How to Roast Beets | Roasted Beets Recipe | Gastronomy (2024)

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Recipe

20Oct 2009

Roasted Beets

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  • Recipe
  • Side Dish
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegetarian

17 Comments

How to Roast Beets | Roasted Beets Recipe | Gastronomy (1)

Ever since tasting my first beet at Greens Restaurant in San Francisco during the summer of 2005, I’ve ordered them time and again whenever they appeared on a restaurant’s menu. Beets are so naturally sweet and appealing that most places prepare them very simply, with rich crumbles of goat cheese and a light vinaigrette. Every time I dug into one of these minimally fussed salads, I thought of how easy it would be to replicate the dish at home. I finally tried my hand at preparing beets in my own kitchen last week, and not only was it gloriously easy, but my hands weren’t the least bit stained.

This recipe for roasted beets comes from the most popular cookbook in my home, the America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. When buying beets, look for bunches of uniformly sized beets so that they will roast for the same amount of time. If the beets are different sizes, remove the smaller ones from the oven as they become tender. Use this basic recipe as a starting point; the variations (Think: cheeses, herbs, nuts, vinegars) are deliciously endless.

  • 4 medium beets (1 pound), greens discarded and scrubbed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

How to Roast Beets | Roasted Beets Recipe | Gastronomy (2)

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the beets individually in foil (photo 2) and place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until a skewer can be inserted easily into a beet, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove the beets from the oven, open the foil packets, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. To peel, cradle a roasted beet in several layers of paper towels in your hands and gently rub off the skin (photos 3 and 4).

Slice the beets 1/4 inch thick, then toss with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

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  1. perfect! i was looking for how-to for beets this evening and here you are… thanks cathy.

  2. Yum! I can’t wait to roast my own beets… and then toss them with some quinoa! 😉

  3. roasted beets are great and so easy, buying from a can is not even an option. even fresh raw beets, thinly sliced is great too

  4. BEETS…I love them so much, especially roasted. I could eat a whole bowl plain, but they are also really good in a quinoa salad with feta and mint. (Tell Diana!) In the summer I also got into making a raw beet salad, just shredded and and tossed with lemon juice, salt and pepper. So easy and refreshing! Roasty beets are more autumnal though.

  5. I love beets & burrata!

  6. Food confession: I hated beets as a child when my mom made it. I find the sweetness out of place. Now, I try to give it a chance. I wouldn’t say I love it, but I can tolerate it!

  7. I guess beets are not big in Viet cuisine, so I was also a late beet eater. Awesome in salads … a little burrata, some greens … yum!

  8. Alejandro won’t eat beets. He swears he doesn’t like them, but I think he just hasn’t had them prepared the right way. I bet he would love this!

  9. Oh, what a nice *clean* way to prepare beets! I never was a fan but after trying a roasted one at a restaurant, yeah, that was rather good. Will try this!

  10. I love beets, too (good to know it’s a big crowd of beet-lovers here). When I roast them I scrub off the skins under running water. It washes them away and keeps my hands from being stained. You can also let them cool and just plop the foil packs in the fridge for a couple of days, getting them out as necessary.

    Once, for a party, I made a huge platter of gorgeous beets: yellow, striped, pink, deep blood red. No one ate them but me! Wah.

  11. No, No, No! Do not discard the greens of the beets – if the truth were known, there is more nutrition in them than in the beet roots! And they are delicious!

  12. I love beets prepared that way (with goat cheese and vinaigrette) and have been seeing them in the markets… greatly inspiring post!

  13. LOVE beets! The more simple, the better. And Logan does the beet greens in a risotto – turns everything agreeably pink!

  14. I love beets!!! I ate a lot of it growing up, they didn’t seem to be too popular in the states until recent years! which is awesome!

  15. Pingback: Valentine Week Begins: ‘My Heart Beets for You’ Roasted Beet Salad Recipe « Apron Strings

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How to Roast Beets | Roasted Beets Recipe | Gastronomy (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cooking method for beets? ›

Steaming beets is a healthful cooking method because they retain most of their vitamins and minerals—they're not boiled out in water—and stay incredibly vibrant. Plus, steaming small beets or beet quarters is quick and easy for weeknights.

