When should I use a quick release instead of a natural release?

A quick release means that you manually move the steam release knob from "sealed" to "venting" to release all of the steam and stop the cooking process. A quick release is most often used for vegetables, grains and pasta - all foods that will overcook if left in a pressure cooker too long.

Can I just steam plain greens beans without the sauce?

Absolutely. Just follow the instructions in the recipe card below for steamed Instant Pot green beans, and don't make the sauce. If you'd like more flavor, add salt or butter to the green beans after they're cooked.

Can I use this recipe for Instant Pot frozen green beans?

Yes, but frozen green beans will have a softer texture and can taste a bit watery.

Can I make this recipe using haricot vert green beans (aka French green beans)?

If possible, use regular green beans for the best results. Thinner beans, such as haricot verts , cook faster and will have a softer texture.

Can I just cook the green beans and sauce at the same time?

Unfortunately, no. The sauce doesn't have enough liquid to properly cook the green beans in a pressure cooker. If you try adding more liquid to the sauce, then the beans are soggy and don't have as much flavor. Also, soy sauce and honey can burn and stick to the bottom of the Instant Pot when the lid is sealed. This is why I steam the green beans first, then make the sauce.

Do I have to use a steamer basket to steam vegetables in the Instant Pot?

Yes. Without a steamer basket, the beans will overcook and get soggy. I recommend either a silicone steamer basket or a large mesh steamer basket (the silicone basket is easier to clean).

Does using low pressure instead of high pressure make the greens beans less soft?

Not really. I tested this recipe using both low and high pressure, and it doesn't make a noticeable difference in the texture of the green beans. However, I do usually use low pressure when cooking Instant Pot steamed broccoli.

Garlicky Instant Pot Green Beans with Soy Sauce

Name: Garlicky Instant Pot Green Beans with Soy Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Asian American
Ingredients: 1 pound green beans; ¼ cup lower sodium soy sauce; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 1 tablespoon honey; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; ¼ cup finely chopped shallot; Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Garlicky Instant Pot Green Beans with Soy Sauce

a bowl of steamed Instant Pot green beans in a sauce made from sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, garlic and shallot

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5 from 1 review

Instant Pot green beans are quickly steamed and tossed with a flavorful sauce made from soy sauce, sesame oil honey, rice vinegar, garlic and shallot. An easy and delicious vegetable side dish!

You can eat these steamed green beans either hot or cold. You can also just steam plain green beans, using the instructions below.

Total Instant Pot Cooking Time: 10 minutes to reach pressure + 0 minutes cooking time + instant release + 5 minutes to simmer the sauce

Author: Jenny
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: side dishes
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: Asian American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 pound green beans
1/4 cup lower sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot.
Set a steamer basket over the water and add the green beans.
Secure the lid, then press the Manual button and program a cooking time of 0 minutes at high pressure (see the notes section below if you need instructions for how to program 0 minutes)
The pressure cooker will take about 8 to 10 minutes to reach pressure. Then it will cook for “0” minutes and immediately start beeping to alert you that the cooking time is done.
When the cooking time is done and the Instant Pot beeps, immediately release the pressure by moving the steam release knob to “venting” (this is called an instant release).
Carefully lift out the steamer basket of green beans
Lift out the pressure cooker insert and pour out any water that remains.
Press the saute button. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, garlic and shallot to the Instant Pot.
Mix the sauce really well with a high heat rubber spatula, making sure that the honey is blended into the liquid and not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Rapidly simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a heat resistant spatula, until the sauce thickens and the garlic and shallot have softened.
Add the green beans. Mix well to coat the beans in sauce.
Transfer the green beans to a serving bowl. Use the spatula to scrape all of the yummy sauce out of the pot and over the beans.
Garnish with sesame seeds and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

This recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot

To set the cooking time to "0" minutes, press the Manual button then press the minus “ - ” button to move the cooking time down to zero.

The pressure cooker will take 8 to 10 minutes to reach pressure. It will then cook the green beans for 0 minutes before immediately switching over to “keep warm” mode. When the LED digital display shows the letter “L” before the digits, this means it’s in “keep warm” mode, such as L0:01. See the step-by-step instructions in the blog post above for photos.

It’s important to instantly release the steam when the 0 minutes of cooking time is complete, otherwise the green beans will continue to cook and soften. For this reason, I always set my stove or phone timer for 8 minutes after I secure the lid, so that I’m paying attention and ready to release steam as soon as the Instant Pot beeps.

The Instant Pot comes with a metal trivet, which doesn’t work great for steaming veggies because the veggies fall over the sides into the water. For steaming vegetables, I recommend buying either a silicone steamer basket or a large mesh steamer basket

If you want plain steamed green beans, just follow the instructions for steaming the beans and don't make the sauce.

Find it online: https://www.kitchenskip.com/garlicky-instant-pot-green-beans-with-soy-sauce/