These Instant Pot Brussels sprouts are tender, buttery, and packed with savory garlic flavor while still keeping a slight bite in the center. They cook in just minutes using the pressure cooker, making them one of the fastest and easiest vegetable side dishes for busy weeknights or holiday dinners. If you enjoy easy vegetable recipes like my Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, this Instant Pot version gives you another quick and flavorful way to cook Brussels sprouts.
These Instant Pot Brussels sprouts are buttery, garlicky, and ready in minutes using a pressure cooker. They’re an easy healthy side dish with tender centers and flavorful seasoning.
Quick Look: Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- ⚡ Pressure Cook Time: 2 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 minutes
- 🥬 Servings: 4 servings
- 🔥 Calories: Light and healthy side dish
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Buttery, savory, garlicky, and slightly earthy
- 🧩 Difficulty: Easy
- ⚡ Best For: Weeknight dinners, holiday meals, meal prep
- 🥄 Texture: Tender with a slight bite
- 🍳 Cooking Method: Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker
- 🧊 Make-Ahead Friendly: Yes
- 🧪 Why This Recipe Works: Pressure cooking softens Brussels sprouts quickly while keeping them flavorful and vibrant without becoming mushy.
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Jump to:
- Quick Look: Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts
- What is Brussels Sprouts?
- Ingredients, Substitutions, and Tools
- How to Buy Brussels Sprouts
- How to Clean, Trim, and Cut
- How to Make Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts
- Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts FAQs:
- More Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker Dish Recipes:
- Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts
What is Brussels Sprouts?
Brussels sprouts are leaf vegetables that look like mini cabbages but taste somewhat like broccoli. They are a member of the cabbage family and have long been popular in Brussels, Belgium, where they may have gained their name.
But they are native to the Mediterranean region, along with other cabbage species. They usually measure between 1.5–4.0 cm (0.6–1.6 in) in diameter and can be prepared in different ways: in the slow cooker, pressure cooker, microwave, roasted, steamed, boiled, sautéed, braised, and grilled.
Raw Brussels sprouts are healthy, containing about 86% water, 9% carbs, 3% protein, and almost no fat. This makes them perfect for a low-carb diet!
Ingredients, Substitutions, and Tools
I used the ingredients listed below to cook our Instant Pot brussels sprouts but you may substitute them as follows:
- Olive Oil – For this Instant Pot brussels sprouts recipe you will need just 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Just enough for sautéing the bacon and preventing sticking in the Instant Pot.
- Bacon -- I used thick smoked bacon but you can use any type of your choice to make this Instant Pot brussels sprouts with bacon: turkey bacon, spicy, etc. For a vegetarian version, skip the bacon and add diced onion instead.
- Garlic – This will infuse flavor into the dish along with bacon, but you may replace it with diced onion or shallots if you prefer.
- Brussels sprouts – The star of this dish, of course! Make sure to buy it fresh, cut off the stem, remove damaged leaves, and cut a cross pattern (about ¼-inch deep) into the end that had the stem removed.
- Broth – I used chicken broth, but you can use a vegetable one, another flavor, or even stock.
- Seasonings – Salt and pepper will do the job well, but you can add any other such as red pepper flakes or Italian seasoning.
- Lemon juice – The acidity will bring all the flavors together but you can use lime juice or even red wine vinegar.
As for cooking them, you will need only an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. This is one of those great one-pot meals that are mess-free.
How to Buy Brussels Sprouts
- They must be hard when squeezed and with no dark/damaged leaves.
- Try to buy them in as uniform a size as possible so that they can cook more evenly. But if pre-packed, they may come in different sizes: smaller sprouts tend to be sweeter, while larger ones taste more like cabbage.
- You may buy them either untrimmed or trimmed -- both keep well for at least one week in the fridge.
- Try to prepare them within 3-4 days of the purchase.
How to Clean, Trim, and Cut
- Remove the stem by cutting it off with a paring knife. See the picture above!
- Remove the damaged and/or lost outer leaves by hand.
- Rinse the remaining layers with cold water to make them fully clean. Soaking in cold water for about 20 minutes only as needed, if they are quite dirty. Once clean, make sure to pat dry the sprouts, especially if roasting or sautéing them! Skip if boiling.
- Depending on how you will prepare your brussels sprouts, you can leave them whole for boiling, cut the larger ones in half and leave the smaller ones whole for roasting, or even shave them if sautéing or making salads/slaw. You can also cut across (about ¼-inch deep) into the end where the stem was cut off for roasting. See the picture below!
