Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts

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Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Dried Cranberries make a tasty and festive vegetarian holiday side dish with no oven or stovetop necessary. 

a close-up 45 degree shot of brussels sprouts being dished up by a wooden spoon

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This brussels sprouts recipe is a quick and easy veggie side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or your average weeknight. It doesn’t require any oven or stovetop space and has a short ingredient list that you probably already have at home. 

If you’re planning a holiday menu and looking for a delicious vegetarian dish to add some green to your table, this is the crowd-pleasing recipe you need!

The brussels sprouts are soft in the center and bright green, with sweet-tart flavor from dried cranberries and savoriness from melty grated cheese on top. 

pinterest button that reads "instant Pot Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan" over two photos of brussels sprouts: the first inside an Instant Pot and the second dished up in a serving bowl

How to Make Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts can take a while to cook all the way through in the oven. That’s why I love to make them in the Instant Pot, where you only need an 8-minute cook time. 

To steam your brussels sprouts without making them soggy, use a trivet, a cake pan, and a sling. 

  • You can use the trivet that came with your Instant Pot or use a similar metal rack
  • A 7-inch round cake pan will fit inside a 6-quart Instant Pot. We like this one from Fat Daddio’s
  • Finally, you can make your own sling with aluminum foil (see how to make and use a sling in an Instant Pot here) or buy a reusable sling. I like this silicone sling from OXO (but note that this sling can sometimes affect the cook time—you may need to add a minute or two if you use it). 
an overhead shot of a small knife cutting pale green brussels sprouts on a round wooden cutting board

Flavoring Ideas

I like to top my Instant Pot brussels sprouts with shaved parmesan and dried cranberries. When you add the dried fruit to the Instant Pot before cooking, they rehydrate a bit so they’re plumper and juicier than before.

However, there are endless ways to flavor your brussels sprouts. If you’re looking for more flavor inspiration, try adding any of these tasty and seasonal mix-ins:

  • Crispy cooked bacon pieces
  • Other dried fruit like raisins or dates
  • Toasted nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds
  • Crispy shallots
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • Fresh pomegranate seeds
an overhead shot of an Instant Pot filled with brussels sprouts, ready to cook

Adjusting the Serving Size

This recipe makes enough brussels sprouts to feed four people as a side dish. You can easily divide the recipe ingredients in half if you’re having a smaller meal. Or, to feed a bigger crowd, you can increase the ingredients proportionally. However, you’ll want to avoid overfilling the cake pan. 

If the brussels sprouts are not fully cooked all the way through when you remove the lid, you can return them to high pressure for another minute. 

An overhead shot of a bowl of cooked green brussels sprouts topped with parmesan and cranberries and being tossed by a wooden spoon

Serving Suggestions

This recipe makes a great Thanksgiving or holiday side dish. We like to serve the brussels sprouts with Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Instant Pot Homemade Cranberry Jelly, and a beautiful roast turkey. 

However, you can also make this dish on a weeknight. It’s fast and simple enough to make and serve alongside pasta (you can even cook pasta at the same time using the pot-in-pot method––see this recipe for how to do it), Quick and Easy Chicken Piccata, or Shortcut Boneless Pork Chops.  

a spoonful of Instant Pot brussels sprouts suspended above a white serving bowl

Storage Suggestions

Store any leftover brussels sprouts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can toss them on a salad for lunch or reheat the brussels in the microwave in 1-minute intervals until heated through. 

an overhead shot of a bowl of Brussels sprouts in front of an Instant Pot and a serving dish of shredded parmesan cheese

More Instant Pot Holiday Side Dishes

If you’re planning your holiday menu, make things easier with these fast Instant Pot recipes:


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a close-up 45 degree shot of brussels sprouts being dished up by a wooden spoon

Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 23 minutes

Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts with parmesan and dried cranberries is a delicious vegetarian holiday side dish with a seasonal flair. 

Ingredients

  • 4 cups Brussels sprouts, cut into quarters lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 cups dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan

Instructions

  1. Place 1 cup of water in the pressure cooker pot. Place a trivet in the pot. 
  2. Place the brussels sprouts in a 7-inch cake pan. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cranberries. Toss to coat. Use a sling to lower the pan onto the trivet in the pot. 
  3. Lock the lid in place and select an 8-minute cook time.
  4. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker and let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. 
  5. Transfer the brussels sprouts to a serving bowl and top with the parmesan. 

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 145Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 411mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 5gSugar: 10gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.

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