My new favorite way to prepare beets: the glorious Instant Pot. Perfectly cooked beets are ready in about 30 minutes and perfect for snacking, spiralizing, salads and more.
So I’ll preface this post by saying that I never would have thought I’d be writing about beets, let alone having my first Instant Pot recipe be sharing how to make Instant Pot beets. But here we are!
This may or may not come as a surprise but I didn’t even have my first beet until my early twenties. Growing up in a household with non-adventurous eaters, I didn’t try much until I was in my early twenties post-college. Yes, AFTER college was when I started trying waayyy more foods and finding that eating healthier wasn’t scary after all.
I remember being out to dinner on a work trip in downtown LA (my first time visiting) and my boss had ordered this beet salad that looked really good. I thought, “What the heck? I’m in LA and should give beets a try.” And so I did. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the salad. And that was my first introduction to beets.
I think some people stay away from beets because they don’t know how to cook them or are unsure of what to do with them. I used to do the same thing; I would stay away from produce in the grocery store that looked unfamiliar, or even if I did recognize it but wasn’t sure how to prepare it I’d just continue walking by.
But guys, this is where the Google is your BFF. Google that shit and just see what that ambiguous fruit or veggie is all about.
While I understand beets aren’t for everyone, I highly recommend at least giving them a try. They’re rich and earthy and quite delicious when used in a variety of dishes.
How to Make Instant Pot Beets
- Scrub beets as well as you can. You’ll be cooking them in their skins and then removing the skins after they’re cooked.
- Place steaming rack inside Instant Pot and fill with 1 cup of water.
- Cut off stems, about an inch from the base and place beets on steaming rack in one layer; not piling on top of each other.
- Using Instant Pot manual mode and vent in the sealing position, cook beats for 15 minutes. Larger beets may need about 20 minutes.
- Rinse beets under cold water, trim the ends and you can gently peel the skins right off.
What to do with Instant Pot Beets
Once these instant pot beets have been cooked the possibilities are endless.
- Quarter the beets for snacking.
- Chop them for salads.
- Spiralize them into noodles for a side dish.
- Use them for recipes such as falafel, veggie burgers, bruschetta and more.
No matter you decide to do with these instant pot beets, they’re perfect!
Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too. Xx Ashley
PrintHow To Make Instant Pot Beets
My new favorite way to prepare beets: the glorious Instant Pot. Perfectly cooked beets are ready in about 30 minutes and perfect for snacking, spiralizing, salads and more.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 beets 1x
- Category: vegetable
- Method: instant pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- raw red or golden beets
- 1 cup water
- Instant Pot or pressure cooker
Instructions
- Place steaming rack inside Instant Pot (pressure cooker) and fill with 1 cup water.
- Scrub beets to remove as much dirt as you can; cut off stems about one inch from base.
- Place beets on steaming rack in one layer; not piling on top of each other.
- Using Instant Pot manual mode and vent in the sealing position, cook beats for 15 minutes. Larger beets may need about 20 minutes. Smaller beets about 2″ in diameter may only need 10 minutes.
- Once the timer goes off, carefully manually release the pressure (keep face away!).
- Use tongs to remove beets and place them in colander; rinse beets under cold water and gently rub skins off.
- Place beets on cutting board and trim ends off. Cut into quarters, slices or make into noodles for easy meal prep. Or keep whole and use in various recipes.
Keywords: ways to cook beets, how to cook beets, what to do with beetroot, instant pot beets
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Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
I’m the same way; we never had beets growing up and I didn’t try them until after college as well! They are so good roasted too 🙂
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
Wow, the beets look so perfectly cooked this way! I personally used to think that I wouldn’t like beets either, but I actually grew up eating beet soup with rice, not knowing that it was made with beets! LOL! Anyways, I might have to start cooking with beets more often given that this method is so easy. Yay for more beet salads once I get hooked!
Ula says
My IP doesn’t have the Manual option, what should I pick then and how long? Thank you!
Ashley says
Do you have a “pressure cook” button? I’m not sure what kind of instant pot you have but if has that, use that button with same time.
Yvette says
Excellent recipe! And sooo easy too! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Terri says
Great instruction. I might add, don’t forget to steam the greens. They’re super delicious and highly nutritious!!!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Thanks Terri! Great idea with the greens.
Barbara says
My father-in-law was just complaining how long it took him to cook the beets from his garden. Hours upon hours, he said. Today, I got my Instant Pot and as I was trying to decide what to try first, he brought me some beets. A great first try! Twenty minutes and they came out so tender I had to use tongs to pick them up, they would not stay on a fork. Oh my, they are so good. Thank you for helping me through my virgin run!
★★★★★
Ashley says
Glad it was helpful, Barbara! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