Roasted beets in foil is the best way for how to roast beets. They are great added to salads or just enjoyed on their own, dressed with a simple vinaigrette. Roasting beets a simple method, so skip buying them beets at the store and make your own. Quick tip: buy some disposable kitchen gloves to minimize the mess!
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. Add roasted beets to salads or enjoy them as a side dish. They are so easy to make. Give this recipe a try.
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- It's easy to roast beets.
- Fresher than the packages of already cooked beets.
- Can do whatever colors of beet you find at the market.
Recipe Ingredients
- Beets: Fresh, raw beets of any color.
- Oil: I use olive oil but avocado or a healthy neutral oil work too (not vegetable oil).
How to Roast Beets
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. To prepare beets for roasting, trim the leaves and stems to about 1-inch of the top of the beet root, then scrub clean under cold running water. I start with this produce wash.
Dry the beets with paper towels. Place a double thickness of heavy aluminum foil on the counter, place whole beets in the center, drizzle with oil (I use olive oil) and wrap them into a tightly sealed packet.
Roast beets for about 45 minutes or until you can pierce them through with a sharp paring knife or a thin tool like a cake tester or metal skewer. 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.
How Do You Store Roasted Beets?
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.
Tips for Handling Beets
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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 but wearing gloves is a much safer bet.
Serving Suggestions
Add to salads, especially with goat cheese, or enjoy roasted beets as a side dish dressed with olive oil and herbs. Orange segments, a sprinkle of pine nuts or toasted pepitas 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.
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.
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.
⭐️Did you Make This Recipe?
If you make these roast beets, 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
How to Roast Beets
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
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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.
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.