How to Prepare Beets Easily with an Instant Pot — A Simple Japanese Home Recipe

how to cook beets in an Instant Pot Japanese recipe — A Simple Japanese Home Recipe

1 how to cook beets in an Instant Pot Japanese recipe — A Simple Japanese Home Recipe
2 Why Use an Instant Pot for Beets?
3 Cooking with Beets and Beet Leaves
- 3.1 Final Thoughts

Hello everyone! I’m Maegami from the blog Megami no Maegami (Goddess’s Bangs).
Today’s post is from my Home Cooking Series, and we’re talking about a colorful superfood — beets!

You might know beets from the famous Russian soup borscht, but in New York, they often show up in salads. Personally, I used to dislike beets — they tasted earthy, overly sweet, and cold, which didn’t appeal to me. I also assumed they wouldn’t go well with Japanese dishes.

However, after learning that beets are a powerful superfood packed with nutrients, I decided to give them another try — this time, cooking them my way.

Why Use an Instant Pot for Beets?

The method I’ll share today uses the Instant Pot, making beet preparation easy, fast, and delicious.
Once cooked, you can use these beets in any dish — salads, side dishes, or even Japanese-style meals.

Recommended Kitchen Tools

If you don’t already own an Instant Pot, it’s one of the best investments for busy home cooks! You can cook rice, beans, soups, and even make Japanese dishes like natto, nimono, and chawanmushi.

Here are a few items I personally use and recommend:

Instant Pot Duo 6-Quart 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
👉 Check price on Amazon (affiliate link)
Instant Pot Stainless Steel Trivet (if yours didn’t come with one)
👉 See it on Amazon (affiliate link)
Organic Beetroot Powder (for smoothies or natural coloring)
👉 View on Amazon (affiliate link)

💡 As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Your support helps keep this blog running — thank you!

I’ve finally overcome my fear of beets!

What You’ll Need

3 large beets (or 4–5 small ones — try to choose similar sizes for even cooking)
1 cup of water (about 200ml)
Instant Pot + trivet (comes with the pot)

Beets often come with their leaves attached — don’t throw them away!
They’re full of nutrients, and later I’ll show you how to cook them too.

Trim the leaves, leaving about 2 cm of the stems on the beet roots. Keep the leaves aside for later.

Quick and Easy Beet Prep (No Peeling Needed!)

Many recipes tell you to peel and dice beets before cooking — but that takes time and limits how you can use them later.
My version cooks them whole with the skins on, saving time and effort.

You can store the cooked beets in the fridge with the skin on, then peel and slice when needed — the skin slips off easily.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Wash the beets thoroughly. Farmers’ market beets can be quite muddy. Don’t forget to wash the leaves too.
Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot.
Place the trivet inside the pot.
Arrange the beets evenly on the trivet (cut large ones in half if needed).
Seal the lid and set the valve to “Sealing.”
Select “Pressure Cook” → “High Pressure” → 20 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally (wait for the float valve to drop).
Remove the beets and peel the skins — they should slip off easily.
Slice or dice as you like!

Now your beets are ready to use in any recipe — cube them for salads, or slice them thinly for Japanese-style side dishes.

Cooking with Beets and Beet Leaves

Once you’ve prepped the beets, the fun begins!

For salads: Slice beets, drizzle with sesame oil and salt, then sprinkle sesame seeds on top. The sesame oil removes the earthy smell and pairs beautifully with rice.
For the leaves: Stir-fry with garlic, soy sauce, mirin, and a little avocado oil. It tastes similar to spinach but with a nice crunch from the stems.

If you’re not a garlic fan, skip it — or add a pinch of shichimi (Japanese chili mix) for extra flavor.

Final Thoughts

That’s it! This is my quick and easy method for preparing beets using an Instant Pot.
The result? Soft, sweet beets that melt in your mouth — nothing like the earthy, cold ones you find in store-bought salads.

Beets are great for your health, but don’t overdo it! Eating too many can turn your urine or stool reddish — that’s just the pigment, not a health issue. But if it happens without eating beets, see a doctor.

I hope this inspires you to try cooking beets at home.
If you enjoyed this post, check out my homemade natto recipe using the Instant Pot — it’s another fun and healthy Japanese dish!