen varieties. You can also use this method for wax beans without any changes. I don't recommend using Haricot Verts (French green beans) unless they are frozen, as they overcook easily.
How Make Instant Pot Green Beans
If you are unfamiliar with cooking in an Instant Pot or the functions of your Instant Pot, be sure to start with my guide for using 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Kristen's Tip
Use caution when doing a quick release of pressure, as the steam is very hot and can easily burn you. Stand at a distance from the venting knob and use a wooden spoon or pot holder to unlock or release the venting knob.
- Season and Serve. Remove the steamed green beans from the Instant Pot and season as desired or use one of the seasoning options for steamed greens below.
Instant Pot Frozen Green Beans
Yes, you can (and should) steam frozen green beans in the Instant Pot using the following cook times.
- Whole Green Beans: 1 minutes with quick release of pressure
- Frozen Cut Green Beans: 2 minutes with quick release of pressure
- Frozen Thin Green Beans (Haricot Verts): 0 minutes with quick release of pressure
How to Season Instant Pot Green Beans
Steamed Green Beans can be served plain or seasoned or dressed up using one of the following suggestions.
- Keep it Simple: Drizzle the pressure cooked green beans with melted butter or olive oil and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
- Garlic Green Beans: Add garlic powder or minced garlic with a bit of melted butter or olive oil and salt for a simple, yet flavorful side.
- Lemon Butter: Toss the steamed green beans with a pat of butter, kosher salt and the juice and zest of a fresh lemon for a simple, healthy side dish.
- Stir-Fry with Garlic and Ginger. After pressure cooking the green beans, remove the green beans, dry out the inner, and pot and return to the unit. Using the sauté function, heat a bit of olive of olive oil. Add freshly grated ginger and minced garlic, along with the cooked beans. Sauté briefly to toast.
- Add Nuts. Much like Green Beans Almondine, you can add butter and then top with toasted nuts, like almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
- Top with Cheese: Toss the green beans with butter or olive oil, then grate parmesan cheese over the green beans. Garlic is a nice addition as well.
- Add to a Dish Calling for Steamed Green Beans. Use Instant Pot Steamed Green Beans in any recipe, like Homemade Green Bean Casserole, Spinach Quinoa Salad, 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
- Instant Pot Artichokes
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Instant Pot Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans, washed, ends trimmed
- 1 cup water , *for a 3 or 6-quart Instant Pot
- 1 ½ cups water , *for an 8-quart Instant Pot
- desired seasonings
Instructions
- If using a 3 or 6-quart pressure cooker, pour 1 cup of cold tap water into the inner pot. If using an 8-quart Instant Pot, pour 1 ½ cups of water into the inner pot. Place a metal trivet or steamer basket inside the inner pot and place 1 pound green beans (washed and trimmed) carefully on the trivet OR in the steamer basket.
- Place a metal trivet or steamer basket inside the inner pot and place the wash and trimmed 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
- Frozen Cut Green Beans: 2 minutes with quick release of pressure
- Whole Green Beans: 1 minutes with quick release of pressure
- Frozen Thin Green Beans (Haricot Verts): 0 minutes with quick release of pressure
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2025.
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. 🙂
Just tried this last night really good came out tender! Can never quite get fresh green beans right on the stove!
I love hearing that you enjoyed these Brian! Thanks for sharing.
Great recipe and so easy!
So happy you enjoyed!
Hi Kristen,
My Instant Pot will not allow “0” minutes. It will only toggle between “1” minute or “8” hours. Is there maybe something I’m doing wrong?
Hi Scott! Can I ask what model you have? But a workaround (that is a bit of a pain) Is to set for 1 minute and as soon as your instant pot beeps that it came to pressure hit cancel.
Hi Kristen, would you change anything if starting with frozen green beans? Thank you and merry Christmas!
Hi Kevin. I would keep the recipe the same but cook for 1 minute. Merry Christmas
Hmmmm...maybe because these are farmer's market/fresh green beans they took twice as long? They were thicker than string beans. Either way, after the second time, they came out perfect~
The thickness was probably why they needed longer. Most garden green beans are thicker than the fresh green beans purchased at the store. But glad you were able to adjust and make it work.
Simple and to the point. Can't get any better than that!!
In my case I counted to 30 after the 0 minute alarm went off, and then did a quick release. Turned out just as I wanted them. Put some butter and pepper on them, with a splash of lime juice I had lurking in the fridge.
Will be making that again!
Wonderful! So glad this recipe produced the results you were looking for.