Roasted beets in foil is one of the simplest and easiest ways to enjoy this wonderful root vegetable with an earthy flavor. Beets come out tender and moist, perfect for adding to salads or enjoying solo with a drizzle of your favorite vinaigrette. With this easy method, you can skip store-bought options and make your own at home.
Roasting beets in foil is the best way to cook beets because it creates a mini steam oven within the foil packet. This helps the beets cook evenly, intensifies their natural sweetness, and retains moisture. They are so easy to make and my favorite way to prepare beets. Give this method a try, but be sure to buy some disposable kitchen gloves first! They will save your hands from staining.
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Roasted beets in foil is a super easy cooking method.
- Fresher than the packages of steamed cooked beets.
- Simple!
Serve roasted beets alongside roast chicken breasts with cashew gravy as a complimentary side dish.
Recipe Ingredients
- Beets: Fresh, raw beets of any color. Beets with the tops still on are the best beets as they are are fresher and have more moisture and flavor than beets with tops removed. I usually buy medium beets in size. Try to buy the approximately the same size so they roast at the same time.
- Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or a healthy neutral oil (but not vegetable oil).
Please see the recipe card for measurement, salt and pepper.
Chef's tip: Roasting beets in foil prevents beet juices from leaking onto the baking sheet, making cleanup much easier. Timing for roasting beets depends on their size. Larger beets take longer; smaller beets roast faster.
Add roasted beets in foil to this kale and roast vegetable salad.
Recipe Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. To prepare to roast beets, trim beet tops leaving about 1 inch of stem then scrub clean under cold water with a vegetable brush. Discard beet greens unless you enjoy them sautéed.
How to Peel Beets
Here are the three methods I've used to peel beets. After roasting beets in foil while they are still warm, trim the top of the beet flat, then peel beets by:
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- Rubbing with paper towels until they are smooth.
- Using a vegetable peeler. I think inexpensive y-peelers do the best job.
- Scraping the skin off with a sharp paring knife.
Beets have high staining power, so handle them with care. Wear a full cover apron (preferably not white!) and have paper towels handy.
Disposable food handler gloves are your best friend when working with beets as they prevent your hands from staining. Buy a box on Amazon or at a kitchen supply store. I use gloves often when working with raw ground meat and high stain foods. They are handy for many things.
Chef's tip on cutting boards: While many people like plastic cutting boards, when working with high stain foods like beets they can stain. I have one I use for photography, but I work on these black Richlite cutting boards. They don't stain, they are available in good sizes as well as custom, are easy to handle, they are durable and knife-friendly.
Serving Ideas
- Add chopped roasted beets to salads, especially with goat cheese or feta cheese.
- Serve as a simple side dish. Dress beets with a drizzle of olive oil, some good balsamic vinegar and your favorite herbs such as chopped chives, fresh parsley, or fresh dill
- Make a french vinaigrette with a little Dijon mustard to toss the beets with. The mustard is a great addition.
- Make a raspberry beet smoothie swapping beet for banana in this raspberry smoothie adding a little sweetener. It sounds crazy but it's delicious.
- Add them to grain bowls with quinoa or rice.
Here is another salad idea for using roast beets, my kale salad with roast vegetables.
Storage Tips
Cut the cooled beets into quarters (or smaller) and refrigerate them for 4-5 days in an airtight container. It's best to use glass and not plastic as beets have high staining power and the plastic may not come clean.
Recipe FAQs
No need to peel beets before roasting. Trim the top leaves and stems to about 1-inch. Use produce wash and scrub them clean, then let them dry. Roasting beets in foil loosens the skins and makes them easy to remove after roasting.
Beets are a good source of folate, magnesium, dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin C and other minerals. You can always find the deep purple-red beets, often golden beets and occasionally the eye-catching, red candy-striped Chioggia. Beets are also a detoxing veggie!
How long it takes to roast beet depends on the size of the beets and the oven temperature. I roast my beets at 400°F wrapped in a double layer of aluminum foil drizzled with olive oil and sprinkles of salt and ground black pepper.
The larger the beets, the longer it takes. Check them at 45 minutes. Open the package and pierce one with a thin metal skewer like a cake tester. Pierce them all of the way through to insure the beets are roasted throughout. If they are not done, let them go a few minutes loner and re-check. Baby beets and small beets will roast a little faster.
More Recipes
Add roasted beets in foil to salads, or simple dress them with a homemade balsamic glaze and serve as a dish dish alongside chicken, pork, or steak.
⭐️Did You Make This Recipe?
If you make roasted beets in foil, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Beets in Foil
Equipment
- Foil for roasting
Ingredients
- 1 ½ - 2 pounds raw beets with tops about 5 medium beets
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt to taste
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Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim off the beet leaves and stems to within 1-inch of the beet. Scrub beets under cold water and dry them with paper towels.
- Place a double thickness of heavy aluminum foil on the counter, large enough to hold the beets. Place beets in the center, drizzle with oil and a sprinkle of salt and wrap tightly into a foil packet. Place packet in the oven and roast until beets are cooked through and tender. Use a thin metal skewer (like a turkey lacer or pins) or a metal cake tester. They should easily pierce through the beets when ready.Test beets at 45 minutes. Continue about 15 minutes longer if needed. Timing will depend on the size of the beets.
- Remove beet packet from the oven and cool a few minutes. Slice off the top where the stem was. When beets are cool enough to handle, unwrap and peel one of three ways: rub off with paper towels, use a y-vegetable peeler, or a sharp paring knife. Be sure to wear disposable gloves. Beets are ready to eat or add to a salad or other recipe. Beets will last 4-5 days, covered, in the refrigerator.
Jamie says
I start with the olive oil and salt then add a table spoon or two of Balsamic Glaze, it really brings out the sweetness of the beets.
Sally says
Agreed Jamie! The balsamic syrup is nice with the beets. If you eve need to make it try the recipe https://afoodcentriclife.com/strawberries-with-balsamic-reduction/
Michelle K says
Madonna, your comment really got me laughing; and I agree!
Very timely recipe Sally as I just this week got 2 batches of beets in my organic veggie box. It will be my first time roasting them, and I look forward to following your recipe and tips, thank you!
Debbie Burgess says
This is the way I do my beets. They are unbelievably sweet when roasted. I like your recipe, too.
Another yummy thing to do is saute the greens and plate them up with warm sliced beets over top. Dress with crumbled goat cheese and a drizzle of really good balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle some pepitas over the salad for a bit of textural contrast (crunch). There; you now have a Warm Beet Salad with Chevre and Balsamic Vinegar.
Madonna says
I always hated beets until I tasted them roasted. Now I love them with goat cheese. I had only known them as canned before and thought them inedible. The person that came up with the canning method has a lot of explaining to do. Thanks for another keeper.