These perfectly steamed Instant Pot Green Beans have a fresh, crunchy texture, and are so easy to make! Saute with butter and garlic, drizzle on some lemon juice, and they make a delicious side dish for any meal.

Garlic green beans with lemon on a plate
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With just 5 ingredients, these green beans are easy to make yet bring such a delicious combination of flavors. This is one of our favorite Instant Pot side dishes.

We prefer them with a slight crunch, which is why I steam the beans in the instant pot for the least possible time. This is similar to parboiling green beans.

Then sauté them with some butter (or olive oil for vegan) and garlic to get the amazing garlicky flavor. And the drizzle of lemon juice at the end enhances the freshness of the beans.

Why Green Beans?

First off, green beans (often also called string beans) are available year-round, making them super reliable for when I don’t know what veggie to cook. They are available freshly picked at farmer’s markets during the summer months though, so this is an especially great recipe for this season!

Green beans contain numerous vitamins and minerals, including high amounts of folate. This means green beans are very important to include in all vegetarian diets and the diets of pregnant women.

You will love my Air Fryer Asian Green Beans and Indian Green Beans Stir Fry recipe.

Free Vegetable Cooking Time Chart

How to Steam Green Beans in the Pressure Cooker?

I like to steam the green beans using the trivet or a steamer basket. Just add water to the instant pot steel insert, place the trivet, and then spread the green beans on the trivet.

Close the lid, and put the vent in the sealing position.

How long to steam?

Set the Instant Pot to steam mode for “0 minutes” on high pressure. The “0” here is not a typo. Instant Pot allows you to steam for 0 minutes. This means that the green beans will be cooked in the time it takes for the instant pot to come to pressure. I use this same method for broccoli and cauliflower, and it works like a charm.

When the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually. Carefully remove the trivet with green beans from the pot and empty out the water. You can use silicone mitts while removing the trivet.

The green beans are cooked to a crunchy texture in this time.

If you like softer beans, cook on steam mode for 1-2 minutes.

Steamed Green beans on a trivet in the instant pot

You can season and enjoy the green beans as is, or you can saute them with butter and garlic, as detailed below.

Do I have to use a Steamer Basket? Or can I steam directly in the Instant Pot steel insert?

Green beans can be steamed directly in the instant pot with no trivet or steamer basket. If steaming directly in the pot, I would suggest only adding 1/4 cup of water.

How to Season?

  • Salt & pepper go especially well with just-picked green beans to bring out the fresh flavors
  • See the recipe card below to learn how to saute green beans in garlic and butter. You can use olive oil instead to make them vegan
  • Grate some parmesan cheese on top. This works especially well if you are serving the green beans as a side to pasta or lasagna
  • Drizzle some lemon juice on top for tangy summer flavors.

Sautéed Green beans with Butter & Garlic

After the green beans are steamed, empty the water in the instant pot steel insert.

Please the insert back in the instant pot and heat it on saute mode. Add the butter and let it melt.

Then add the minced garlic and saute for a few seconds until it turns golden brown.

Now add the steamed green beans and saute for a couple of minutes while stirring frequently.

Season with salt and pepper. Add a drizzle of the lemon juice, and enjoy!

Sauteed green beans with garlic and butter in the instant pot pressure cooker

Tips for Perfect Instant Pot Steamed Green Beans

  • Use fresh green beans if available.
  • Only set to 0 minutes. If you like your green beans softer, do 1 minute.
  • You can use these green beans in any recipe which requires parboiled green beans too.
  • Even if you double the recipe, the cooking time remains the same.
Lemon Garlic Green Beans in a plate with 2 pieces of sliced lemon

If you want to learn how to cook other veggies in the Instant Pot, check out my methods for cooking Broccoli, Carrots, and Beets. I also love to steam veggies together in batches to make healthy, Homemade Baby Food!

Happy cooking, enjoy!

4.86 from 21 votes

Instant Pot Green Beans with Garlic & Lemon

These perfectly steamed Instant Pot Green Beans have a fresh, crunchy texture, and are so easy to make! Saute with butter and garlic, drizzle on some lemon juice, and they make a delicious side dish for any meal.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 lb Green Beans
  • 1 cup Water, for steaming
  • 1 tablespoon Butter, use oil for vegan
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic , minced or Garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
  • Salt , to taste
  • Black Pepper , to taste

Instructions 

Steaming Green Beans

  • Add water to the instant pot insert. Place the steamer basket or trivet in the insert. Spread the green beans on the steamer basket / trivet. Close the lid with vent in sealing position.
  • Start the instant pot and set it on Steam mode for 0 minutes on high pressure.
  • When the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually. Remove the steamer basket carefully as it is hot. Discard water in the instant pot steel insert.

Preparing Green Beans with Garlic & Lemon

  • Place the steel insert back in the pot and heat it on Sauté mode. Add butter and let it melt. Add garlic and sauté for a few seconds until it is lightly golden brown. 
  • Add the steamed green beans and gently stir. Let the green beans cook for couple of minutes while stirring frequently.
  • Add lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and Enjoy! 

Notes

  • You could also use garlic powder in place of minced garlic.
  • Vegan Variation: To make this recipe vegan, use vegan butter or olive oil. 
  • For softer texture, pressure cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker. 

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 63mgPotassium: 239mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 957IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten-free, Paleo, Vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Mention @pipingpotcurry or tag #pipingpotcurry!
Free Vegetable Cooking Time Chart

About Meeta

I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. My passion is to share easy, healthy, and wholesome recipes made using Instant Pot & Air Fryer, that are well tested, so you can cook with confidence.

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11 Comments

  1. Added some grated lemon peel since I had a lemon to use for the juice. Also sauteed thinly sliced red onions with the garlic. Amazing!

  2. This was so easy and really tasty, thank you!

    Warning: after doing a quick release, I got distracted and left the lid on for a few minutes, which I think overcooked them slightly. Next time, I’ll be quicker to take the lid off and get them off the heat!

      1. Hi there! Planning to make for Easter. Can I triple the recipe? Maybe even more, and still be OK with them cooking evenly ?

        Thank you!

    1. Hi Misha – You can try cooking for the same amount of time in the pressure cooker. Would love to hear how they turn out!

  3. I can’t believe how delicious this recipe is with so few ingredients! It’s so easy and flavorful! Green beans were cooked perfectly using this method, just the right amount of crisp. My son who never eats green beans came back for seconds! I made this as a side for my lemon pepper/Old Bay salmon steak and it paired perfectly 🙂