How To Roast Beets
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Oven roasted beets have a tender texture and sweet, rich flavor. If you’ve wondered how to roast beets, I’m going to show you! They’re super easy to make and so great for tossing in salads, pickling, or glazed for a dinner side.
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I know beets are a hard sell for so many people, but I love them. And they’re so good for you – loaded with potassium, iron, and fiber, and low calorie. They get a bad rap because people think they taste like dirt, but I think that’s because they’re not cleaned and prepared properly!
Start by making roasted beets and then you can use them in so many ways. I could literally snack on pickled beets every day or make a lovely arugula beet salad for lunch, or my favorite cucumber beet salad (which even sworn beet haters enjoy!)
Helpful Tips
- What to look for when buying beets. Choose ones that are unblemished, firm but tender to the touch, not soft or mushy.
- Scrub them clean first. Beets grow in the ground and are dirty, so make sure you wash them extremely well before they get cooked.
- Lop off the leaves attached, but don’t toss them. Treat the leaves like you would spinach, kale, or your favorite leafy green.
- No need to peel the beets before roasting. When they’re done cooking, their skins basically just rub off with little effort using gloves or a paper towel.
- Roast them whole in foil. Beets are super dense all the way to the center, so don’t bother cutting them. Wrap them loosely in foil, which helps them steam and concentrates their flavor.
- Roast them alone or with other things. You can roast as few or as many beets as you like by themselves or in conjunction with anything else you might be cooking (bread, roasts, casseroles, etc.) The oven temperature is very forgiving.
- Size doesn’t affect the roasting method. It doesn’t matter what size the beets are – small or large – the time might vary, but the roasting method is the same.
- They’re so pretty, but also stain. Cooked beets love to stain your skin and clothes, so have some food prep gloves or paper towels available.
How To Roast Beets
Ingredients
- 4 medium beets
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F with rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- If the beets still have their leafy tops, cut off most of the leafy tops, but leave yourself enough to grip onto (about an inch), then wash and scrub the beets thoroughly.
- Individually wrap each beet loosely with foil (no need to peel or dry them first) and transfer them to the baking sheet.
- Roast until you can easily slide a skewer to the center without any resistance, about 1 hour for medium sized beets. (If your beets are really small, start checking after 30 minutes. You don’t want them to dry out or scorch on the bottoms.)
- Once cool to the touch, trim the stems and root ends. Use a paper towel or food prep gloves to rub off the skins. They will come off quite easily! (If not, use a vegetable peeler, but be gentle.)
- Quarter, slice, or dice your roasted beets for whatever recipe you're using them for.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
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How To Make Roasted Beets Step By Step
You’ll need 4 medium beets. If the beets still have their leafy tops, cut off most of the leafy tops, but leave yourself enough to grip onto (about an inch), then wash and scrub the beets thoroughly.
Individually wrap each beet loosely with foil (no need to dry or peel them first) and transfer them to a foil-lined baking sheet.
Roast in a preheated 400 degree oven until you can easily slide a skewer to the center without any resistance, about 1 hour for medium sized beets. (If your beets are really small, start checking after 30 minutes. You don’t want them to dry out or scorch on the bottoms.)
Once cool to the touch, trim the stems and root ends. Use a paper towel or food prep gloves to rub off the skins. They will come off quite easily! (If not, use a vegetable peeler, but be gentle.)
Quarter, slice, or dice your roasted beets for whatever recipe you’re using them for.
How To Store Roasted Beets
Once roasted, cooled, and peeled, you can keep them whole or slice them up and refrigerate in airtight container for up to 1 week. They also freeze well for several months. Quarter, slice, or dice them and place in freeze-safe storage bags.
More Beet Recipes
- Pickled Beets
- Beet Hummus
- Maple Glazed Roasted Beets
- Pasta with Beet Cream Sauce
- Air Fryer Beets
- Baked Beet Chips
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
I used both your beet recipes…one for roasting and one for pickling. Excellent and my husband loved the beets. I now have to make more.
Love making beets this way! Once they cooled, kept them in the foil & fridge all week, and peeled and used as needed for summer salads. Simply perfect. Thank you Amy!
Great recipe! I had not cooked beets before, so I tried it out! I DEFINITELY recommend this recipe! Easy and everyone loved them!
Yes. Beets were very good.
Made beets for first time using this recipe. To top it all off, I had never really had beets before now. Fixed them just exactly like it called for and they came out just right!
Using them in salads and will pickle a few of them for a “different taste “!!
The roasted beet method is far easier and less messy.
Thanks for this excellent tip!
It was helpful because I was doing 6 beets that had tops and tail removed. I didn’t have that much beet bleed
Loved this receipe and how they taste. So much easier than boiling. Anxiously awaiting to see how they will be after freezing them.
I just made your pickled beets recipe for the first time and took some to a family gathering and they were a hit! Turns out I didn’t take enough because I wasn’t sure if anyone liked pickled beets or not. They did! Now I must make some more and this roasting method was SO easy! Thank you!~
These were reminiscent of the old fashioned pickled beets we used to eat at home. Never imagined I could find them online!
Roasted beets last night using your method, Absolutely delicious!
Easy to do and delicious results. I use this method frequently now.
Is it possible to roast in foil using my air fryer? I’m thinking just reduce the temp to 375°
I’ve never tried this and would have to test it before I can advise.
Just did this. 400 degrees for one hour on the “Bake” setting. I didn’t realize the smell of roasted beets is incredible!
Roasting some now from the Farmers Mkt and will make pickled with the larger ones and toss in salads with the smaller. So easy !!!
I did this this spring with a small batch,but now I have a sink full, could I put them in a pan with foil over the pan and roast them that way?
I have used this recipe for the past 3 years. The beets have more flavor in comparison to boiling. I buy a large quantity once a year, bake them as instructed and package them in 1 quart freezer bags (we prefer the wedge cut) I put up enough to last the year. Last year’s batch still taste as good. Just put up this years. VERY happy with this method.
Perfect amount for a 32 oz mason jar
Very easy!
Going to try this recipe but how many pounds of beets .
Terrific and easy.