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    Home » Recipes » Cooking Basics & How To

    How to Roast Beets

    Published: Oct 7, 2012 · Modified: Jul 12, 2022 by Sally Cameron · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

    15997 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Beets are super nutritious and a great way to add more vegetables to your diet, plus they are easy to make. If you don't know how, here is how to roast beets.

    red and gold roasted beets
    Red and gold roasted beets on plate.

    Beets are a love-hate vegetable. People seem to be either in the “dirt” camp (hate them) or the “earthy” camp (love them). Even though my husband hates them, I love them and often roast fresh beets for myself. I add roasted beets to salads or enjoy them as a side dish. They are so easy to make.

    How to Roast Beets

    Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Trim the leaves and stems close to the top of the beet root, then scrub clean. Dry the beets with paper towels. Place a double thickness of heavy aluminum foil on the counter, place beets in the center, drizzle with oil ( I use olive oil) and wrap them into a tightly sealed packet. 

    Roast beets for 45-60 minutes or until you can pierce them through with a sharp paring knife. Timing will depend on the size of the beets. When the beets are tender, remove them from the oven and cool until you can handle them.

    Use Food Gloves to Handle Beets

    Beets have high staining power, so handle them with care. Wear a full cover apron and have paper towels handy. To remove the outer layer, rub the beets with paper towels until they are smooth.

    If you have disposable food handler gloves, wear them to prevent your hands from staining. Buy a box on Amazon. I use gloves often when working with raw ground meat and high stain foods. They are so handy. If you don’t have gloves, scrub your hands with soap and water right away and most of the stain should come off.

    Colorful Beets in Foil, Ready to Roast

    Nutritious Beets

    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!

    Rubbing the Skins off Roast Beets

    Serving Ideas: Salads or Side Dish

    Cut the cooled beets into quarters and refrigerate them for 4-5 days. Add to salads or enjoy as a side dish. My favorite salad is roast beets on tossed greens with a light vinaigrette and a little goat cheese. Orange segments, a sprinkle of pine nuts and some fresh chopped mint leaves add beautiful color and flavor.

    To serve roast beets as a side dish, sprinkle with fresh chopped chives and drizzle with a little good olive oil, salt and pepper. You can also make a vinaigrette with a little Dijon mustard to toss the beets with. The mustard is a great addition. Here is another salad idea for using roast beets, my kale salad with roast vegetables.

    How to roast beets

    📖 Recipe

    How to roast beets

    How to Roast Beets

    Sally Cameron
    Beets become sweet when roasted and are wonderful as a side dish or added to salads.  If you enjoy dairy, roast beets are delicious with goat cheese, orange segments, a sprinkle of pine nuts and a little chopped fresh mint. Serve on their own or atop salad greens or with micro greens.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 servings
    Calories 159 kcal

    Equipment

    • Foil for roasting

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 small beets or 3 large ones red, gold or a combination
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees (204 C). Trim off the beet leaves and stems, if there are any. Scrub beets under running water and dry them well 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 wrap tightly. Place packet in the oven and roast until a sharp paring knife easily pierces the beets through to the center. 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. When cool enough to handle, unwrap and cut beets into quarters or smaller pieces. Beets will last 4-5 days, covered, in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    Serving ideas: Add beets to a tossed green salad with goat cheese (skip for vegans). Add orange segments, pine nuts, and chopped mint leaves for more color and flavor. Dress with a light vinaigrette made with olive oil and white Balsamic vinegar or Champagne vinegar.
    To serve beets as a side dish, sprinkle with chopped chives and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 4gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 176mgPotassium: 731mgFiber: 6gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 74IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jamie says

      October 21, 2012 at 9:03 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        October 21, 2012 at 2:10 pm

        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/

        Reply
    2. Michelle K says

      October 18, 2012 at 2:50 pm

      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!

      Reply
    3. Debbie Burgess says

      October 08, 2012 at 4:42 am

      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.

      Reply
    4. Madonna says

      October 07, 2012 at 9:05 pm

      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.

      Reply

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    chef sally cameron | afoodcentriclifecom.bigscoots-staging.com

    Welcome! I'm Sally, a classically trained chef (but you don't have to be!). My passion is cooking fresh healthy food and sharing it with others.

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