Overhead view of chopped roasted beets.
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Why Cook Beets?

If you don’t love beets already, knowing how to cook beets properly is a game changer. Juicy and earthy, with a touch of sweetness, beets make a tasty topping for salads and grain bowls. They’re also perfect as a vegetable side served with just about any meal, from weeknights to holidays. If you’re new to cooking this tasty root vegetable, welcome to Beets 101. You’re about to become their biggest fan!

What Are Beets?

Beets are the root of a beet plant. You’ll find these hardy root vegetables in supermarkets all over the world. Also called garden beet or red beet, they have an earthy, sweet taste that’s brought out even more by cooking. Although red is the most common color, you’ll also see golden, purple, white, and candy-striped beets. They’re all cooked in a similar manner.

Did you know that beets are also yummy to enjoy raw? The trick to eating raw beets is to grate or slice them thinly before adding them to salads. They are crunchy much like a radish or carrot.

How Do I Pick a Good Beet?

When choosing beets from the store, look for beets that are dark red and on the smaller side, but heavy for their size. They should be firm with bright green leaves. Sometimes the leaves are already removed, and that’s okay. If the beet looks large with a hairy taproot (the thin pointy tip), give it a pass. There’s a good chance that it will be tough once it’s cooked.

Beets with greens attached.

Tips for Cooking Beets

Here are some tips for perfect beets:

  • Trim the beets before cooking. Trim off the leaves, stem, and taproot from the cleaned beets before you cook them.
  • Peel the beets after cooking (usually). Beets are easier to peel after they are cooked; however, if you are roasting diced beets, you should peel the beets before dicing them.
  • Don’t overcook. Start checking your beets for doneness near the end of the cooking time. Your beets are done when you can pierce them easily with a fork or knife. The exact cooking time varies depending on the size of your beets and the method you’re using. Expect to cook most beets for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 
  • Try a seasoning. Give your cooked beets a sprinkle with all-purpose seasoning or Italian seasoning for more flavor.

How to Prepare Beets

Boiled beets, cut in slices.

How to Boil Beets

5 from 2 votes
Of all the ways to cook beets, boiling them might just be the easiest! Here’s how to boil beets to use in salads, pasta, hummus, and more.
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Instant pot beets, cut into chunks.

Instant Pot Beets

5 from 2 votes
The Instant Pot makes it easy to get perfectly tender beets in minutes! Use your Instant Pot beets in your favorite recipes or dice them up and enjoy them as a simple side dish.
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Roasted beets on a sheet pan, sprinkled with rosemary.

Roasted Beets

5 from 1 vote
Roasted beets are tender and caramelized on the inside and perfectly browned on the outside. It's the best way to unlock the earthy sweetness of this humble root vegetable!
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Cooked beets in an air fryer.

Air Fryer Beets Recipe

4.34 from 3 votes
Air fryer beets are sweet, pleasantly chewy, and delicious. They're easy to make and ready in just 25 minutes.
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Recipes using Beets

overhead photograph of beets and goat cheese on crostini

Beet Bruschetta with Orange Tarragon Goat Cheese

5 from 1 vote
Imagine ruby red beets and tangy goat cheese, flavored with orange zest and fresh tarragon, layered on crispy slices of toasted bread and sprinkled with walnuts.
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Salad with Beets, Feta and Roasted Almonds - aka your lunch. Get the easy recipe on RachelCooks.com!

Salad with Beets and Feta

4.41 from 27 votes
Salad with beets and feta, topped with roasted almonds and Dijon vinaigrette – aka, your lunch today. You’ll love the the combination of the salty feta and the earthy beets.
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Asparagus Ribbon Salad with Beets and Burrata - get the easy recipe (perfect for entertaining!) on RachelCooks.com!

Asparagus Salad with Beets and Burrata

5 from 2 votes
This asparagus ribbon salad with beets and burrata doesn’t have a long list of ingredients – they are not necessary when the ingredients are this flavorful and fresh!
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More Serving Suggestions

Side Dish: As a side dish, earthy beets pair great with sweet-savory dishes like pork tenderloin with apples, these zesty citrus beef skewers, or baked honey mustard chicken.

Serve Cold: Beets taste great cold in a vegetable wrap or quinoa bowl.

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22 Comments

  1. Marcia says:

    Love more than ever Cooking At Home. So Already Have Great Recipes originally from New Orleans, Louisiana Best Home Cooking Around The World Yet Love New Ideas Spice up Life. Thank You 
    p.S I always combine Recipes Looking Forward To Seeing Whatcha Got!
    GOD’s Pure Wonderful Blessings Continuously Always Marcia 

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Thanks so much, Marcia! Happy cooking!

  2. Dwoodman says:

    Is the re something I should put on the cooked beets.  , ie: butter 

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Butter would be good! I like a little olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. :)

  3. Dave Hayes says:

    Can beets be eaten raw or must be cooked? Also I read the leaves are HEALTHY to eat too.

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      Beets can be eaten raw! I’ve grated them and used them in a salad. Messy but delicious! The leaves are very healthy as well, you are right!

  4. Joe says:

    If I boil the beets, can I use the leftover red water and drink it since it contains nutrients?

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      I don’t wash my beets before I boil them (I rinse after I peel them), but I supposed if you cleaned them really well, you could drink the water if you wanted to.

  5. Gareth says:

    My beets are cooking right now!  So all I have to do is find several recipes.  Beeet salad with goat cheese sounds perfect.

    1. Rachel Gurk says:

      I hope you love the beets! I love this salad and this salad, but goat cheese and beets is also a match made in heaven!