Learn how to cook beets in the instant pot. This is the quickest and easiest way to cook tender beets. These are perfect for any Beet Salad or Borscht.
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The Best Way to Cook Beets
Beets are so nutritious and low in calories. Instant pot beets are so fast and easy compared to roasting or any other method that you won’t have an excuse not to eat this hearty and healthy root vegetable. Why you’ll love this method:
- Quick and easy
- Super sweet
- Less messy
- More nutritious than boiled beets (nothing lost to boiling water)
How to Buy Beets
- Stems Attached – Select beets that still have the bright green stems attached if possible because you know they are fresh and haven’t been sitting in storage for a while. You can use the leafy beet greens in soups as we did with our Superfood Borscht, or even add them to a Breakfast Frittata.
- Root Attached – beets should have one long central taproot attached. Avoid beets that also have tiny/hairy roots which indicates the beet is older and tougher.
- Size, Shape, and Color – smaller beets are sweeter. They should have unblemished skin and deep maroon color (unless you are buying a different variety such as pink or golden).
Pro Tip: Taste the beets after they are cooked. Older beets tend to have a more earthy taste and fresher beets are much sweeter. If the beet doesn’t taste good now then it won’t taste good in recipes and you should toss it out.
How to Store Beets
- Remove the leaves. Twist off the beet green stems from the beets just above the beetroot as soon as you buy them, otherwise, they will continue to pull nutrients from the beet. Beet greens are best enjoyed fresh as they do not keep well.
- Do not wash beets before storing and if they do get wet, be sure to dry them thoroughly.
- Refrigerator – Store beets in a perforated plastic bag for ventilation and place them in the vegetable crisper drawer for 1 month or longer.
How to Cook Beets in the Instant Pot
- Scrub Beets – clean the beats and remove any dirt or dust.
- Cut off roots and stems – this will make them easier to peel later
- Pressure Cook – Place a rack in the bottom of a 6 Qt Instant Pot and add 1 cup water. Place beets on the rack in a single layer and cook according to the time chart depending on the beet diameters and desired doneness.
- Cool and Peel – once beets are cool enough to handle, you can peel the skins.
Pro Tip for Peeling Beets: Since beets stain, we highly recommend wearing gloves so you don’t discolor your hands or nails.
Instant Pot Beets Time Chart
These chart timings produce soft beets that are easily pierced with a knife. For beets that are more crisp-tender, reduce cooking time by 5 minutes. Cook the beets on high pressure followed by a quick pressure release.
- Very small beets (1.5” to 1.75” diameter) – 15 minutes
- Small beets (2” diameter) – 20 minutes
- Medium beets (2 1/4” diameter) – 25 minutes
- Medium-large beets (2 1/2” diameter) – 30 minutes
- Large beets (2 3/4” diameter) – 35 minutes
- Extra Large beets (3” diameter) – 40 minutes
Want to cook the beets even faster? You can cut beets in half to reduce the cooking time and base their cooking time on their new diameter.
Common Questions
Check the refrigerator stored beets periodically and discard any that have softened.
If you desire more tender beets, you can cover the lid and pressure cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
Cooked and peeled beets can be refrigerated and stored for 3-5 days in an airtight container. You can also transfer them to a freezer safe container or zip bag, remove any extra air, and freeze for 3-6 months.
Beet skins are edible and rich in fiber. I prefer to peel and discard the skins for most recipes but you can eat the skins.
Beets will cook evenly when they are even thickness. If you have a variety of sizes, you can cut the big ones in half and still cook them together. I base my cooking times on the widest diameter beet in the pot.
If you love Instant Pot Recipes, these pressure cooked beets are a must-try. It’s a wonderful short-cut every beet lover should know.
Beet Recipes
Having cooked beets in your refrigerator or freezer is so handy for making your favorite beet dishes. Use your instant pot beets in these recipes:
- Beet Salad with Arugula – with the best dressing
- Beet Soup – even faster with cooked beets
- Russian Hren (beet horseradish sauce)
- Shuba – layered beet salad
- Creamy Beet Salad – Mom’s classic recipe
Instant Pot Beets Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 medium beets
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Clean beets to remove any dirt or dust. Cut off and discard roots and stems.
- Place a rack into the bottom of a 6 Qt instant pot and add 1 cup water. Place beets over the rack in a single layer, cover with the lid and set the valve to the “sealing” position. Pressure cook on high pressure then do a quick pressure release by carefully flipping the valve to the “venting” position until all of the steam is released according to the pressure indicator.
- Cool the beets and wear gloves to peel the skins.
Notes
Cook all beet sizes on high pressure followed by a quick pressure release.
