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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / 3-Minute Instant Pot Kale

Published October 7, 2016. By Alyssa Brantley 41 Comments

3-Minute Instant Pot Kale

  • 30 minmeal
  • Grain free
  • Low carb
  • Vegan
  • Whole 30
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3-Minute Instant Pot Kale from www.EverydayMaven.com

It only takes 3 Minutes in the Instant Pot to make a huge pot of perfectly cooked and tender Kale! You can also use this technique for Collards or Chard!

3-Minute Instant Pot Kale from www.EverydayMaven.com

Having cooked greens tucked into the fridge is a must for me when the weather is cooler. I love salad but honestly, I have a hard time choosing salad as frequently when it’s cold out. I just want warm foods that I can eat from a bowl.

I’ve been experimenting with cooked greens in my Instant Pot ever since I got it last year and I finally nailed the quick, easy and tasty formula that will allow us to stay stocked in greens all Fall and Winter!

The Instant Pot manual and many recipe sites will tell you that you should never cook anything without at least one cup of water and for the most part that is true. But, and the big BUT is – that when it comes cooking greens, too much water ruins the taste and texture.

Since Kale, Collards and Chard are naturally very high in water content, as long as you keep the vent “sealed”, you can add minimal liquid to the IP and still wind up with perfectly cooked greens every single time!

My recipe below is very basic and more about the technique. If you have extra time, play around with adding sliced garlic, ginger, shallot, onions, or even some chopped bacon. It all works and is great but for me, I like to keep this simple so that I can come home from the grocery store and get the greens into the pot in minutes without any extra work!

I can’t wait to hear how this works for you and if, in turn, it ups your consumption of cooked greens!

3-Minute Instant Pot Kale from www.EverydayMaven.com

Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!

3-Minute Instant Pot Kale
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 3 mins
Total Time: 8 mins
 

It only takes 3 Minutes in the Instant Pot to make a huge pot of perfectly cooked and tender Kale! You can also use this technique for Collards or Chard!

Course: Snacks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Instant Pot Kale
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Calories: 62 kcal
Author: Alyssa Brantley
5 from 2 votes
3-Minute Instant Pot Kale from www.EverydayMaven.com
Print
Ingredients
  • 2 large heads kale or collards or chard, ribs removed and chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup water
  • squeeze lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Clean kale and remove leaves from stems. Cut leaves into bite sized pieces and place into the Instant Pot along with olive oil, salt, red pepper and water.
  2. Lock lid and make sure the knob is set to "SEALED" Set to "Manual" for 3 Minutes.
  3. You can use manual release or slow pressure release - either works just fine! Squeeze lemon juice, stir and adjust salt and red pepper flakes if necessary.
  4. Store in a covered glass container in the fridge and Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
3-Minute Instant Pot Kale
Amount Per Serving
Calories 62 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Sodium 438mg19%
Vitamin A 70IU1%
Vitamin C 0.6mg1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.

3-Minute Instant Pot Kale from www.EverydayMaven.com

Filed Under: 30 Minute Meals, By Diet, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Freezer Meals, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Green Sides, Kid Friendly, Low Carb, Nut Free, One Pot Meals, Paleo, Primal, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. CJK says

    August 8, 2020 at 8:02 pm

    Do you select low pressure or high pressure for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Alyssa Brantley says

      August 14, 2020 at 12:34 pm

      Hi CJK, I select manual, high pressure. Hope you love it!

      Reply
  2. Terri says

    May 11, 2020 at 9:17 am

    Can you tell me approximately how many cups 2 heads would be equal to? I purchased a 5oz Organic Girl package of prepared, prewashed kale mix. If this is equal to less than 2 heads, what other adjustments would I need to make?

    Reply
    • Alyssa Brantley says

      May 11, 2020 at 2:38 pm

      Hi Terri,
      A “head” or “bunch” is pretty subjective – I should update this post to be more specific. I would say that I usually get about 2 cups of greens from each bunch. As for the Organic Girl prewashed kale mix, I believe that is baby kale so it would naturally be lighter (no big stems) and cook much quicker. I would recommend setting the Instant Pot to “0” minutes as the pressure-time alone will sufficiently cook baby greens. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  3. Sandi says

    January 21, 2020 at 3:25 pm

    I just got my IP and want to try this kale recipe and subscribe to your recipe site.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Brantley says

      January 23, 2020 at 1:55 pm

      Hope you love it Sandi! The subscribe box is on my homepage and sidebar 🙂

      Reply
  4. Ann says

    November 18, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    I went by the recipe minus the red pepper. It turned out great and was so easy. Next time I might try the onion sauted in bacon grease that someone suggested.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Brantley says

      November 20, 2019 at 9:12 pm

      That is awesome Ann! So glad you like it!

      Reply
  5. Alma says

    October 7, 2019 at 5:53 pm

    Going to try adding the garlic and onions, but I love the recipes and hint s that you have given us. Love my instant pot. At first it was too much. But I have the rhythm on the order of cooking the items I have.

    Thanks to instant pot. I nearly cook on the stove. No standing over food.

    Reply
    • Alyssa Brantley says

      October 7, 2019 at 7:04 pm

      Hope you love it!!

      Reply
  6. Phyllis says

    January 3, 2019 at 11:59 am

    How do you adjust for frozen greens?

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      January 14, 2019 at 10:47 am

      Great question Phyllis! I haven’t tried frozen but I think the cook time will be similar since frozen greens are usually chopped into small pieces.

      Reply
  7. Amy says

    December 26, 2018 at 10:45 am

    Quick question. If one chooses npr over qr, won’t the kale continue cooking, possibly becoming overcooked?

