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How To Roast Beets In The Oven


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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Amy
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This is a super easy step by step guide on how to roast beets in the oven so they come out perfectly every time. Roast them whole or sliced, seasoned or unseasoned. Cook them and store them for a whole week to enjoy as a healthy side dish, on salad or blend into an amazing roasted beet pesto. A crazy delicious soft and sweet veggie you need to make!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 bunch of  fresh beets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper

Instructions

To roast beets whole

  1. Prepare the beets. Cut the leafy tops off of the beets if they are still attached and save them for cooking in stir fry or soups. Use a vegetable scrubber to scrub the beets while holding them under a light stream of running water to remove any excess dirt from the skin. Then just lightly pat them dry.
  2. Roast the beets. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the beets either one at a time or altogether, depending on their size into a piece of foil. Drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Close up the foil packet and place them onto a baking sheet. Cook in the oven for 45-50 minutes until fork tender.
  3. Let cool and peel. Remove the beets from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes until they are cool enough to handle. To peel the skin away from the beets, use a clean paper towel and scrub the skin off using the edge of the paper towel. It should easily slide off, then discard the skin.
  4. Slice and serve or store. Slice or chop up the beets and enjoy them as a healthy snack or side dish. You can also store beets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

To roast beets sliced or chopped

  1. Prepare the beets. As previously mentioned, slice off the green leaves and save them for use in another recipe. Then scrub the beets well to remove any excess dirt.
  2. Peel and slice or chop. Use a vegetable peeler and easily peel the skin off the beets. This can get a little messy since the beet juice can stain your hands a bit, so feel free to wear some gloves to do this or just wash your hands really well afterwards. Cut the beets by slicing them in half and cutting them into half moon shapes or 1-inch cubes. Expert tip: Do not cut the beets on a wooden cutting board since they could stain you board. Use a plastic or silicone cutting board that can be easily cleaned.
  3. Season and roast the beets. Place the sliced beets onto a lined baking sheet, drizzle them with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and peppers. Lightly toss them to coat them all. Place the beets into the oven and roast at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, until they are nice and crispy around the edges and soft and tender in the center.
  4. Remove, let cool and serve. When the beets are done cooking, remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy on salad (my personal favorite) or as a healthy side dish or snack.

Notes

  • Select beets that are medium to small in size with the greens attached. Make sure the greens are not wilted or brown. This will ensure you select beets that are the most robust in flavor. You also want to select beets that have little to no blemishes and are not too soft or mushy. 
  • Storing beets before you cook them. To store beets before being cooked, make sure the root is nice and dry, place them into a large ziplock bag with the air removed and store them in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Storing beets after they have been cooked. Let them cool completely and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
  • How long to cook beets. This will really depend on how you cook them, either whole (longer cook time) or sliced/chopped (shorter cook time). Whole beets, depending on their size will usually take 45-50 minutes, maybe 60 minutes for very large beets. Sliced or chopped beets will take anywhere from 12-25 minutes, depending on how thick or thin you cut them.
  • How to tell when beets are done. You can tell beets are cooked by inserting a fork or knife in them. If it comes out easily then they are done. 
  • What to do with beet greens. Don’t throw the beautiful beet greens away. Treat them the same as you would treat other greens like spinach or kale. 
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Healthy Side Dishes
  • Method: Roasted
  • Cuisine: American