Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook and a steamer basket is a perfect tool for preparing many different kinds of food. There are some simple tips and tricks for how to use a steamer basket that can help you quickly become a food-steaming pro.

In this guide:
How to Use a Steamer Basket
Helpful Tips for Using a Steamer Basket
Frequently Asked Questions

How to Use a Steamer Basket

Tip!

There are three types of steamer baskets: metal (good for conducting heat), silicone (flexible enough to adjust to different pot sizes), and bamboo (traditional and stackable).

What You'll Need:

• A steamer basket and a compatible-size stock pot or saucepan with a lid – or a specialty steamer pot that comes with a steamer basket and a stock pot set
• 1" – 2" of water
• A pair of tongs or a skimmer utensil for removing food from the basket
• The food and seasonings of your choice

1. Chop Up Your Ingredients

The first step is to prep your ingredients. Chop up vegetables or meat into uniform sizes. Chopping ingredients into smaller pieces will make them easier to fit into the steamer basket and also help to reduce the steam time. Then, get out any spices or herb mixtures you plan to use to season your food.

2. Add 1" – 2" of Water to the Bottom of a Pot or Saucepan

Before adding the steamer basket, pour 1" – 2" of water into the bottom of a stock pot (for steaming large quantities of food) or a saucepan (for steaming smaller portions of food). The water shouldn't be high enough to seep through the bottom of the basket's perforated holes, as too much direct water exposure can cause vegetables and other food items to get mushy. Then, place the pot on the stove burner.

3. Insert the Steamer Basket

Place your steamer basket inside the pot. Steamer baskets should fit snugly inside pots or saucepans and should rest just above the water level. If the water seeps through the perforated holes in the steamer basket, simply remove the basket and pour out a few spoonfuls of water before replacing the basket back inside. As mentioned in step two, making sure the water level doesn't reach above the bottom of the steamer basket helps ensure that food will get properly steamed rather than mushy.

4. Bring Water to a Boil

Set your stove burner to the highest setting and wait until you hear the sound of boiling water and can see the steam rising from the pot.

5. Pour in the Food

Next, add your food! For the best results, we recommend using a steamer basket for one layer of food at a time. This ensures that each individual piece of food gets evenly steamed. If you do want to steam more than one layer of food at a time, we suggest using a steamer basket with two or more basket layers.

• A lot of bamboo steamer baskets come with multiple basket layers because they can soak up excess moisture and keep each food layer from getting soggy.
• Regardless of the type of steamer you're using, make sure to place items that take longer to steam/cook (like meat) on the very bottom layer, and vegetables on the topmost layers.
• Bamboo steamer baskets are more likely to get food stuck to them, which is why you need to put cabbage/bamboo leaves or parchment paper at the bottom of each basket before adding food.
• Metal and silicone steamer baskets are easy to clean, so you don't need to add a protective layer between the food and the bottom of each basket layer.

6. Add Seasonings

You can always add seasoning after steaming your food. However, some of the most flavorful results come from infusing your food with seasoning before the steaming process starts.

• For single-layer steamer baskets, add spices, herbs, and other seasonings of your choice on top of the food layer inside the basket. – If you really want to ensure a particular flavor, you can even toss the food in a spice/herb/oil mixture prior to adding it to the basket!
• For multi-layer steamer baskets, be sure to add seasoning to each individual layer to guarantee delicious flavors and aromas throughout each layer.

7. Cover & Reduce the Heat to a Simmer

Once you've added seasoning, it's time to steam! To start, place the lid over the top of the pot or saucepan. Make sure the cover is secured on top of the pot to prevent any steam from getting out. Then, reduce the heat to the simmer setting (or lowest heat setting) on your stove. By covering the pot and reducing the heat to a simmer, you're locking in the heat to produce steam, which helps to cook food without reducing the flavor! That's why steaming is a much preferred cooking alternative to boiling.

8. Monitor the Steam Time

The amount of time it takes to steam food items will depend on the quantity of food, the type of meat/vegetable, and the material of the steamer basket, itself.

• Vegetables like peas, spinach, and even asparagus only need about three minutes to steam, while vegetables like broccoli, beets, or potatoes could take anywhere from 10-15 minutes.
• For meat, the steam time is usually between 20 to 30 minutes.
• Keep in mind, metal steamer baskets are good at maintaining heat, allowing food to cook faster than steamer baskets made of materials like bamboo.
• We recommend checking on your food at the halfway mark of the proposed steam time.
• Poke it with a fork to determine whether it's still raw or properly steamed. If the fork goes through multiple pieces with ease, it's likely done.
• For cuts of meat, you can use a meat thermometer to ensure it's cooked thoroughly.

9. Remove Food & Enjoy!

With a collapsible metal steamer basket, it's best to remove the food from the pot with utensils like a skimmer or tongs. If your steamer basket has handles, you can pull the entire steamer basket and food out. With a bamboo steamer basket, you can lift the entire basket out as well. For these two methods, just make sure you're using pot holders or oven mitts to protect your hands from the heat.

Helpful Tips for Using a Steamer Basket

(Shop this image: steamer baskets, subway tile backsplash, and kitchen ranges​.)

Here are some additional tips to ensure you steam food to perfection:

• Check food regularly to avoid under or overcooking. Many vegetables only take a few minutes to steam fully.
• With metal and silicone steaming baskets, make sure the lid to your pot is on tightly to keep more steam in and ensure food is fully cooked.
• Use a silicone or adjustable steamer basket if you want to be able to use different size pots for steaming activities.
• In addition to adding herbs and spices for more flavor, you can also steam with chicken or vegetable broth instead of water for even more flavor.

Written by Amy Wright