Instant Pot Edamame: Quick Steamed Appetizer in Minutes

When you need a quick, tasty appetizer or a simple side, this Instant Pot edamame recipe is an ideal choice. It’s healthy, fast, and requires minimal effort while delivering the same satisfying result you’d expect at a restaurant.

Edamame are young soybeans served in their pods. They resemble sugar snap peas in shape but have a firmer, slightly fuzzy pod. Unlike snap peas, you don’t eat the pod—edamame must be cooked, and only the beans inside are eaten.

instant pot edamame
Edamame cooked in the Instant Pot.

Frozen edamame is widely available in the frozen vegetable aisle; opting for organic when possible is a good idea. They’re typically served whole in the pod as an appetizer. To eat them, place a pod between your teeth and slide the beans out into your mouth, discarding the pod afterward. It’s simple, addictive, and great for snacking.

frozen edamame
You can find frozen edamame in the frozen vegetable section of most grocery stores. Choose organic when you can.

Making edamame in the Instant Pot is convenient because it takes virtually no prep and you don’t need to tend to a steaming pot on the stove. All you need is a steamer basket. A collapsible steamer basket or a colander-style steam basket both work well.

steamer basket for instant pot edamame
A collapsible steamer basket makes this recipe easy, though other steam baskets or strainers work too.

Instant Pot Edamame

To prepare edamame in the Instant Pot, start by adding one cup of water to the inner pot. Place your steamer basket inside and add the frozen edamame. We used a small 3-quart Instant Pot for demonstration, but a 6- or 8-quart unit works fine as well.

instant pot edamame
Place frozen edamame in the steam basket and secure the lid.

Lock the lid and set the valve to the SEALING position. Set the pressure cooker to HIGH for ZERO minutes. Yes—zero minutes. The edamame cooks perfectly as the Instant Pot builds pressure. When the cycle ends, perform a quick release by moving the valve to Venting.

zero minutes
Set the pressure cook time to zero minutes; the beans cook during pressurization.

Remove the steamer basket and transfer the edamame to a bowl. Traditionally they’re served with coarse sea salt, but you can experiment with other seasonings—cajun spice, sweet Thai chili, sesame oil with garlic, or seasoned salt all make excellent alternatives.

seasoned instant pot edamame
Coarse sea salt is classic, but spicy or savory seasonings are great variations.

This method delivers reliably tender edamame with minimal fuss—ideal as a quick appetizer, bar snack, or side dish for weeknight dinners. Serve immediately for the best texture and flavor.

Recipe Summary

  • Ingredients: 1 lb frozen edamame, 1 cup water, salt to taste.
  • Equipment: Instant Pot and a steamer basket.
  • Method: Add water, place edamame in a steamer basket, pressure cook on HIGH for 0 minutes, quick release, season and serve.

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Instant Pot Edamame

instant pot edamame

A fail-proof way to make restaurant-quality edamame — a healthy appetizer or side.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb edamame, frozen
  • 1 cup water
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Pour 1 cup water into the Instant Pot liner.
  2. Place a steamer basket in the liner and add frozen edamame.
  3. Lock the lid and set the valve to SEALING.
  4. Pressure Cook/Manual on HIGH for ZERO (0) minutes.
  5. When the cycle finishes, quick release the pressure.
  6. Open the lid, remove the steamer basket, and transfer the edamame to a bowl.
  7. Sprinkle with coarse salt or your preferred seasoning and serve.

Notes

Try alternate seasonings such as Cajun spice, seasoned salt, sweet chili, or sesame oil with garlic. To eat, place the pod in your mouth, slide out the beans with your teeth, and discard the pod.

Recipe provided by Make Your Meals.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1 grams

Amount Per Serving:
Unsaturated Fat: 0g

© makeyourmeals

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