These Instant Pot Mussels are so delicious and easy, you’ll want to make them all the time! And thanks to the pressure inside the pot, you’ll end up with fewer unopened mussels, meaning less work and less waste than traditionally steamed mussels.
These Instant Pot Mussels don’t take long to make. Paired with a nice loaf of crusty bread, you have the easiest, restaurant-style meal. It’s perfect for the evenings you want a great dinner but have no time or energy to put into making it.
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How to Make Instant Pot Mussels
When I say these are easy, I mean REALLY easy. This is a great recipe to have the kids help you with since the steps are so simple.
Step 1 – Clean the Mussels
Mussels have “beards.” These are thin, sticky strands that hang off of them that look and feel kinda gross. You’ll definitely want to wash these off before cooking and serving them!
As you’re rinsing the mussels and removing the beards, keep an eye out for any that have cracks in them. Sadly, you’ll need to throw those away because these are likely dead and won’t taste good.
You might have some dead mussels that aren’t cracked. Look for mussels that are open. See if these will close easily either by squeezing them gently, knocking them gently against another mussel, or tapping them against a hard surface.
If they close, they’re good to go. If not, discard them with the ones that are cracked.
Step 2 – Saute the Onions and Garlic
Set your Instant Pot to saute and let it heat up. When the display says “hot,” add butter and chopped onions to the pot.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the are translucent. Then, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Step 3 – Add the Liquid
Next, add broth and white wine to the pot. I use chicken broth since I use it for so many other things and always have it on hand. You can also use vegetable broth if you prefer it.
Step 4 – Add the Mussels
Turn off saute mode by pressing “cancel.” Now you just have to add the mussels to pressure cook them!
Secure the lid. Select “Manual” and set the time for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, then carefully remove the lid.
Your Instant Pot Mussels are ready to serve! These are a great appetizer but can also make a great dinner served with bread and a side salad.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
Ready to make this Instant Pot Mussels? Here’s the recipe card with the exact measurements.
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📋 Recipe
Instant Pot Mussels
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 shallots chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup broth
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 lbs mussels cleaned
- Lemon optional for serving
- Parsley optional for serving
Instructions
- Clean and remove beards from mussels.
- Discard any mussels that do not close when tapped against a hard surface or have cracks in them.
- Place chopped onions and butter in Instant Pot, select Saute setting.
- Stir and sautee onions until translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding broth and wine.
- Turn off the saute setting and carefully add the mussels to the Instant Pot.
- Select “Manual” for 5 minutes. Natural release.
- Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice (optional) and a sprinkle of parsley.
Nutrition
More Instant Pot Resources
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How long would you cook frozen mussels?
I haven’t made frozen mussels so I am not much help with this. Sorry!
I’ve seen an identical recipe to yours with instructions to do a Quick Release rather than Natural Release due to the potential for the mussels to become tough. Also, the time is two minutes LESS than your timing of 5 minutes. Your thoughts?
I would worry they wouldn’t open with just 3 minutes of cook time and a quick release but I’m familiar with the recipe you’re referencing and Jeff is an amazing Instant Pot cook whose site is devoted entirely to pressure cooking. If you’re wondering which version to follow because you have doubts, I’d actually err on the side of the other recipe since if they are undercooked, you can always steam them a little longer to get them to open, but if they end up tough, there’s not much you can do to correct that.
I wanted to make mussels for my husband because we have a freshwater river near our house that has mussels in it. But I don’t know the proper way to clean them. I really appreciate that you took the time to write a detailed explanation but I still have one question. Are you not supposed to soak them in water for a little while to let the grit wash out of them? I’ve never eaten them myself. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Hi Abby, great question! Here in the U.S. almost all mussels are cultivated so soaking is unnecessary. If you are using wild mussels, then yes, you should soak them in cold water for 20 minutes. I’ve actually had wild mussels only once and I didn’t care for them. The flavor is different than cultivated mussels.