These quick pickled beets are easy to make and so flavorful—perfect for eating straight from the jar, on salads, or in sandwiches, and they can even be canned.
In This Post
I am a pickled beet fanatic. Anytime, anywhere if I see them they go on my plate. From bread and butter pickles, quick-pickled onions, pickled green beans, and refrigerator pickles, I love pickling a variety of veggies. I just love the acidic punch they take on, all while maintaining a crisp, firm texture. They’re delicious. These easy pickled beets are infused with an herbaceous brine perfumed with anise seed, coriander, dried dill, onion, rosemary, and bay leaves perfect right out of the jar, but I absolutely love adding them to salads and sandwiches. They’d also make a lovely appetizer with fresh ricotta or goat cheese and crostini, or make any burger next-level.
Why You’ll Love It
- These pickled beets are flavored with awesome aromatics
- They maintain their firm texture
- They’re the ideal condiment to have on hand for easy appetizers or additions to salads and sandwiches.
What’s in These Pickled Beets
Pickling vegetables is incredibly easy and requires only a handful of ingredients:- Beets—I used red beets, but you could use golden, or do a mix
- Apple cider vinegar—because you can’t make pickles without vinegar (well technically you can, but you shouldn’t).
- Water—for the pickling brine
- Granulated sugar—to help sweeten the brine just enough, and balance the tang of the vinegar
- Onion—I like using red onion here, but you could use any type
- Bay leaves—you can use fresh or dried
- Whole black peppercorn—for the subtlest spice
- Dried dill—or you could use fresh if you prefer
- Whole coriander—coriander is a wonderful spice to use for pickles (note that it does not taste like cilantro)
- Crushed red pepper flakes—for just a hint of heat
- Whole anise seed—or fennel seed
- Fresh rosemary—rosemary lends such wonderful, earthy aromatics to these pickled beets
How to Pickle Beets
These pickled beets are a breeze to make, and I love this recipe because, unlike many canning recipes, you only have to wait 24 hours before consuming them (many pickling recipes take several days). Here’s how to make them:- Boil your beets. Before pickling the beets, you’ll need to boil them in water until tender but still slightly firm (you don’t want them to turn to mush after being pickled). Drain the beets, then peel and slice them.
- Make your brine. Add the brine ingredients to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, then strain and cool the liquid.
- Pack and can. Pack the sliced beets into jars and top with the brine. Leave the pickled beets in your fridge for at least 24 hours before diving in.
How Long Will Pickled Beets Last?
If stored in the fridge in an airtight container, these quick pickled beets should last up to 2 months.Ways to Eat Pickled Beets
Like regular pickles, these easy pickled beets can be enjoyed in so many ways. A few of our favorite ways to nosh on these babies include:- Straight from the jar
- On sandwiches
- Tossed in salads
- Atop grain bowls
- On a crudité platter
FAQ and Recipe Tips
- How long does it take for pickled beets to be ready to eat? These pickled beets need about 24 hours in the fridge for all of the flavors to properly infuse.
- How long will pickled beets last in the refrigerator? These quick pickled beets will last for about 4-6 weeks, in the fridge.
- Note that you can use any variety of beets you’d like in this recipe. Red, golden, candy-striped — use whatever you’ve got.
- Feel free to play around with the spices in the pickling brine. Don’t alter the amount of water and vinegar in the brine, but everything else can be adjusted to suit your tastes.
- We chose to refrigerate these quick pickled beets instead of canning them, given they only take about a day to absorb the full flavor and we knew they’d be gone as soon as a bottle was opened so why bother with the extra sweatiness?
More Easy Pickle Recipes You’ll Love
- Killer Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles
- Zesty Bread and Butter Pickles
- Sweet and Sour Asian Pickled Cucumbers
- Quick Pickled Onions
- Pickled Green Beans
Pickled Beets
Ingredients
- 5 pounds beets
- 5 cups apple cider vinegar
- 2 ½ cups water
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 1 large onion , diced into 1-inch cubes
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorn
- 2 tablespoons dried dill
- 1 tablespoon whole coriander
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon whole anise seed
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- In a large pot, cover beets with water and cook until tender, but still slightly firm.
- Drain and let beets cool, peel off the skins, and cut into ½ inch slices.
- Add remaining ingredients to a medium-size saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes, then chill and strain the liquid.
- Add strained liquid to beets and allow them to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.
Nutrition
More Recipes With Beets
- Baked Beet Chips
- Beet, Avocado, and Fried Goat Cheese Salad
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Beets, Pecans, & Goat Cheese
- Green Salad with Shrimp, Beets, Pecans, & Goat Cheese
- Beet, Carrot, & Pomegranate Salad
Ben
This recipe is excellent, and I am so glad to have tracked it down again, after having made them last fall. These were one of my son’s first favorite solid foods, I wonder if he’ll love them again?!
Ashley Sorenson
I sure hope so!! I am glad you found it again too!
Siggi
sounds so amazing, i will try it in the next days !!
but how long can i keep them in the refrigerator until they will foul ?
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking
I have never had pickled beets! I love anything pickled and I do love beets so I have to try this. All those pickling spices look wonderful!
Michelle
We love beets here! I think I will have to try these. I’ve always been nervous to try my hand at pickling because I worry about those final steps to canning right. But if they’re just going in the fridge to be eaten right away, then that works for me. I just tried made pickled red onions and they lasted all of 2 days since everyone was snacking on them right out of the fridge!
ashley - baker by nature
Pickled beets sound like an amazing snack idea! Can’t wait to get my hands all purple making these.
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious
I love beets just as is or in a goat cheese salad!!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
I LOVE beets. And I love pickled things. This would be inhaled by me. Bravo to you for dealing with red beet juice that was, no doubt, everywhere :) They are a pain to work with but so worth it!