How to roast beets Bobby Flay? ›

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat beets lightly with oil. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until cooked through, approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, and then peel and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Is it better to peel beets before or after roasting? ›

As much as I adore Beet Salad, I rarely made it at home, because by the time I finished the beets, my hands, cutting board, and counter all were stained with telltale red juices. Then, I picked up a transformative piece of information: you do not need to peel beets when roasting.

How do you roast beets without making a mess? ›

Time to get wrapping! Place each trimmed beet on a piece of foil that's big enough to wrap the beet up. Then, rub the beet lightly with a little olive or avocado oil; you don't need much, just a small coating. This will help the skins to slip off, ultimately, after roasting.

Why not peel beets before roasting? ›

No need to peel before or after baking. The skin, which is perfectly edible, just seems to disappear during the baking process. The trick to pan-roasted beets is to drop the temperature a bit. I always roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and pretty much all the other veggies at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Do you have to peel beets before cooking? ›

Sometimes beets are peeled before cooking. They may also be scrubbed and cooked until tender with their skins on; the skins slip off fairly easily after cooling. (Some people are happy to leave the skins on; they are fine to eat.) You can also pickle cooked beets.

Are oven roasted beets good for you? ›

Some benefits of eating beets may include lower blood pressure and better athletic performance, among others. Eating beets raw or juicing and roasting them may be more beneficial than boiling them. Beetroots, commonly known as beets, are a vibrant and versatile type of vegetable.

How healthy are roasted beets? ›

Packed with nutrition, beets have antioxidants like betalains that fight cell damage and inflammation, potentially offering protection against cancer and heart disease. Health benefits of beets include more stamina during exercise, heart disease and stroke prevention, and lower blood pressure.

How long do roasted beets last? ›

Storing cooked or roasted beets (how long do they last)

Cooked beets also need to be stored in the refrigerator. They will keep for 5-7 days in an airtight container. Here are some tips for storing cooked beets: Allow the beets to cool completely before storing them.

What pairs well with beets? ›

Looking for a quick answer? The best side dishes to serve with beets are steamed vegetables, green beans, salad Nicoise, goat cheese dip, radish chips, potato rosti, zucchini noodles, roasted asparagus, quinoa salad, crispy kale chips, hummus, sautéed spinach, feta and watermelon salad, and corn on the cob.

How do you eat beets so they taste good? ›

There's no need to peel beets if you're going to cook them because the skin is easily removed once cooked. My preferred method is to roast beets, which concentrates their flavor and boosts their sweeter side. Wash and wrap them in aluminum foil and place them in a 400° oven for 40–60 minutes, or until fork tender.

Does roasting beets destroy nutrients? ›

Like many vegetables, the longer you cook beets—especially in water—the more the colorful phytonutrients leach out of the food and into the water. Retain the good-for-you nutrients in beets by roasting them or sautéing them instead. Or lightly steam them for just a few minutes, suggests Doyle.

What do beets taste like when roasted? ›

My favorite way to cook beets is to roast them, which gives a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does. Another advantage is that they don't bleed as much, especially if they're roasted whole.

What can you add to beets to make them taste better? ›

Sweet and tangy pomegranate juice coats small roasted beets, giving them punchy flavor. A little extra salt on top seals the deal.

How to roast beets without using aluminum foil? ›

Arrange on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Rub a little olive oil on each beet with your hands. Place in the oven and roast for 40 minutes. Your beets are cooked when you can easily pierce the skin with a fork.

Is it better to boil or bake beets? ›

My favorite way to cook beets is to roast them, which gives a sweeter, richer, and deeper flavor than boiling does. Another advantage is that they don't bleed as much, especially if they're roasted whole.

Are beets better steamed or boiled? ›

Steaming beets is an easy way to cook beets. It's also the healthiest way to cook them, so they maintain the most nutrients possible. You will need a steamer basket or steamer pot for this method. Add 2 inches of water to a large pot on the stove over high heat and bring the water to a boil.

Is it better to steam or bake beets? ›

While roasting will certainly yield flavorful results, we're fans of steaming beets. "Steaming beets softens them, making them tender and more pleasant to eat," says Jess Damuck, food stylist and author of the cookbook Salad Freak!

What is the best and healthiest way to eat beets? ›

Retain the good-for-you nutrients in beets by roasting them or sautéing them instead. Or lightly steam them for just a few minutes, suggests Doyle.

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