How to Cook Beets
Published 2/24/2023
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Ever wonder how to cook beets? This root vegetable may look intimidating, but we’ve got the easiest way to make ’em right here. Follow this simple roasted beets recipe for a healthy side dish that is just as delicious as it is nutritious.
Delicious Beets Recipe
You’ve done it. You’ve bought a bunch of fresh beets instead of the canned ones you normally buy. Congratulations! But now you’re wondering how you get from A to B, and we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Here’s a secret: cooking beets is actually quite simple! And guess what? You don’t even have to PEEL your beets for this easy recipe. All you need is a bit of prep, then wrap ’em up in some tin foil and roast them in the oven — that’s it!
All Things Roasted Beets
Although it’s not required to roast beets, this is our absolute favorite way to cook them because the red beets get super silky and tender. Wrapping them in tin foil helps trap the moisture, which will concentrate the beet’s flavor, so they’re extra tasty! Plus, it’s the fastest way to cook them.
Beets have an earthy taste and natural sweetness that can be compared to spinach or chard.
Nope! There’s no need to peel your beets before or after baking them. The skin is perfectly edible and almost falls right off after the cooking process. We like to peel ours after, as we prefer the texture that way, but it’s totally up to you!
beets nutrition
Beets are very nutritious and contain many essential vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds that provide all sorts of health benefits.
Some of these include fiber, potassium, folate, magnesium, and vitamin C. Here are just a few of beets’ top nutrients:
- Low in calories
- High in vitamins and minerals
- Help lower blood pressure
- Can improve athletic performance
- Fight inflammation
- Can improve digestive and brain health
What You Need to Roast Beets
- Beets: you can use medium or large beets; just be sure that the size of the beets are relatively the same for even cooking.
- Olive oil: oil helps the seasoning adhere to the beets and gives them extra flavor.
- Salt & pepper: we kept it simple and used salt and pepper to season our beets, but feel free to season them as you wish!
Shopping for Beets – How to Pick the Best Beets
To get the best quality beets, pick beets that are hard, not soft or squishy. If available, choose beets that still have their big leaves attached.
It’ll be a better bang for your buck as the leafy green will make a great addition to stir-fries, pasta dishes, or any other dish that could use some greens.
How to Roast Beets
Learn how to roast beets with this super simple tutorial!
PREHEAT OVEN
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and cut an 8 x 8-inch piece of tin foil (these measurements don’t have to be exact, the tin foil just has to seal around the beet).
PREP BEETS
Next, rinse the beet under water and cut off the root end of the beet with a sharp knife, and then cut the beet into fourths. Set the beet in the center of the tin foil and drizzle the beet with olive oil and season it with salt and pepper.
WRAP IT UP
Wrap the tin foil tightly around the beet and place the beet on a baking sheet.
Pro Tip: we like to place our tin-foil-wrapped beets on a baking sheet just in case the tin foil leaks.
ROAST & PEEL
Roast the beat for 30-40 minutes (depending on how large the beet is) or until each beet is fork tender. Remove the beets from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before carefully peeling off the skin. The beet skins should come off fairly easily while the beets are still warm.
Serve your beets and enjoy!
Seasoning Ideas
Rather not use only salt and pepper? Feel free to use any other fun spices and herbs to jazz up your beets, including:
Spices
- allspice
- cumin
- cinnamon
- paprika
- caraway seeds
- curry
Herbs
- thyme
- tarragon
- dill
- parsley
- mint
- basil
- coriander
try it!
Roasted Beet Pasta
Use your roasted beets in our amazzzing roasted beet pasta recipe! You’ll absolutely love this dish.
Serving Suggestions
The slightly sweet and earthy flavor of beets tastes fantastic with many kinds of meats, veggies, grains, and starches. Here are some of our favorite recipes on Fit Foodie Finds that pair deliciously with beets:
Meats
Veggies
- Arugula Salad
- Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Grilled Mexican Street Corn
- Balsamic Sea Salt Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Grains & Starches
Top Tips
This recipe can be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled. It’s so easy to cook beets in bulk and store them in the refrigerator for later.
Don’t skip the tin foil. We cook the beets in tin foil because they stay moist and cook faster.
Season to your liking. Beets are delicious with a simple salt and pepper seasoning, but feel free to use any of our other recommendations depending on what you’re serving your roasted beets alongside.
Storage
Allow your cooked beets to cool completely. Then, transfer into an airtight container or wrap tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
To freeze your beets, store them in a freezer-safe, airtight container in the freezer for up to 8 months.
Is it better to freeze beets raw or cooked?
We recommend cooking the beets before storing them in the freezer. Freezing raw beets will cause the beets to lose their freshness and become grainy.
How to Cook Beets in the Oven
Ingredients
- 1 medium/large beet
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and cut an 8-inch x 8-inch piece of tin foil (these measurements don’t have to be exact, the tin foil just has to seal around the beet).
- Rinse the beet under water and cut off the root end of the beet with a sharp knife and then cut the beet into fourths. Set the beet in the center of the tin foil and drizzle the beet with olive oil and season it with salt and pepper.
- Wrap the tin foil tightly around the beet and place the beet on a baking sheet (we place it on a baking sheet just in case the tin foil leaks).
- Roast the beat for 30-40 minutes (depending on how large the beet is) or until the beet is fork tender. Remove the beet from the oven and let the beet cool for about 5 minutes before carefully peeling off the skin. The skin should come off fairly easily while the beet is still warm.
Tips & Notes
- Please note that this recipe can be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled. It’s easiest to cook beets in bulk and store them in the refrigerator for later.
- We cook the beets in tin foil because they stay moist and cook faster.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Don’t forget to tag your posts on social media with the hashtag #fitfoodiefinds, we’d love to see what you’re up to!
Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
Thanks for sharing the steps to cook beets! I love their vibrant color and delicious flavor. I’ll definitely give this a try and explore different ways to incorporate them into my meals.
I really appreciate it. Your post tells me a lot of useful things. I hope that you will keep putting out more useful content in the future. Papa’s freezeria