This Easy Roasted Beets recipe is a slam dunk every time! These beets are excellent in this Farro Salad or go well with a roasted vegetable medley. Roasting these beets in a salt bed makes them sweet, palatable, and addictive by extracting their natural sweetness.
I first learned how to roast beets while working “behind the line” at Lupa in NYC, where we served them topped with pistachio butter. Now, I love beets. I make a large batch and add them to all my weekly salads and grain bowls.
Essential Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this roasted beet recipe:
Beets: Use any color beets—red, yellow, or rainbow—but keep them similar in size for even cooking. When peeling and slicing, avoid mixing red and yellow with vinegar, as the red will bleed into the yellow.
Water: The water is used to wet the beets so the salt will stick. You don’t need to thoroughly wash the beets; you will take off their skin after roasting.
Kosher Salt: Salt adheres to the beets, extracting water and enhancing their natural sweetness while cooking them from the inside out.s a result, the salt will extract water content and bring out the beets’ natural sweetness.
Red Wine Vinegar: The acidity from the vinegar also helps penetrate the cooked beets to bring out their natural sweetness. You can also add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar for a stronger flavor, in addition to high-quality olive oil, which also helps elevate the flavor.
Find the full recipe with ingredients and directions below.
Step-by-Step Guide to Roasted Beets
Preheat the Oven to 400-425°F.
Cut Off Beet Greens: If you purchased whole beets, save them for another use.
Slicing beet bulbs from their greens.
Rinse Beets under running water to ensure they are wet, which helps the salt adhere. No scrubbing is needed, as you will remove the skin after roasting.
Prep Salt Bed: Line a baking sheet or sheet pan with a thin, even layer of kosher salt. Place the wet beets on top and sprinkle more salt over the tops of the beets.
Roast for 35-55 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife—it should slide in with little to no resistance.
Peel Beets: Allow the beets to cool slightly. While still warm, use a paring knife to peel off the skins. Gloves are optional to avoid staining your hands.
Slice the Beets: Cut the peeled beets in half, then into quarters or eighths, depending on your preference.
Add Vinegar and Serve: Place the cut beets in a large bowl and toss them with vinegar to enhance their natural sweetness. Enjoy them as a side dish, in salads, or as part of your meal prep.
Expert Tips & Tricks
Roast Similar-Sized Beets: Roast beets of similar sizes for even cooking. For varying sizes, check periodically, removing smaller, fully cooked beets while leaving large beets to finish roasting. A beet is done when a paring knife inserts with little resistance.
Fresh Beets Cooked Faster: Freshly harvested beets from the farmers market tend to cook quicker than store-bought ones.
Peel While Warm: Peeling is easiest while the beets are still warm, as the skin slips off effortlessly.
Avoid Returning Peeled Beets to the Salt Bed: Place peeled beets on a clean surface or container, discarding the salt bed and skins once peeling is complete.
Beet Stains Are Temporary: Beets can stain cutting boards and hands. Use gloves or paper towel if desired, or sprinkle salt on the board and scrub with half a lemon to remove stains.
Vinegar Enhances Sweetness: Toss cooked, cut beets with vinegar to enhance their natural sweetness. Red wine vinegar is a favorite, but apple cider or balsamic vinegar also works. Add aromatics like rosemary, thyme, or citrus peels for extra flavor.
FAQs
This wrapped beets recipe skips aluminum foil and uses a baking sheet instead of a baking dish to maximize space. Salt replaces foil by penetrating the beets’ natural compounds, cooking them from the inside out.
If steaming in foil, wrap each beet tightly with oil, salt, and pepper, then place the foil-wrapped beets on a baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. For faster results, try this method in an air fryer.
Beets are full of vitamins and antioxidants. They are high in nutrients and low in calories. They are said to improve digestive health, fight inflammation, support brain health, and improve athletic performance.
Roast for 20-55 minutes, depending on size and freshness. While some prefer to use a vegetable peeler before roasting, it’s unnecessary since the skin easily slips off after cooking.
Yes, they are edible and are packed with exceptional nutritional information! I love them sautéed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a hint of lemon juice.
What to Serve With This Recipe
These beets are excellent as a healthy, gluten-free addition to most meals! Check out my favorite ways below to incorporate them into my weekly dinner and lunch rotation.
Add to a Salad: Add them to this creamy Burrata Salad, colorful Fresh Corn Salad, Simple Cucumber Tomato Salad that takes minutes to make, this super satiating persimmon salad, or this Tabouli Salad that’s so healthy.