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      January 2, 2019 at 11:05 am

      Hi Amy – Yes! Some people like their greens more cooked than others though. Personally, I do a QR for this recipe.

      Reply
  8. Lisa says

    July 18, 2018 at 6:15 am

    This recipe turned out great, I sautéed diced onions and garlic in some bacon fat in my IP then added the kale with 1/3 cup water. cooked on manual for three minutes QR. Then I splashed on some balsamic vinegar. Yumm!

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      August 8, 2018 at 8:32 am

      YES! That sounds fantastic 🙂

      Reply
  9. Linda says

    June 27, 2018 at 8:19 pm

    I did this tonight and it turned out perfect. I loved it. Will do again.

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      August 8, 2018 at 7:20 am

      Perfect!! Thanks for letting me know 🙂

      Reply
  10. Tamieka says

    April 7, 2018 at 6:21 pm

    Perfect

    3 min low or high manual pressure?

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      April 25, 2018 at 1:23 pm

      High Pressure!

      Reply
  11. Sue Hart says

    March 2, 2018 at 5:27 pm

    I don’t know what QR means as Helene posted. Can I cook spinach for less time, maybe one minute. Love my new instant pot. Just made Cauliflower mash. 6 min, perfect! Thank you

    Reply
    • Helene says

      March 6, 2018 at 12:57 pm

      QR means quick release. No waiting. Immediatelynrelease the valve when time is up.
      I would cook spinach or baby greens for 0 zero minutes. The heat of bringing to pressure cooks them.

      Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      March 6, 2018 at 2:08 pm

      Hi Sue!
      QR means “Quick Release”

      Reply
  12. Mr.Tim says

    June 18, 2017 at 6:22 pm

    So great. I love how the Kale is still crunchy. I sauteéd Onion and Garlic first and used Smoked Serrano Chili Flakes. I mixed it with Whole Wheat Gnocchi and topped it with Parmesan. Perfect meal.

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      June 20, 2017 at 1:35 pm

      Sounds like a perfect dish!

      Reply
  13. Hélène says

    May 14, 2017 at 12:55 pm

    I do baby greens and tender greens like, spinach, beet and dandelion greens, for zero min on Manual, QR. I use 1/2c water for 1lb greens. Hearty greens, like collards, turnip and mustard greens, need 2/3c-3/4c water and cook for 5-6min, QR. Kale I only cook for 5 min.
    I often combine greens, incl tender with hearty after theyre cooked. We put them in smoothies often, so no seasoning. I put a dish in the fridge when Im making up several lbs at once. We take them out to add to things n season then. The rest I portion n freeze. I often have them for brkfst. Like 5 days a week :0
    Love, love, love having greens ready to go!

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      May 25, 2017 at 8:41 pm

      Such great tips!

      Reply
    • BRenda says

      June 25, 2017 at 7:49 pm

      I do a lot of precooking and freezing when prepping for trips in our RV. For smoothies, I simply put the greens in my blender with a little liquid or juice, then freeze. I never bother to cook those.

      Reply
  14. J-Wo says

    February 25, 2017 at 12:07 pm

    How should I modify if I only have 1 head of kale available?

    Reply
    • Tracey Meinen says

      January 2, 2019 at 8:48 pm

      I curious too!

      Reply
  15. Peter says

    January 10, 2017 at 11:41 am

    Ì have found that my instant pot cooks a pot roast perfectly. And when I cook a stew I always cook it with the steamer on. The meat just falls apart as you eat it.

    Reply
  16. Shari says

    January 1, 2017 at 12:44 am

    This is a great idea. I prefer chard (especially red) over kale. The nice thing about chard is you can eat the rib/stems and just chop it up along with the leaves, so it actually takes less time than kale or collards as you don’t have to trim out the ribs!

    When we made this tonight, we used only 1 Tbl of bacon fat instead of olive oil and added dehyrdrated garlic and onion as well. Also, didn’t have lemon juice so added lemon zest to the pot. Topped with chopped bacon and pomegranates when we plated it. Delish!

    Prep time for this recipe compared to one serving is not that much different, so instead of one serving we get 4 in just a bit more prep time.

    Thanks for this recipe!

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      January 4, 2017 at 10:56 am

      Sounds amazing Shari!

      Reply
  17. Belinda says

    October 10, 2016 at 12:22 pm

    I just ordered the IP you recommended! Please post more IP recipes!

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      October 12, 2016 at 12:19 pm

      I will! I use it all the time 🙂

      Reply
  18. Belinda says

    October 9, 2016 at 12:18 pm

    Thanks!

    Reply
  19. Ann says

    October 8, 2016 at 9:48 pm

    I just ordered an Instant Pot and should have it by Friday. I am excited to try this and other recipes using my new toy!!

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      October 10, 2016 at 9:47 am

      Ann – you are going to LOVE having an IP!!

      Reply
  20. pthere says

    October 8, 2016 at 5:27 pm

    Three minute greens not bad. I cook chard in a pot with three tbls of water plus 2 tbls of olive oil or if you are into butter use that instead.
    In away it’s like stirfrying them. Cut the chard stems into 1/2 inch pieces across the stems and slice up the green part
    put a tight fitting lid on the pot so as your steaming the chard as well. You will find that it cooks in know time at all. So don’t walk away.

    Reply
  21. Belinda says

    October 8, 2016 at 6:22 am

    Which Instant Pot do you have? I would love to try this!

    Reply
    • EverydayMaven says

      October 8, 2016 at 3:26 pm

      I have this Instant Pot!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Alyssa and I live in the Seattle area. I am passionate about creating delicious real food recipes that don't take all day to make. Whole Food. Half the Time.

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