* Very small (1 1/2” to 1 3/4” diameter) – 15 min
* Small (2” diameter) – 20 min
* Medium (2 1/4” diameter) – 25 min
* Medium-Large (2 1/2” diameter) – 30 min
* Large (2 3/4” diameter) – 35 min
* Extra Large (3” diameter) – 40 min
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi! How would you adjust the recipe if using 3 qt instant pot?
Hi Pamela! I haven’t tested a 3qt so I’m not sure how many would fit. You should be able
To following the cooking times on the widest diameter beet in the pot, but reduce the water amount to 1/2-3/4 cup.
Thank you so much for your great advice and for all your work! You’re the best!
You’re very welcome, Irina!
Beets came out perfect. I use to boil beets and they would lose their color, these didn’t, perfectly red!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Heather!
Whenever I need a recipe I always Google you first. On Tuesdays, I regularly make a meal for several friends who come over. Today I wanted to make the process a little easier so I looked up your Insta Pot pork chops and this beet recipe. They all think I’m a good cook : )
Thank you for always having the best recipes.
That sounds like an awesome tradition & you sounds like an amazing cook! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
In by first comment I made a mistake. I didn’t proof read, bad me. Anyway I said they blood instead of bleed.
Your timing chart was right on!
Thank you so much for all your work.
I need to pickle beets or just can them. How many beets can I get in my 6 quart and how long should I process them? I have all sizes.
Hi Glenda! Please refer to my timing chart above. It’s best to use beets that are similar in size because the cooking time will depend on how large/small they are. Beets will cook evenly when they are even thickness so if you have a variety of sizes, you can cut the big ones in half and still cook them together. If some are too firm, you can cover the lid and pressure cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes. The amount that you’ll fit in your instant pot is dependent on how large/small they are. I don’t have a precise number to give you.
OMGoodness!
I’ve “skinned” beets for 40 yrs by boiling. So messy & unpredictable; waste of water, electricity/gas & time! Compared to Natasha’s Insta-Pot method! Will never boil again. And the taste & color – so much better, having not bled out into the water then poured down the drain. I insta-potted 4 different size batches (to remove skins) in
a quarter of the time! Was able to pickle the beets the same evening:) Never achieved that before! Thanks a million for the great step-by-step AND time/size table!
Had to adapt -mine an 8 qt & were done in less time than specified. Thx again!
I’m so glad this method worked better for you, Lin! I’m so glad you discovered it on my blog!
Do pickled beets need to be fork-tender before canning? I plan on pickling also. Our garden is full of beets.
Hi Natasha! I was getting ready to cook beets (from my garden!) in my instapot & noticed your directions said to put the rack in the bottom of the pot. My pot didn’t come with a rack & I don’t have one. Is there anything I can do?
Hi Linda! You might find this article from Paint The Kitchen Red helpful. They list some alternative methods.
Whatever steamer rack, basket that will fit is fine. everybody has the unfolding satellite dish, right?
I love all kinds of beets. Thank you for sharing this with the timetable!
And since you are such a fabulous 🌹cook, please consider how to make Harvard Beets and share with us.😊(IF you can find them in a store , which is very difficult, they are full of all kinds of not-good-for-you stuff, including HFCs.)
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Cheryl!
Is there a time difference for Gold Beets? The ones I have are medium-sized.
Hi Kylia! You can follow the same instructions for golden beets.
They greens are great to I cook them together don’t toss them, enjoy
I only have an 8 qt instant pot. Do I need to adjust any think when cooking beets
Hi Ann! It may take longer for the 8 quarts to come to pressure than the 6 quarts but once it comes up to pressure your cooking times should be the same.
The minimum amount of water in the inner pot is another think I can thing of…See the manual that came with your 8 qt Instant Pot and/or find the PDF manual online. Per the instructional manual the minimum amount of water for the 6 qt Instant Pot is 1.5 cups and for the 8 qt is 2 cups. Cheers!
I find some instant pot recipes start timing once the unit reaches pressure, yours didn’t specify either way. I went with the start button and your cooking time, didn’t want them over done and they came out great. John
Hi John, good to know that it turned out great! Thank you for sharing that with us.
My grandmother would pour equal amounts of simmered vinegar and white sugar over canned beets and put them in canning jars, can I do something like this in the instant pot, then put in jars and seal? I would think fresh beets would taste better than canned beets
Hi Mary, I have not tested this to advise. You’d have to experiment with it.
After cooking I cut into wedges and put a dusting of black pepper on them. Love them like that warm or cold.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Bob! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful! Very descriptive and your chart on size of beets is so great for my fresh from the garden beets! Thank you!
I’m so glad that was helpful, TB! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!