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If you’re trying to eat more beets, the Instant Pot is going to help. While writing The Fresh and Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook, I learned to cook all sorts of veggies and fell in love with how easy it is. Everyone should know about this!
Unlike steaming veggies on the stove, where you have to watch the water boil before covering the pot, the Instant Pot lets you press a button and walk away. It will beep to let you know when it’s done, and it will even turn off in case you’re distracted.
The stove top and oven won’t do that for you!
As an added bonus, the Instant Pot cooks beets in a fraction of the time it takes to roast them in the oven. If you want to eat perfectly tender beets on a regular basis, this is the way to cook them.
How to Cook Beets In Instant Pot
Step 1:
Scrub the beets under running water and remove the stems. I like to cut the very top and bottom off of the beets, so I have a flat surface to work with.
Cut the beets into 1- or 2-inch chunks, so they will cook quickly. It doesn’t matter the exact size, as long as you cut them relatively similar so they will finish cooking at the same time.
There’s no need to peel beets. The peel contains nutrients, and it will become quite soft when cooked. I can’t tell the difference when I serve these on salads and bowls, so I always skip peeling. (I do cut off the area where I remove the stem, as that part can be rough.)
Note: Beets will stain your hands as you work with them. Wear gloves if this is a concern for you. I usually don’t wear gloves, and just wash my hands quickly after cutting them.
Step 2:
Pour a cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot and add a steamer basket. This will keep the beets lifted up, out of the water. (That way you won’t lose nutrients in the cooking water.)
Place the beets on top of the steamer basket and secure the lid. Move the steam release valve to Sealing, then use the Manual or Pressure Cook button to cook at high pressure for 12 minutes.
Step 3:
It will take about 8 minutes for your machine to pressurize, so it will just read “ON” until then. The machine will start counting down once the pressure cooking cycle begins. (You’ll also see the floating valve in the lid pop up, letting you know the machine has pressurized.)
When the Instant Pot beeps to let you know it’s done, you don’t have to do anything right away. Wait 10 more minutes for the pot to de-pressurize. The screen will read LO:10 when that time has passed.
Step 4:
After the 10 minute natural release, you can move the steam release valve to the Venting position to release any remaining pressure. You’ll know it’s safe to open the lid when the floating valve drops.
Gently twist the lid to remove it from the Instant Pot. As a safety feature, the Instant Pot won’t let you open the lid if the pot is still pressurized, so you’ll know it’s safe when the lid feels easy to open.
Serving Tips
Test the beets with a fork for tenderness; they should be easily pierced without feeling mushy. You can serve these right away over a salad or grain bowl. Or you can let them cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.
Storage Tip: Cooked beets can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you want to use these for smoothies, you can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Use Cooked Beets
- Try them on my favorite beet salad with goat cheese.
- Use them in a beet smoothie.
- Add them to a veggie lunch bowl.
- Marinate them in your favorite salad dressing and enjoy them as a side dish!
Instant Pot Beets (Fast as Possible!)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds fresh beets
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Scrub the beets under running water to remove any debris. Then remove the beet greens (save them for another use) and cut the fresh beets into 1-inch cubes. There's no need to peel them, but I do cut away the very top (where the greens were) and bottom of the beet to remove rough areas.
- Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot and fit a steamer basket inside. I use the same steamer basket I use for stove top cooking; there's no need to buy extra equipment. Pour the beets into the steamer basket then secure the lid.
- Move the steam release valve to the Sealing position and cook at high pressure for 12 minutes. It will take roughly 8 to 10 minutes to come to pressure, so the machine will read "ON" until then.
- When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. When the screen reads "L0:10" you can move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve in the lid drops, it's safe to open the lid.
- Test the beets with a fork, to make sure they are tender. It should pierce them very easily, without being mushy. Let the beets cool, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Use them as a salad topper, or in a smoothie for extra nutrients!
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Quinoa
- Panang Curry
- Healthy Zuppa Toscana (high protein and fiber)
- Crispy Baked Tofu
- Detox Smoothie
If you try these Instant Pot beets, please leave a comment below letting me know what you think! And if you try anything different, I’d love to hear about that, too!
Thank you! You should try this silicone trivet with heat-resistant handles. it’s much better than the metal trivet that came with the instant pot. I got it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082XZNGPJ
Hi Megan,
Thanks for all the great recipes you share, and all the work you put into it.
The beets sound good. We eat beets as part of meals, but also like putting them into smoothies. Considering the state of the beets we buy, I don’t feel that I would want to leave them unpeeled. Some have very rough texture to the skin, especially around the stem end.
One comment about the nutritional content. That seems to represent 1 oz of beet, not 4 ounces (approximately 1/4 cup).
Should you also peel them when you remove the greens?