How to Make Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts
- Clean, trim, and cut the sprouts: Remove the stem by cutting it off with a paring knife. Remove the damaged and/or lost outer leaves by hand. Then, rinse the remaining layers with cold water to make them fully clean. Pat dry! Next, cut into the shape of a cross (about ¼-inch deep).
- Cook: Press the sauté button and let the pot heat for about 4-5 minutes. Pour in oil and cook the bacon until brown, about 4-5 minutes, stirring every once in a while to keep it from sticking. SEE PIC. 1 Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
- Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, stirring often to prevent browning. Add sprouts and cook for about 1 minute, stirring once and a while. SEE PIC. 2 Pour in broth and add seasonings. Stir!
- Lock the lid, secure the valve, and set it manually for 3 minutes. Do a quick release!
- Toss bacon and lemon juice. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if you want. To add a holiday-ish touch, you may add about 2-3 tablespoons of chopped dried cranberries.
NOTE: To make this Instant Pot Brussels sprouts recipe vegan or vegetarian, just skip the bacon and sauté diced onion instead to boost flavor. In addition, find out how does a pressure cooker work and get our cooking time charts!
Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts FAQs:
Yes! You don’t need to thaw them first in order to cook. Follow the directions for cooking the brussels sprouts in the Instant Pot -- just skip the step where you sauté step for 1 minute. Instead, after adding them to the Instant Pot, pour the broth in right away, add seasonings, and then follow the other steps to cook them.
For a weeknight meal, serve them along with roast chicken adobo, roasted pork, ranch chicken thighs, garlic butter shrimp, and more.
As for the holidays, they will brighten your Thanksgiving or Christmas table, pairing well with this roast turkey made with best turkey brine or honey glazed ham.
Overcooking is usually the cause. Brussels sprouts cook very quickly under pressure, so a quick release immediately after cooking is important.
If raw, store Brussels sprouts in a plastic bag in your refrigerator's crisper. That way, they'll keep for at least one week or longer.
If cooked, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze them on labeled freezer bags or containers for up to 2 months. It is one of those easy freezer meals that you will want to make again and again.
Thaw in the fridge. To reheat, you may microwave for about 1-2 minutes or until hot.
More Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker Dish Recipes:
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Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts
Equipment
- Instant Pot or pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 slices thick smoked bacon chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts
- ½ cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
- Salt and pepper to taste a pinch each
- 1 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Clean, trim, and cut the sprouts: Remove the stem by cutting it off with a paring knife. Remove the damaged and/or lose outer leaves by hand. Then, rinse the remaining layers with cold water to make them fully clean. Pat dry! Next, cut into a shape of a cross (about ¼-inch deep).
- Cook: Press the sauté button and let the pot heat for about 4-5 minutes. Pour in oil and cook the bacon until brown, about 4-5 minutes, stirring every once in a while to keep it from sticking. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
- Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, stirring often to avoid browning. Add sprouts and cook for about 1 minute, stirring once and a while. Pour broth and add seasonings. Stir!
- Lock lid, secure the valve, and set manually for 3 minutes. Do a quick release!
- Toss bacon and lemon juice. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if you want. To add a bit of a holiday touch, you may add about 2-3 tablespoons of chopped dried cranberries.
Recipe Notes
- If raw, store Brussels sprouts in a plastic bag in your refrigerator's crisper. That way, they'll keep for at least one week or longer.
- If cooked, place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze them in labeled freezer bags or containers for up to 2 months. This is one of those easy freezer meals that you want to make again and again.
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
I don't have an Instant Pot but the recipe is easily adapted to cooking on the stove top.
Once you try these Brussels sprouts in the Instant Pot you will see how quick it is to cook them and they turn out super delicious.
I love Brussels sprouts! One of my favorite veggies. This looks like such a nice and easy way to prepare them. Really tasty, too. 🙂 Thanks!
These pressure cooker Brussels sprouts were tender and quite tasty. The bacon and garlic gave them a boost of flavor. I also chose smaller sprouts which are mildly sweet.
This BRUSSELS SPROUTS looks so colorful, I like how you have used the Instant Pot to make these. This will make a perfect side for the upcoming holidays. Actually I have not cooked Brussels sprouts at home , with your IP recipe, it is tempting me, thanks for sharing this easy IP version, Denise!!
I hope you give this Instant Pot Brussels sprouts a try. The cooking method makes it possible to have them cooked in just 3 minutes. Most methods require at least 15 minutes. It turned out quite tasty!