Roasting beets in the oven brings out the sweet side of this humble root vegetable, and it’s the easiest way to cook them too! Here’s how I like to roast beets so they turn out perfectly tender in under an hour.
This Is My Favorite Way to Book Beets
In the veggie world, the glorious beet doesn’t get the credit it should. I see cooked beets and I see garnet gems and ruby jewels.
I mean, sure, uncooked beets aren’t the prettiest veggie on the block, but they are loaded with good for you vitamins, minerals, fiber, and vitamin C. That’s pretty pretty in my book.
Raw beets are the perfect veggie to have on hand any time of year, because unlike some, they seem to last forever in the fridge. Over the years I’ve cooked lots of beets. I’ve made them for my fave pickled beets recipe, or meal prepped them for lunches in any one of my many beet salads.
I’ve tried all the methods, always experimenting to find the easiest, most successful technique for preparing beets. And now, after years of kitchen play, roasting them whole in the oven with this super simple method is the only way you’ll find them cooking in my kitchen.
Enjoy!
Selecting Your Beets
So they cook evenly, pick beets that are about the same size. As a root vegetable, beets can sometimes look a little beat up. Look for those that are unblemished and consistent in color with crisp, green, vibrant leaves still attached to the beetroot, a sure sign of freshness.
Choose the rainbow. Beets come in different colors, yet the color does not affect the taste. No matter what shade, they all taste the same.
How to Roast Beets Whole (+ Tips!)
- Don’t peel beets before roasting. Beets are sturdy. They’re resilient. And when placed skin-on in the oven, their thick skin turns into the perfect baking jacket, steaming their insides and turning their dense interiors into supple bites of sweetness. That’s why there’s no need to peel beets before baking or roasting.
- Scrub and trim the greens and ends. Before baking, trim the greens and ends from the beets. Then, instead of peeling, scrub the beets in cool water to dislodge any dirt from the bulbs. Pat well with paper towels so oil will stick to them.
- Skip wrapping beets in foil before cooking. In past beet cooking adventures, I’ve individually wrapped each beet in foil before baking. But now, I don’t waste my time— or foil. Instead, simply toss the cleaned, dried beets with olive oil and kosher salt.
- Bake at high heat (450°F). Beets are dense, hardy, and can take the heat. Roast at high heat, 450°F., until a sharp knife easily slides into the center of the beet and the skins easily pull away from the sides.
- Use paper towels to easily wipe the skin from the cooked beet. After baking in the oven, the beet skins become soft and supple, making them easy to skin. Instead of using a knife, grab two paper towels (one for each hand) and gently scrub the skin away. This is the reason to look for skins that pull apart from the beet when testing for doneness.
- Slice, chunk, or dice ’em. Depending on how you’re serving them, beets can be prepped any number of ways. Big. Small. Round. Square.
How long should you roast beets?
If cooked at a high heat (450ºF), it should take about 45 minutes for medium size beets and 1 hour for larger beets. Add more cooking time the bigger your beet.
Ways to Serve Your Roasted Beets
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
THE BEST Roasted Whole Beets
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh beets , about 6 medium
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- fresh herbs for garnish
Honey Balsamic Dressing (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- chopped fresh thyme, mint, or chives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Prep the beets. Cut the greens from the tops of the beets and save for another use, then trim the bottom of the stems and discard. Scrub the beets under cold water, pat dry with a paper towel and place in a bowl. Toss with the olive oil and generous pinches of salt.
- Cover and bake. Place the beets in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour for large beets, or about 45 min for medium. The beets are done when you can easily slide a sharp knife into their tender centers. Set aside to cool enough to handle.
- Peel and dice. To peel, trim the ends then use a paper towel in each hand to rub off the skins. If you don't want your hands to get red, wear plastic gloves.
- Season and serve. Toss with more olive oil and salt and pepper and garnish with fresh thyme or chopped chives. Or, whisk together the honey balsamic dressing and drizzle over top.
Nutrition
More of My Favorite Veggies to Roast
We send good emails. Subscribe to FoodieCrush and have each post plus exclusive content only for our subscribers delivered straight to your e-mail box.
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest for more FoodieCrush inspiration.
As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There are affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
Monica
I love roasted root vegetables, but particularly beets. I can not believe how many of my friends didn’t know you can roast them so good thinking posting this recipe! One thing I do to mix it up is to add a sprinkle of Parmesan. Also super yummy. Love your blog!