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Perfect Roasted Beets (Or, How To Make Beets That Don’t Suck)

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If you learn my simple trick for how to roast beets, you’ll never look at those funny root vegetables the same way again. Properly roasted beets are a far cry from those soggy tasteless pink slabs that come in a can. Roasted beets are sweet, rich, tender, and an incredible addition to salads – or great on their own! They’re naturally gluten free, paleo and vegan.

How to Roast Beets (To Make Delicious Roasted Beets!) #glutenfree #paleo #vegan #lowcarb #healthy

I’m updating some of my old content, and in doing so, was reminded of this old recipe with, well, let’s just say the photos didn’t do it justice. If you think you’re a beet hater, or you’ve only had beets from a (*gag*) can, or maybe you’ve never bothered to try a beet, I’m here to change your mind.

Give Beets A Chance!

Like many ugly root vegetables (I see you there, turnips), beets get a bad name. It’s a tragedy because, inside their rough, root-y, wire-y, knotty exterior, beets hide a tender meet whose sugars caramelize into something wonderful in the oven. Nature’s candy, you might say.

Then again, you might not. Because everyone knows raisins are nature’s candy.

 

Roasted Beets Are Not The Same Species As Any Other Cooked Beets

The trick to not detesting beets is to avoid eating them in any form that fails to do them justice. So basically, skip them raw, steamed, and especially – ESPECIALLY. I really can’t stress this enough – not canned.

Really, all that leaves is roasting, which is, luckily, the best way to eat a beet. I’m going to share my go-to roasted beets recipe with you. Buckle up.

How to make roast beets – the right way

The secret to perfect roasted beets is this: 350°.

Everyone who I mention this to looks at me funny. Doesn’t roasting mean 400° or higher? Possibly, depending on who you ask.

Most people think of roasting and assume it must be done in a very hot oven, but it primarily means dry heat cooking of something that already has a shape – as opposed to baking in which the cooking process gives the food shape. Think roasting beets, or a whole chicken (solid –> solid) vs. baking a cake (liquid –> solid).

In the case of beets, and other root veggies and high-starch produce like squash, a low-ish and slow cooking process effectively removes enough of the moisture to allow the flavors to deepen, the sugars to condense and caramelize, and the flesh to become tender. If the temperature were higher, the beets would burn before they reached peak shrivel-y sweet-and-tenderness.

By the way, you can use this same method for roasted sweet potatoes.

How To Make Delicious Roasted Beets #glutenfree #paleo #vegan #lowcarb #healthy

How To Prep Your Beets

You an use small or large beets – the size doesn’t matter since you’re going to slice (or chop) them. 

Prep the beets while you preheat the oven.

First clean your beets. You can peel them if you want. Just use a vegetable peeler like you’d use on a carrot, and go slowly – the curves and knots on beets can make your peeler slip, and those things can hurt you! However, I usually skip the peeling and, instead, scrub them vigorously with a coarse sponge or a vegetable brush (fair warning: it may become stained permanently pink!)

Next, remove the leafy tops and the root. Don’t throw away the top! You can use those beet greens in a frittata.

Cube or slice the cleaned and trimmed beets, and toss them with a little olive oil and some salt. If I’m making these just for me, I go with small cubes (about 1/2″ square) for the fastest bake time. If I’m making them for a salad or to spread on a platter with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar (they’re also great with crumbly cheese and chopped walnuts), or really any other time I’m trying to make them pretty, cut them into (approximately) 1/4″ slices. The tradeoff for the prettier presentation is that they may take slightly longer to cook, so plan accordingly!

Learn how to Roast Beets - The delicious way! (#glutenfree, #vegan, #paleo, #lowcarb, and #whole30)

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or a nonstick pad and drizzle it lightly with oil. Transfer the prepared beets to the prepared sheet and make sure there is some space between them. If they’re too close together, the moisture each beet piece lets off as they roast will steam the ones next to it and they’ll get mushy!

Finally, roast them, low(ish) and slow, until they’re tender, sweet, and irresistible!

What to do with your roasted beets

The flavor of these is outstanding on their own, so you don’t have to “do” anything with them so much as sprinkle them with a generous pinch of good salt, and serve them as a side dish. They’re equally appropriate on Thanksgiving or a Tuesday.

