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Cooking beets in the Instant Pot is quick, easy, and perfect every time! These Instant Pot beets are tender and super easy to peel, plus the method is totally hands-off. We love to make our beets this way, then use them in salads or any other recipe that sounds good.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Cooking beets in the Instant Pot seriously couldn’t be easier! This method is faster than roasting beets in the oven or boiling or steaming them on the stovetop.
Beets are like, ridiculously good for you. They’re low in calories and high in nutrients, with a hefty dose of folate and manganese, and studies have shown they have the ability to bring down blood pressure levels.
Instant Pot beets can be used in a variety of ways! Enjoy them as-is as a snack or side, cut them up and throw them on a salad, or blend them into a smoothie. Since there’s nothing extra used here, these beets work in any recipe that calls for cooked beets.

Key Ingredients

Beets – Choose beets that are similar in size so that they cook evenly. Smaller beets will be sweeter, so keep that in mind when you’re picking them out!

Chef’s Tips

Not only are they sweeter, but smaller beets also cook faster, so you’ll want to adjust the cook time accordingly! For beets that are only about 2″ in diameter, you’ll only need to cook them for 15-20 minutes or so.
Wear disposable gloves when you’re peeling and cutting the cooked Instant Pot beets to keep your hands from being stained by the beet juice! Be careful, too, with any clothes, aprons, or dish towels you wear or use during this process. If you do get juice on something, this Today article has handy tips for getting beet juice out!
The timing here is approximate, so use the fork method to make sure your beets are cooked through! Like with potatoes, you should be able to insert the tines of a fork into the Instant Pot beets without much resistance. If the beets aren’t that tender, back in the pot they go for another 1-2 minutes on Manual High Pressure. Repeat until you’ve got the perfect beet texture.

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Recipe By: Cheryl Malik

Instant Pot Beets

Prep 15

Cook 30

Total 45

6 servings

Equipment

Cutting board and sharp knife
Instant Pot
Instant Pot trivet

Ingredients

▢ 6 large beets approximately 3" in diameter, roughly 1 ½-2 pounds total
▢ 1 cup cold water

Instructions

Scrub beets well. Trim greens off, leaving a 1-inch stem. Don't slice or chop beets.
Pour cold water into bottom of Instant Pot, then add trivet and set clean beets on it. Secure lid on Instant Pot with valve in Sealing position and set to Manual High Pressure for 20 minutes.
After 20 minute cook time is up, Natural Release pressure for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully Quick Release any remaining pressure. Carefully transfer cooked beets from Instant Pot to cutting board and let cool to touch.
Once cooled, gently press beets with fingers to peel away skin. The skins should slip off easily with pressure. Serve peeled beets as desired.

Wear disposable gloves to avoid staining your fingers with beet juice.
Note that the cook time is approximate, based on the size, age, and number of beets you’re cooking and the specific Instant Pot you use. Smaller beets will need a shorter cook time. For beets that are only 2″ or so in diameter, you’ll only need to cook them 15-20 minutes.
You should be able to insert the tines of a fork into the cooked beets without much resistance. If the beets aren’t that tender, return them to the Instant Pot and cook them an additional 1-3 minutes on Manual High Pressure.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 49calProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 90mgPotassium: 369mgTotal Carbs: 11gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gNet Carbs: 8gVitamin A: 37IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg