Pour the water into the bottom of the 6-quart Instant Pot (affiliate link) and arrange a steamer basket inside. There's no need to buy something special; I use the same steamer basket I use for stove-top cooking.
Place the broccoli on top of the steamer basket, then secure the lid. Move the steam release valve to "Sealing" and use the Pressure Cook or Manual button to cook at high pressure for zero minutes. (Yes, zero is a real setting on the Instant Pot!) It will take roughly 8 to 10 minutes for the pot to come to pressure if you're using a 6-quart Instant Pot, so the machine will read "On" until then.
As soon as the cooking cycle is complete, the screen will read L0:00. Immediately move the steam release valve to "Sealing" for a quick pressure release. It will take 1-2 minutes for the steam to release. When the floating valve in the lid drops, that means the pressure is gone and it's safe to open the lid.
The broccoli should be perfectly fork-tender, without being mushy. Serve it warm right away as a healthy side dish, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, so you can add it to meals throughout the week.
Notes
Nutrition information is for roughly 4 ounces of broccoli. This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.Instant Pot Note: This recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot. For an 8-quart Instant Pot, I'd recommend using 3/4 cup of water. The broccoli will cook a little longer in this case, as that larger pot will take longer to pressurize and de-pressurize. As a result, the broccoli may be slightly softer than using the 6-quart pot. Broccoli Amount: The more broccoli you use, the longer it will take the pot to pressurize, so using more broccoli may result in slightly softer results. Using less broccoli than the recipe calls for may result in broccoli that has a little more bite to it, because the pot will pressurize faster, reducing the overall cook time. For very small batches of broccoli (only 1-2 cups), you may want to use a 1-minute cooking cycle, instead, to help make it more tender.Update Note: This recipe was updated in March 2024 with additional tips.