Make A Mezze Platter: Add them to homemade hummus (or pulse them into this hummus to make beet hummus) with a drizzle of olive oil, and dip like Guacamole to create a vibrant platter, along with Tirokafteri (spicy roasted pepper and feta dip), and Tzatziki which is cool and refreshing. I even like to add them alongside crispy roasted veggies like roasted sweet potatoes or Brussels sprouts with a drizzle of maple syrup, a crack of black pepper, and a sprinkle of sea salt. Or serve them with this addictive Tomato Confit or other root vegetables like warm roasted vegetables, roasted peppers, or roasted tomatoes to add more color and diversity.
Top or Mix Into A Grain, Rice, Or Pasta Bowl: Add color and taste to a hearty bowl of Bulgur Wheat of healthy farro, simple steamed rice, or nutty pearl couscous topped with a touch of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. These bowls come to the next level if you drizzle a flavorful sauce or dressing on top like this Tahini Sauce or tahini dressing, Creamy Avocado Dressing, or dill sauce, which are all deliciously creamy. Or, you can try this Basil Vinaigrette that’s bursting with flavor.
Serve With Protein: Pair with a simple protein like a soft-boiled egg, pan-seared salmon, or this heavenly and luxurious duck breast recipe.
A spoonful of perfectly roasted beets.
Recipe Variations
Roasted beets can be used in a variety of recipe variations to add flavor and texture. Some ideas include:
- After roasting the beets, drizzle them with balsamic vinegar and olive oil for a sweet and tangy flavor.
- As a serving suggestion, top the roasted, cut, and marinated beets with toasted walnuts or pistachios, arugula, goat cheese, chives or fresh herbs and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for luxurious finish to make a lovely roasted beet salad.
- Add fresh thyme and lemon juice during the marinating process when you mix in the red wine vinegar after the beets have been roasted, for a bright and herbaceous flavor.
- Use golden beets in addition to red beets, but ensure you separate the colors in different containers during the marinating process to prevent the red beet color from bleeding into the golden beets.
How to Store
These beets are perfect for meal prep—healthy, versatile, and easy to store. Make them ahead and refrigerate to let the flavors deepen over time.
Refrigerator: You can store it in an airtight container in your refrigerator for seven days. Add a splash of olive oil to help maintain moisture and flavor.
Freezer: If you need to freeze roasted beets, let them cool completely, then slice or cube them before placing them in an airtight freezer-safe container or bag. While freezing may slightly alter their texture, they can still work well in soups, stews, or blended recipes.
More Easy Vegetable Recipes to Try
- Baby Bok Choy
- Swiss Chard Recipe
- Carrot Chips
- Miso Eggplant
- Beet Greens
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Pickled Carrots and Daikon
- Sautéed Kale
- Roasted Peppers
- Roasted Tomatoes
- Turnip Recipe
- Roasted Vegetables
- Calabacitas
Easy Roasted Beets Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 red beets (any color beet will work), greens removed
- 1 cup Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet with 3/4 of the cup of salt in one even layer.
- Place the beets in a colander and wash them under running water. Then, place them in a single layer on the salt bed. Sprinkle the remaining salt on top of the wet beets.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 35-55 minutes (the roasting time will depend on your oven and the size of your beets). Cook until the beets are tender, and when you insert a knife into the beets, you have little to no resistance. Also, fresh beets tend to cook quicker than store-bought grocery store beets. You can take the tray out and test small beets for around 35 minutes. If there is still resistance, place the sheet tray back in the oven and continue roasting for another ten minutes.
- Once the beets are fully cooked, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
- While the beets are still warm, use a paring knife and carefully peel off their skins. Make sure that the peeled beets do not land back into the salt bed! You want to peel the beets and place them on a clean cutting board. Discard the salt bed. The beets hold a large amount of pigment and will slightly stain your cutting board and hands. You can also wear gloves for this process.
- Depending on their size, cut the beets into quarters or eighths. Then, place the chopped beets in an airtight container. Repeat this process with all the beets.
- Add the red wine vinegar to the chopped beets and Toss to coat the beets with the vinegar, or mix with a spoon or shake the container with the lid on over the sink.
- You can keep these beets in your refrigerator for up to a week! The beauty of this recipe is that the flavor develops the more the beets sit in the vinegar as you create pickled beets.
