How to Make Roasted Beets

Make roasted beets in the oven with this easy foil method. Both red and golden beets are perfectly earthy, moist, tender, and just a bit sweet when roasted. Enjoy as a simple side dish or in my Roasted Vegetable Kale Salad!

People tend to fall into one of two camps when it comes to beets: they either love them, or they hate them.

Personally, I love beets! Ever since I learned how to roast beets, I’m ALL OVER these things. Plus, roasting beets makes them naturally sweet so even picky eaters love them too!

ROASTED BEETS

You’ve heard that we’re supposed to “eat the rainbow,” right? Well, most beets are red, which isn’t a color that’s easy to come by for vegetables. So, when they are in season, we take advantage and eat them weekly. Plus, the Mayo Clinic says that it’s hard to beat the health benefits of beets!

This roasted beets recipe is my preferred method, because:

• It’s mostly hands-off
• You don’t have to peel the beets with a vegetable peeler
• Just set the kitchen timer and walk away
• You can roast beets WHILE you’re cooking other things too
• It’s much cheaper than buying oven roasted beets from the store

Plus, eating roasted beets turns your pee red. Okay, maybe this isn’t a reason to make them, exactly, but if you have picky eaters, sometimes a fun fact like this is all you need to convince them to try something new!

BUYING BEETS FOR ROASTING

Should you buy beets with the stems and greens, or just the beetroots? It’s up to you. The stems can be used the same way you use Swiss chard or collard greens. We LOVE my Caramelized Onions and Swiss Chard recipe, but for us, the flavor of the beet stems and greens is just too powerful. We prefer to buy just the beetroot itself.

If your family finds the taste of red beets too strong, try golden beets. They’re yellow and MUCH milder in flavor.

HOW TO ROAST BEETS IN THE OVEN (IN FOIL)

You only need three ingredients and supplies to roast beetroot in the oven:

• Whole beets (unpeeled if you’re using foil).
• Aluminum foil. Required if your beets aren’t peeled. (See my note below on roasting beets without foil).
• A baking sheet (here’s a set I like).

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425F.

Step 2: Wash and scrub the beets. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil. You may want to place the wrapped beets on a rimmed baking sheet just in case they leak. (That always happens to me with roasted sweet potatoes!)

Step 3: Bake in the oven for 35-45 min, using a fork or a sharp knife to test for doneness. Small beets will cook faster. The beet is done when a knife or fork easily pierces the beet (once you get through the foil).

Step 4: Use an oven mitt to remove the beets from the oven and, still using the oven mitt, carefully remove the foil from the beet. Set the beet aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Step 5: Once the beet is cool enough to handle, place the beet under running tap water and use your fingers and thumb to rub the skin off. It should come off fairly easily.

Step 6: Then use a knife to cut off the stem and root of the beet.

Step 7: Serve whole or sliced or cut as desired.

Note: Knowing how long to roast beets is like baking potatoes. Set the timer for the minimum time and poke them with a fork to see if they’re done. Large ones will need more time, small ones will need less time. You can also adjust the temperature a bit if you’re cooking something else at the same time but remember that beets will take longer to cook at a lower temperature.

Oven roasted beets keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

HOW TO ROAST BEETS WITHOUT FOIL

The process for roasted beets without foil is a little different. When you use foil, the beet essentially steams inside. This is what makes the peel so easy to remove.

When you don’t use foil, you remove the steaming option, and you have to peel the skin off first.

1. Peel the skin using a Y-peeler.
2. Roast the beets in the oven whole or cut as desired. You may want to toss the beets with a bit of olive oil if you peel and cut them before roasting. Roasting time will vary depending on the size of your beets.
3. Let cool and enjoy.

ROASTED BEETS RECIPE FAQS

WHAT TO SERVE WITH ROAST BEETROOT

These roasted beets are delicious as a side dish on their own! I personally like to quarter my oven roasted beets and serve them with a little salt and black pepper.

• Add a drizzle of butter or balsamic vinegar.
• Sprinkle the beets with feta or goat cheese.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice or orange juice for a bright finish.
• Top with toasted walnuts.
• Sprinkle with fresh herbs.

If you dice them, they’re GREAT in roasted beed salad like my Roasted Vegetable Kale Salad. That recipe also calls for other roasted root vegetables like carrots, which is a great compliment to beets. Plus, like beets, roasted carrots are on the sweet side too.

Really, they are a great roasting complement to almost any fall root vegetable, like these October and November produce selections, so mix and match with seasonal favorites for added flavor and variation.

MORE YUMMY ROASTED VEGGIES