Instant Pot Beets

When you use an Instant Pot to pressure cook beets, you can have fork-tender, finger-staining vegetables in 30 minutes, from start to finish!

But did you nonetheless stop buying ’em because you always inadvertently leave them to rot in your crisper? Yeah, I know—it’s hard to find time to roast them in the oven. If you’ve got an Instant Pot, however, I’ve got the solution to your woes: Pressure-steam those magenta beauties!

By using a pressure cooker, you can have fork-tender, finger-staining sweet beets ready to eat in about 30 minutes, from start to finish!  Sure, the cooking time varies depending on the size of your beets, but even gigantic, softball-size beets take just 30 minutes to cook under high pressure. (No Instant Pot? You can use my trusty oven-roasted method to cook up your beets—but you’ll need to allot about 90 minutes.)

Ready to pressure-steam some beets?

Time to make Instant Pot Beets!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 6 small beets (about 2 inches in diameter)
• 1 cup water
• Kosher salt (optional)
• Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
• Balsamic vinegar (optional)
• Extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Equipment:

• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Instant Pot (I like the brand-new IP-DUO Plus60 9-in-1 cooker)
• Steamer insert
• Measuring cup
• Heat-resistant glove

Method:

Wash and trim the beets so that the stems are about ½-inch long and the roots are no more than about 2 inches long. (If you bought beets with the greens attached, reserve the leaves for a tasty stir-fry!)

Grab your Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker) and add 1 cup of water into the insert.

Place a steamer insert inside…

…and arrange the beets in a single layer on top.

Lock the lid and make sure the valve on the lid is pointed at the “Sealing” position. Press the “Manual” button (or “Pressure Cook” if you have the new IP-DUO Plus60) and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.  (Size matters, people. If you have smaller beets, it might take just 10 minutes to cook. Larger beets, however, will take 20 to 30 minutes to cook.)

When the beets are finished cooking, turn off the Instant Pot and manually release the pressure by turning the valve on the lid towards “Venting.”

Unlock the lid. Once the steam dissipates, use a sharp knife to poke the beets. If the knife pierces the flesh without too much resistance, they’re done. If the beets still seem a little too hard, cook them under high pressure for 2 to 5 more minutes.

Once the beets have cooled, slice off the tops…

…and slide the skins off. Now, you can toss the beets into salads or right into your mouth! Of course, if you don’t use gloves, your manicure will be ruined, but it’ll be worth it. (Psst! Try this baking soda trick to get the beet stains off your hands.)

You know what you can make with these cooked beets? Beet Hummus!

I also love making quick pickles with my steamed beets like in this recipe. Simply slice up the beets into uniform pieces…

…season to taste with salt and pepper, and add a liberal splash of balsamic vinegar. Marinate the beets for at least 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, before adding a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil.  (If I’m eating the beets later, I add the olive oil right before I serve it.)

You can keep the cooked beets in your fridge for up to a week.

Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).

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4.75 from 4 votes

Instant Pot Beets

When you use a pressure cooker to steam beets in an Instant Pot, you can have fork-tender, finger-staining vegetables in 30 minutes, from start to finish!

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gluten-free, Instant Pot, paleo, Pressure Cooker, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 53kcal

Author: Michelle Tam

Ingredients

• 6 medium beets about 2 inches in diameter
• 1 cup water
• Kosher salt  optional
• Freshly ground black pepper optional
• Balsamic vinegar  optional
• Extra virgin olive oil  optional

Instructions 

• Wash and trim the beets so that the stems are about ½-inch long and the roots are no more than about 2 inches long. (If you bought beets with the greens attached, reserve the leaves for a tasty stir-fry!)
• Grab your Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker) and add 1 cup of water into the insert.
• Place a steamer insert inside and arrange the beets in a single layer on top.
• Lock the lid and make sure the valve on the lid is pointed at the “Sealing” position. Press the “Manual” button (or “Pressure Cook” if you have the new IP-DUO Plus60) and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.  (Size matters, people. If you have smaller beets, it might take just 10 minutes to cook. Larger beets, however, will take 20 to 30 minutes to cook.)
• When the beets are finished cooking, turn off the Instant Pot and manually release the pressure by turning the valve on the lid towards “Venting.”
• Unlock the lid. Once the steam dissipates, use a sharp knife to poke the beets. If the knife pierces the flesh without too much resistance, they’re done. If the beets still seem a little too hard, cook them under high pressure for 2 to 5 more minutes.
• Once the beets have cooled, slice off the tops and slide the skins off. (Try this baking soda trick to get the beet stains off your hands.)
• I love making quick pickles with my steamed beets like in this recipe. Simply slice up the beets into uniform pieces, season to taste with salt and pepper, and add a liberal splash of balsamic vinegar. Marinate the beets for at least 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, before adding a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil.  (If I’m eating the beets later, I add the olive oil right before I serve it.)
• You can keep the cooked beets in your fridge for up to a week.

Video

Notes

Beet size will affect cooking time. Here's my general guideline for tender (but not mushy beets):

• <2-inch diameter: 10 minutes under high pressure
• 2-inch diameter: 15 minutes under high pressure
• 2 to 3-inch diameter: 20 minutes under high pressure
• >3-inch diameter: 25-30 minutes under high pressure

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Nutrition

Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Fiber: 3g