Quick, Never Mushy, Asparagus in the Instant Pot
The pressure cooker method gives you crisp-tender asparagus in minutes. It’s perfect as a weeknight veggie side or as part of your meal prep routine, and it’s so hands-off, you’ll barely lift a finger (besides pressing “Start”).
The best part? The cook time is literally zero minutes. The asparagus steams only as the Instant Pot comes to pressure, which is exactly the right amount of time to keep it from getting soggy. Drizzle with olive oil, hit it with a little garlic and lemon, and sprinkle with parmesan or chili flakes for an extra kick.
I’m guessing you love asparagus, so you should definitely check out this asparagus frittata or lemon chicken orzo recipe next.
Ingredient Notes
- Asparagus: fresh asparagus takes minutes to make and it’s especially delicious when it’s in season in the Spring.
- Olive oil: drizzle a quality oil on top of the asparagus. You could also use melted butter for a rich flavor.
- Garlic: I like to use fresh minced garlic for bold flavor, but garlic powder works well too.
- Lemon juice: fresh juice from a lemon is our favorite, rather than store bought lemon juice.
How to Make Instant Pot Asparagus
- Prep the asparagus: wash and dry the asparagus spears well then snap off thewoody ends.
- Add the ingredients: add water to the bottom of the instant pot then place the metal trivet in the bottom and place the asparagus on top in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice then sprinkle with salt and garlic.
- Pressure cook: close the lid and make sure the vent is set to the sealing position. Pressure cook (or manual cook) on high for 0 minutes. Yes, that cook time says 0 minutes! By the time the Instant Pot comes to pressure (5-10 minutes) the asparagus will be steamed and tender. Press the Cancel button then quick release by switching the knob to the venting position right away. Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily.
- Serve: Carefully remove the steamer basket and asparagus from Instant Pot and transfer to a large platter with more extra-virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, or red pepper flakes.
What to Serve With Asparagus
Any protein dish is a great main course to pair with asparagus. We especially love this easy Instant Pot Asparagus recipe with our blackened salmon, blackened chicken tenders, Greek chicken meatballs, and cilantro lime chicken thighs. !You can serve this dish warm or cold (though I prefer it warm).
More Veggie Side Dishes to Try
Instant Pot Asparagus
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 lb asparagus washed and ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Optional garnishes: chili flakes, parmesan cheese, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place the metal trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot then pour the water into the bottom and place the trimmed asparagus in an even layer on top, so it’s resting on the trivet above the water.1/2 cup water, 1 lb asparagus
- Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and lemon juice then sprinkle it with the salt, pepper and garlic. Close the lid and make sure the vent is set to the sealing position. Pressure cook (Manual cook )on high pressure and set the timer to 0 minutes (yes 0!). The Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure, then notify you it's done by beeping. Setting the timer to 0 minutes allows the asparagus to cook for only the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure. Any longer and the asparagus will overcook.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon), 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 3 cloves garlic
- Press the Cancel button then quick release the Instant Pot by immediately switching the seal to venting.
- Carefully remove asparagus and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, parmesan cheese, or red pepper flakes.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQs
Asparagus with a thicker stalk is ideal for this recipe because it holds up to the high pressure. Pencil thin asparagus has a tendency to overcook quickly.
Wash and dry them well and remove the woody ends from the stalk with a knife or break it with your hands. To get extra fancy, you can also remove the little notches of asparagus along the sides of the stalk.
Some people soak asparagus in cold water to help remove some of the grit, but I find this adds an extra step and simply washing them well is enough.
Asparagus fades in color and loses its crispness the longer it cooks. Because of this, cook the asparagus until it’s just tender. Mushy, stringy asparagus is a result of overcooking.
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Thank you for the recipe. I’ve tried other vegetables in the IP using the zero minute method and they came out great. I appreciate your advice to use olive oil, lemon juice, S&P, and garlic.
You’re welcome! Glad you liked it 🙂
I made this exactly as written, but used jarred minced garlic. Wow, it came out perfectly! Not mushy, and not hard. Just right. Thanks, Molly!
This turned out perfectly! Delicious asparagus