Instant Pot Asparagus

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This Instant Pot asparagus is an easy, healthy side dish with a zero minute cook time. Steam asparagus in the Instant Pot for a quick vegetable at dinnertime.

Fresh asparagus is such a treat during spring. I love finding it on sale at the store this time of year so I can add it to our green veggie rotation.

I enjoy roasted asparagus, but sometimes I don’t have enough time to prepare it. That’s when the Instant Pot saves the day yet again.

You can steam asparagus in the Instant Pot using a zero minute cook time. The asparagus cooks while the pot comes to pressure, and it’s done as soon as it beeps. 

In my 6 quart Instant Pot, this Instant Pot asparagus recipe takes 5 to 7 minutes for the pot to come to pressure, and then it takes another minute for the quick release. While this isn’t much faster than steaming asparagus on the stove, I prefer this method because it doesn’t require any babysitting. Just listen for the beep when the pot comes to pressure, and you’re done.

How to Cook Asparagus in the Instant Pot

Before cooking, you’ll need to trim the tough ends off the asparagus. If you bend a piece of asparagus toward the bottom of the spear, it will naturally snap apart in the right spot. Then you can trim the rest of the batch with a knife, matching the spot where the first one broke. 

Place a cup of water and a steamer basket in the Instant Pot. You can use a regular steamer basket like you’d use in a pot on the stove. Add the trimmed asparagus and cover the pot. Turn the knob to Sealing, and set the pot to zero minutes at manual high pressure.

Once the pot beeps after coming to pressure, carefully turn the knob to do a quick release. As soon as the pin drops, open the top and remove the asparagus from the Instant Pot. If you leave it sitting for a few minutes, it will become overcooked.

If your asparagus is thin or you prefer it to be cooked crisp tender, it may be a bit overcooked with this method. In this case, you can use a half cup of water instead of one cup. This will result in the pot coming to pressure more quickly, and thus shorten the cook time.

Tall stalks may be a bit tricky to arrange in the 6 quart pot. I trim the asparagus stalks to a size that can fit well in the pot. If you have an 8 quart Instant Pot, it should be able to accommodate taller stalks.

In this recipe, the Instant Pot asparagus is dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Other topping suggestions include balsamic vinegar or homemade hollandaise sauce.

Try my Instant Pot cauliflower and Instant Pot broccoli for other zero minute cook time recipes.

Asparagus Price Breakdown

This recipe costs $3.31 to make (with asparagus costing $2.99 per pound), or $.83 per serving. Try this easy Instant Pot asparagus recipe for a delicious side dish.