Summer’s Bounty Roasted Beets

This insanely easy and delicious recipe for flavorful roasted beets requires only 3 ingredients to make and very minimal preparation! Before developing this recipe, I struggled to cook beets in my home kitchen and thought they were too high-maintenance of a vegetable for me to wrestle with… I was so wrong! 

Roasting the beets elevates their flavor, making them sweeter and caramelized. The texture of the beets also transforms when they’re roasted- going from crunchy and fibrous to buttery, tender, and silky. They really do melt in your mouth and will make you see beets in a whole new light!

These hearty and healthy root vegetables add a gorgeous pop of color to any table spread, and act as the perfect side dish to carnivorous or salt-heavy entrees. Earthy, lightly sweet, and tender, these roasted beets will surprise you with their rich flavor and versatility. 

Scroll down past the recipe to see a few of the ways that I serve these roasted beets! Though delicious on their own, these root vegetables can also be dressed up to make show-stopping salads and side dishes. 

Oven roasted beet in aluminum foil packet
Oven Roasted Beet in Aluminum Foil Packet

Suggested Equipment & Appliances

  • Baking sheet pan 
  • Aluminum foil 

Recipe Yield and Cook Time

  • Recipe Yield: 4-6 Servings
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40+ minutes 
  • Total Time: 50+ minutes

Ingredients

  • 6-8 whole beets
  • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil 
  • Sea salt or kosher salt, to taste
  • Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Under cold water, clean and scrub the beets thoroughly (but with care). Dry the washed beets with a towel gently.
  3. Trim all but 1-2 inches of the beet greens/stems. Leaving the beet stems intact will prevent the beets from “bleeding” red juice while they roast in the oven. 
  4. Rub the beets lightly with a coat of good olive oil, then wrap each individually in aluminum foil. You can wrap up small beets in clusters, but large beets should be wrapped separately. 
  5. Place the foil-wrapped beets either onto a baking sheet pan or directly onto the grates of your middle oven rack. If you decide to place the wrapped beets directly onto the oven racks, place your sheet pan a level below to catch any beet-juices that might seep out while roasting. 
  6. Roast the beets for 40-90 minutes, depending on their freshness and size. They are done cooking when you can easily pierce a beet to the center using a skewer, fork, or knife. Checking the roasting beets every 10 minutes or so will help you get the timing right. 
  7. Once you remove the roasted beets from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes before handling. Unwrap the beets and gently rub each one again under cold running water to remove the skins. Alternatively, you can use paper towels to carefully rub then peel the skins off your roasted beets. Once the beets are roasted to completion, their skins peel off quite easily! 
  8. At this point you can slice the beets to your liking, removing the stems or greens as needed. and season to taste with sea salt or kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, and an optional drizzle of olive oil. 

Tips and Tricks

  • When in the market shopping for beets, try to go for the firmest ones you can find. If squishy or soft, avoid the beet! Also, if you can purchase beets with their stems attached, that’s your best option! 
  • The beet stems/greens that you chopped off can be saved and used in a variety of recipes! Try adding them to a green salad or sauteing with olive oil and garlic. There are thousands of recipes online that feature beetroot greens and stems! 
  • If your beets are looking dry or scorched on the outside during roasting, open up the foil and pour a tablespoon or two of water onto the beet before re-wrapping.  You can also opt to wrap ½ to 1 full tablespoon of butter in with each beet. This can be done either at the start of roasting or mid-way through. 
  • In my experience, medium-sized beets take about 1 hour to roast. Adjust this cooking time to suit the size of your root veggies! If the beet skins aren’t easily coming off, let the beets roast, wrapped, for another few minutes. 
  • These easy and delicious roasted beets can be made ahead of time and keep well for up to one full week! Unwrapped roasted beets will keep for 7 days if stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. Peeled and sliced beets will keep for 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. 
  • If you’d prefer not to foil-wrap the beets before baking, you can lightly oil a baking-dish or sheet pan and lay out the beets so that they aren’t touching. Follow the rest of the instructions as described. 
  • Don’t prepare this dish while wearing a white shirt! Not only will red beet juice stain your clothing, kitchen counter, and sink, it will also stain your hands for a couple of days! I recommend that you wear a smock or apron while removing the skins from the roasted beets. 

Delicious Ways to Serve Roasted Beets:

  • Easy Mediterranean Beet Salad: Cut the roasted beets into ½ inch slices. Toss in a bowl, along with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Garnish with 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil leaves.
  • Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad: Cut the roasted beets into ½ inch slices or bite-sized chunks. Add to a large bowl of spring mix or mesclun mix and toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic glaze, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Top the salad with goat cheese crumbles and serve. 
  • Simple Buttery Roasted Beets: keep it simple by cutting or slicing your roasted beets into your preferred size, drizzle over with melted butter, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper! You can use your preferred butter option for this, whether it be dairy salted or unsalted, or a non-dairy alternative. 

Colorful Roasted Root Vegetable Salad: Chop the roasted beets into small to mid-sized cubes. Combine the chopped roasted beets with chopped roasted carrots, sweet potato, turnips, or a combination! Toss with olive oil and honey, maple syrup, balsamic glaze, or agave nectar. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

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