How to Roast Beets | Easy Steps + Tips!

Foolproof steps to the perfect roast beets, every time! Oven roasted beets are smooth, sweet, and have a deep umami flavor. Great in salads, bowls, and more.

Beets: some people love this heart-healthy root vegetable, while others? Not so much. I happen to be part of the former group of people, and love the deep, sweet taste of these fiber and antioxidant-rich veggies.

Today I’m going to show you my easy and foolproof method to perfect Roast Beets! Beets have a wide variety of uses, but I find that I most enjoy them roasted and simply prepared – it lets their flavor speak for itself.

INGREDIENTS FOR PERFECT ROAST BEETS

Another reason why I love this recipe? You only need one ingredient: beets! That, plus a few other basic kitchen tools that I’m sure you already have in your pantry.

Most stores will sell beets in one of two ways: attached to their beet greens, or simply as bulbs. This recipe will work with either – if you buy beets with greens attached, simply remove the greens and carry on. Beet greens actually taste very similar to chard – I love to cook them down with a bit of olive oil, balsamic, and garlic.

This beet roasting method will also work with any kind of beet – red, yellow, candy striped, you name it! I simply chose to use red beets because they are the most common variety.

1. REMOVE THE ENDS OF EACH BEET, THEN CUT INTO QUARTERS

Most beets will come with a long thin “tail” that doesn’t roast well, and I find that cutting the top of the beet off (just below the stems) makes it much easier to cut, wrap, and later peel.

I also like to cut each beet into quarters, especially with larger beets. This significantly reduces the cooking time and allows each beet to get perfectly roasted without a slightly undercooked center. You do not have to do this for small beets, but I recommend quartering your medium and large beets.

2. WRAP IT UP

Beets are naturally sweet, so they really don’t need anything added to them to enhance their flavor – trust me! All we really have to do is wrap them up, to prevent them from drying out. I like to first wrap my beets in parchment paper, then in aluminum foil. Place your quartered beet in the center of the two sheets, then pull each corner upward, so it will seal at the top. This forms a sort of leak-proof bucket around each beet!

Before you seal each beet, I recommend adding 1 teaspoon of water to each wrapped veggie. This is not entirely necessary, but I do find that it helps to make more tender beets.

After you add the water, seal each beet up and place it with the sealed side up on a baking tray! This method prevents the beets from oozing everywhere and potentially staining your bakeware. If you’ve roasted beets before, you know what I mean.

3. ROAST IN THE OVEN UNTIL TENDER

This will vary based on the size of each beet, but generally speaking, medium beets will take around 45 minutes to roast at 400F. You’ll know the beets are almost done when you start to smell a deep, subtly-sweet, and borderline burned beet flavor. The good news is that beets are very burn resistant, so if you leave them in for longer, they’ll only get softer and yummier.

You can also check on each beet by (carefully) opening each package and trying to stick the thickest portion of each beet with a fork or metal skewer – it should slide through easily! If it doesn’t, seal your beet back up and return to the oven to roast further.

4. CAREFULLY PEEL

Notice how we didn’t peel our beets before roasting? That’s because it’s way easier now. Once the beet flesh becomes tender, the skin practically slides off! Sometimes dragging the skin with a paper towel helps to make this process easier, but I often have no problems when I only use my hands.

Because beets can stain hands easily, I like to wear a clean pair of kitchen gloves during peeling. It’s just as easy to remove the skin as bare hands, and I don’t look like a potential murderer afterwards. Which is always a good thing, if you ask me.

5. STORE AND/OR SERVE

You’ve made it, friend! Who knew that perfect roast beets could be so dang simple and easy. All that’s left to do now is store and/or serve up your gloriously red and tender veg.

You can store your already-quartered beets as-is, in a glass tupperware container with a tight fitting lid. If you know you’re going to want them chopped further, you can also go ahead and do that now before you tuck them into the fridge. I prefer to store them in larger wedges, and them cut them further as needed, when needed.

Freshly roasted beets will last in the fridge for up to one week. If you’re not going to use them up by then, you can also place a few in the freezer for up to two months! Roasted beets defrost well without being overly mushy or watery.

WAYS TO USE ROAST BEETS

• Tossed with your favorite salad (or two),
• Mixed with your go-to grain bowl,
• Added to smoothies (for a fun color twist),
• Sliced thin and put into sandwiches,
• Dipped into hummus or tahini sauce,
• Blended up into hummus itself,
• or eaten alone as a snack!

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

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