How to Cook Beets In Slow Cooker or Instant Pot To Eat, Freeze, or Pickle

5 from 1 vote

Slow cooker beets cooked to perfection with minimal effort in a crockpot or Instant Pot, for salads, pickling, and freezing.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: -5 pounds

Calories: 98kcal

Wash well and trim both ends, but do not peel. Try to make all the beets similar in size by cutting any large beets in half.

Pour 1 cup water into the crockpot. Add as many beets as you can fit in your slow cooker, usually around 3-5 pounds.
Cook on high for 3-4 hours, depending on size. Use a fork or sharp knife to test doneness. Remove any that are done to a large metal or glass bowl, if needed, and cook another 30 minutes to an hour, depending on size.

Place 1 cup of water in the bottom of an instant pot. You can use a trivet or just place the beets in the water like we do in the slow cooker.
Place trimmed beets (large ones cut in half) in pot.
Attach lid, set valve to seal and cook on manual high pressure for 20 minutes, then let natural release for 10 minutes. Quick release if needed. Note: if all your beets are on the smaller size, cook for 15 minutes.

Let the beets cool a little then place the crock or metal liner full of beets in the sink and cover the beets with cool water. Use rubber gloves to rub the skins off, if you prefer (I haven't found any staining that couldn't be washed out, so I usually don't bother).
Slice or cut into chunks as needed for recipes.

Storing & Using:

Fridge: You can store cooked beets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing Beets: You can slice or chop the beets to freeze in recipe-sized amounts and they will last up to a year! See how to freeze beets for all the details.
Pickling Beets: Slice and add the beets to a pickling liquid and then water bath can for 18 month storage OR store in the fridge for up to a year. See how to make pickled beets for all the steps.