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Roasting beets brings out their naturally sweet flavor better than any other cooking technique. It’s easy to do and beets are plentiful year round, so you can toss them into your salads or enjoy them on their own.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Beet varieties: This roasting method works with any kind of beet (red, golden, or candy cane-striped beets). I like golden beets because they don’t stain surfaces the way red beets do. If you are roasting different kinds of beets at the same time, roast them in separate pans. Otherwise, the juices from the red beets will bleed into the golden beets and change the color.
- Buying: Pick beets that are firm and hard, not squishy. Avoid any beets that have soft spots or are wrinkled. If available, select beet that have their greens still attached.
- Trimming: Trim the beet greens off about 2 inches above the root. If you get too close, the beets will bleed. If you leave too much, the stem will continue to pull moisture out of the beets. Use beet greens in place of Swiss chard or spinach in soups or salads or blend into your next green smoothie (use beet greens within 1-2 days).
- Storing: Store raw, unwashed beets in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Store loose in your crisper drawer or in a plastic bag with holes cut in it for humidity circulation.
- Washing: Scrub beets well in cold water right before using.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove tops and scrub beets well under cold water. Lightly oil beets and season with salt and pepper.
- Place in small baking dish (a loaf pan works well) and cover with parchment paper. Use a different dish for each color of beets to avoid color contamination.
- Bake until tender when pierced with a skewer, about 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven, remove parchment paper, and immediately cover baking dish with plastic wrap. Allow beets to steam for 15 to 20 minutes to loosen skins.
- Rub off skins with fingertips or paper towels. Slice or cut into wedges, cubes, or matchsticks.
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How to Roast Beets
Ingredients
- 1 pound beets unpeeled, any variety (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove tops and scrub beets well under cold water. Lightly oil beets and season with salt and pepper.
- Place in small baking dish (a loaf pan works well) and cover with parchment paper. Use a different dish for each color of beets to avoid color contamination. Bake until tender when pierced with a skewer, about 45 to 60 minutes.
- Remove from oven, remove parchment paper, and immediately cover baking dish with plastic wrap. Allow beets to steam for 15 to 20 minutes, to loosen skins.
- Rub off skins with fingertips or paper towels. Slice or cut into wedges, cubes, or matchsticks.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Beet varieties: This roasting method works with any kind of beet (red, golden, or candy cane-striped beets). I like golden beets because they don’t stain surfaces the way red beets do. If you are roasting different kinds of beets at the same time, roast them in separate pans. Otherwise, the juices from the red beets will bleed into the golden beets and change the color.
- Buying: Pick beets that are firm and hard, not squishy. Avoid any beets that have soft spots or are wrinkled. If available, select beet that have their greens still attached.
- Trimming: Trim the beet greens off about 2 inches above the root. If you get too close, the beets will bleed. If you leave too much, the stem will continue to pull moisture out of the beets. Use beet greens in place of Swiss chard or spinach in soups or salads or blend into your next green smoothie (use beet greens within 1-2 days).
- Storing: Store raw, unwashed beets in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Store loose in your crisper drawer or in a plastic bag with holes cut in it for humidity circulation.
- Washing: Scrub beets well in cold water right before using.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Hello Meggan,
Love the recipes with a Wisconsin,Midwestern touch since I live in Kenosha Wisconsin. Everything I have made so far is easy and good. Keep up the good work and stay true to your Midwestern roots. Great website. ☺️
Hi Patricia, thank you so much! -Meggan
Thank you! I am so glad you shared this recipe. These were so tasty.