Cooking beets is quick and easy in a pressure cooker! Here’s how to make Instant Pot beets, which is half the time of oven roasting.

We have a confession: Alex and I used to rarely cook beets. It’s not because we don’t like them. It’s because they so long to cook! The oven roasting method for beets takes about 1 hour. We’ll admit: that seems like a big hurdle most days. (Even though we do projects that take hours, like sourdough bread. Go figure!) But now, we’ve found a way to cut the time in half! Enter: the Instant Pot. Instant Pot beets take about 30 minutes total. And they come out tender and juicy every time! It’s so fast and easy, we can’t stop making beet recipes. Big win over here. Here’s exactly how to make Instant Pot beets, and a few ways to eat them!

How to make Instant Pot beets

Here’s our method for how to make beets in an Instant Pot. As you’ll see, there’s a bit of variation based on the size of the beets. You’ll need to estimate the timing, and then adjust as necessary. It makes for perfectly cooked, tender beets in just 30 minutes. Though the Instant Pot doesn’t always cook things faster, in this case pressure cooker beets are half the time of roasting in the oven.

Step 1: Clean the beets.

Wash the beets well under cold water.

Step 2: Slice off the root and the stem.

Slice off the stem and root end of each of the beets. (You can save the beet greens: here’s the best recipe for beet greens! And here’s how to store beets for later.)

Step 3: Pressure cook on High for 12 to 20 minutes.

Because beets vary in size, the timing will vary based on the size of the beets. You’ll have to estimate the timing based on the beet size. Pressure cook on High for 12 minutes for very small beets and about 18 minutes for very large beets.

Remember that it will take about 5 minutes for the Instant Pot to “preheat” and come up to pressure before the cooking starts.

Step 4: Test doneness.

Because the method is variable, you’ll need to test to see if the beets are tender. Use a clean knife and insert it into one beet. If the beet is very tender and the knife slides right in, the beet is done. If there is a little resistance to the knife, pressure cook on High again for 1 to 2 minutes and test again.

Step 5: Rinse and peel.

When the beets are done, rinse them and slip off the peels with your fingers: they’ll come right off! And that’s it: perfect Instant Pot beets in half the time of oven roasting!

What kind of Instant Pot to use?

Pressure cooker brands can vary, so keep that in mind as you make this recipe! Alex and I use the Instant Pot brand (Instant Pot is the brand name; Instapot is a slang variation). We use the Instant Pot 6 Qt Programmable Pressure Cooker.

This recipe is customized for a 6 quart pressure cooker. We also can’t speak to other brands and types of pressure cookers. For example, Instant Pot Mini works differently, so use it at your own risk!

Beet recipes

Now that you’ve got cooked beets, there are so many ways to eat them! Here are some beet recipes:

This recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.