You can also put them on a salad (My go-to is a roasted beet and pepita salad). They’re hearty and toothsome, providing a semi-meaty element to make a lunch salad that much more satisfying. If you’re doing a Whole30, these sweet little medallions do a great job standing in for dried fruit in salads.

But if you’re not following Whole30, these are the beginning of an amazing roasted beet salad. Toss them with some fresh baby arugula, some goat cheese, some rosemary, and a handful of toasted nuts, and drizzle it all with extra virgin olive oil and maybe a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of kosher salt, and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper for a simple, yet unexpected, side salad.

You can slice them into a longer thinner shape and make them into fries. (Make sure you reduce your cooking time accordingly so they don’t burn!)

Once roasted, beets keep really well in the fridge for a week or more, and can even be frozen. So if you don’t have a use for these yet, don’t stress. They’ll be ready and waiting!

One last thing

The original post contained the following picture which was too cute not to keep. So, please enjoy this glamour shot of my cat, Henry.

Easy Roasted Beets #whole30 #paleo #vegan #21dsd
 

For a quick recipe video, click here for our new web story!

 

How to Roast Beets (To Make Delicious Roasted Beets!) #glutenfree #paleo #vegan #lowcarb #healthy

Simple Roasted Beets

Yield: 6 servings

Once you learn my simple trick for how to roast beets, you’ll never look at those funny root vegetables the same way again. Properly roasted beets are a far cry from those soggy tasteless pink slabs that come in a can. Roasted beets are sweet, rich, tender, and an incredible addition to salads – or great on their own! They’re naturally gluten free, paleo and vegan.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with a nonstick pad or tinfoil lightly coated in nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2. Rinse, then scrub the beets with a brush or coarse sponge. Transfer to a plastic cutting board (if you use wood/bamboo, it may become permanently stained). Use a sharp knife to cut off the step and root ends of each beet, then chop into 1/2" cubes or 1/4" slices (which are prettier, but take longer to cook).
  3. Transfer cubes to a large mixing bowl and toss with oil, then salt (and other spices of choice, if desired).
  4. Spread the beet cubes in an evenly-spaced layer on the prepared baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until beets are slightly crisp around the edges and tender in the middle. Again, remember that if you sliced the beets into discs or larger cubes, your bake time might be longer.

Notes

  • The reason this recipe doesn't call for peeling the beets is because I don't bother. After scrubbing the heck out of them and then roasting them, I don't notice the skin and it doesn't bother me. If you don't want to eat the skin, feel free to peel them while still raw. The easiest time to do this is when they are still whole, so you can grip each beet by the roots.
  • Store completely cooled beets in an airtight container for a week or more in the fridge, or up to 6 months in the freezer.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 beet
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 92Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 235mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave me a comment and rating, or tag me on Instagram using @nora_acleanbake or #acleanbake!

© Nora (A Clean Bake)
Cuisine: American
Easy Roasted Beets (#glutenfree, #vegan, #paleo, #lowcarb, and #whole30)

 


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Comments

    • Nora (A Clean Bake) says

      Um, yep. They’re super mushy. They’re actually a great, easy way to make beet puree if you need it as an ingredient for something better, but I am not a fan of eating the canned beets straight!

      Reply

  6. Gina B says

    I made these and splashed balsamic vinegar after roasting. Fantastic! Thank you for this easy way to make perfect beets.

    Reply

  7. Pamela says

    After refrigeration, do you serve these cold? If not, what’s the best way to bring them up to hot temp?

    Reply

    • Nora (A Clean Bake) says

      Hi Pamela! I do serve these cold, actually, if I make them in advance. You can toss them with watermelon, feta cheese, fresh mint, and balsamic vinaigrette for a quick salad, or just serve them as a side. If you do want to reheat them, try reducing baking time by 5-10 minutes, then reheat them in the oven (same cooking temp as the recipe) until tender. Watch carefully to make sure they don’t burn!

      Reply

  8. Redsail says

    I love beets and cooking at this lower temp really brought out a richer carmelized flavor. Added a drizzle of balsamic glaze after they were done. Yum! This will be my go to recipe for all future beets.

    Reply

  10. Terri says

    Hi, between the “old” and “new” versions of the recipe… old calls for using large beets and the new calls for small beets. The old recipe calls for slicing the beets, the new calls for chopping. (Can you tell I’m new to beets as a veggie and want to succeed!). Can they be prepared either way? Or which is your preference.

    And thank you for explaining the difference between roasting and baking. Never knew that!

    Reply

    • Nora (A Clean Bake) says

      The size of the beet shouldn’t matter, since you’re cutting them up. If you’d like to reduce cooking time, you can chop them but I like to slice them just for appearances 🙂 Either preparation is fine! Just know that if you’re chopping them, you will be on the shorter end of the second baking time (closer to 15 minutes, rather than 30). Hope that makes sense, but please let me know if you still need clarification!

      Reply

  13. Nancy Dixon says

    Can’t wait to try your beet recipe, they look wonderful. LOVE your kitty, but I’ve never seen a cat or picture of one that I didn’t love !!
    Nancy

    Reply

  16. Hannah says

    Hi! I am excited to try this recipe! I notice that the recipe section says to clean the beets but not to peel them, while the post itself does instruct to peel them. Which way do you do it?

    Reply

  17. Wendy says

    What do you mean by “the second baking time?” You say the second baking time might be shorter depending on how the beets are cut. How long is the first baking time? Looking forward to trying something new!

    Reply

  18. Sally says

    Strange question maybe. The beets in the picture look like they were cut in a circular motion? What method were these cut? They look prettier than just slicing.

    Reply

  19. Cc says

    We cook Red Beets (sliced) in butter on top of the stove in a frying pan.little salt and pepper.right before you serve them poor a little apple cider vinegar on them toss and serve.these were on our table every summer fresh from the garden. We cooked them first and and skinned them.

    Reply

  23. Viktoria says

    am thinking of making this tomorrow. I’ve sliced them into discs very, very thinly, like one quarter of an inch. approximately, how long will it take in the oven, and what setting should i put on the oven, to heat only top, hot air circulation or something else ? also, can they be cooked in the pan (I have a small oven and a lot of beets xD)?

    Reply

    • Nora (A Clean Bake) says

      Not knowing your oven, I can’t answer exactly how long they will take but I would start with half of the baking time called for in the recipe and then start checking them every 5 minutes after that. Put the rack in the center of the oven, and do it in a few batches rather than on the stove. Well, by that I mean, if you want roasted beets, you won’t get them on the stove. You need indirect dry heat like an oven provides for roasting. you might consider sautéing some of them on the stove top if oven space is an issue!

      Reply

  24. Anne Welsbacher says

    You said:
    >You can also put them on a salad (here is my favorite salad recipe that incorporates roasted beets).
    But I cannot find that salad within this text or anywhere on your site. Help!

    Reply

  25. Eva says

    Thank you! I’ve used this exact recipe many times. I like to get beets with a nice head of greens. When beets are done, steam the greens and then add the beets. Season with salt, pepper and cider vinegar to taste. If I can’t find beets with nice greens, I’ll get some chard (same family) to add. So delicious and good for you!

    Reply

  26. Beth Younger says

    Dang! Great recipe. I’ve loved beets since I was a kid—so much do that my
    Mom always told people. But really, I love pickled beets and plain beets. I’ve been buying whole beets (canned) and eating them from time to time. Something made me look up recipes and I found yours. You are so right—canned beets are not even remotely as good as fresh roasted beets. I will always cook them now! (Still like the pickled beets in jars). They are so beautiful too! Thanks again.

    Reply

  27. Amber says

    Simple but delicious! Kinda ate the whole batch by themselves straight out of the oven so I’ll have to try the other uses next time 😉

    Reply

  28. ashley says

    Sounds yummy and healthy! I’ve been getting lots of beets in my organic vegetable deliveries and have been looking for new recipes. I can’t wait to make this tonight, so simple! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  31. Debbie in Texas says

    Tried Golden Beets! No red stain issues and they seem to be sweeter than the red!

    I put the melted unrefined coconut oil and salt in a big plastic zip-lock bag along with the golden beet slices and gently shook & turned them over until everything was well mixed. After roasting I added a dusting of garlic powder as you suggested. This is going to be my new favorite vegetable!!! FANTASTIC! I am embarrassed to tell you, with only 2 ingredients – oil and salt – my expectations were on the low side. In this case, *** LESS IS MORE *** and the roasting made all the difference!! Absolutely perfect!! MANY THANKS!

    Reply

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