How to Cook Beets (2 easy methods!)

Roast a few beets (it is so easy!) and have endless possibilities for salads and more! Or just eat them plain. Once you know how to cook beets, you’ll be making it a weekly thing!

Okay — I hope you like roasting vegetables as much as I do, because yeah….I’m probably going to write a post about every single vegetable under the sun. Probably fruit too. I should just leave my oven on 425 degrees 24/7 and just keep a steady stream of vegetables roasting.

PS: I’ve been loving roasting acorn squash lately too – do you know how to cook acorn squash?

Now, I realize beets are sort of in the same camp with Brussels sprouts — people either love ’em or hate ’em. I have to admit that personally, it was an acquired taste.  However, I’ve really grown to love them. And you can’t go wrong with their beautiful deep red color. They are so gorgeous.

Beets are perfect to make ahead or meal prep.  Simply cook the beets right away when you get them (or within a day or two). Beets keep well in the fridge for up to a week and then you can easily use them as a side dish or a salad topping.

I love beets drizzled with a bit of olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. E loves them that way too! I’m always scared to give her beets though….we have white carpet. It’s like asking for trouble.

It’s really, really, really simple to learn how to cook beets. I’ll cover two of my favorite ways in this post – roasting and boiling.

How to Cook Beets

How to Cook Beets: Roasting

• Scrub them until clean, wrap them in foil (with a touch of water) and throw in the oven.
• Most of the time, I roast these at whatever temperature I happen to be cooking something else at — they just take a little less time or longer depending on the temperature. If I have a choice, I go for 400°F – 425°F.
• Once they are fork-tender, let them cool and rub the peelings off. I throw gloves on for this step but my mom is hard core and does it bare-handed. Pink hands!

How to Cook Beets: Boiling

• Place beets in a large pan and cover with water so beets are submerged by 1-2 inches of water.
• Place on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil, covered. Boil for 30 minutes (or longer, depending on size of beets), until fork tender.
• Drain water off and fill pan with ice water.
• When beets are cool, rub peelings off – they should come right off! Rinse beets lightly to remove dirt or peelings and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

How to Use Cooked Beets

• Salad with Beets and Feta
• Asparagus Ribbon Salad with Beets and Burrata
• Farro Salad with Chicken, Beets, and Red Wine Vinaigrette

Not a beet fan but still made it this far in the post? Try: Roasted Sugar Snap Peas, Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Broccoli, Spicy Sweet Roasted Butternut Squash, Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Shallots, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Mushrooms with Balsamic, Thyme and Dijon, or Roasted Carrots with Thyme and Nutmeg. And definitely don’t miss my entire compilation of roasted vegetables!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Get the Recipe: How to Cook Beets

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 5 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins

4 beets

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Learn how to cook beets two easy ways! Roast or boil a few beets (it is so easy!) and have endless possibilities for salads and more! Or just eat them plain. You might just become a beet lover, if you aren’t already!

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 bunch of beets, stems and greens removed

Instructions

To Roast:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cut leaves off beets, leaving about 1/2 inch attached. Scrub beets well to remove any dirt.
• Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil. Place these packets onto a baking sheet (just in case they leak!). Cook for 60 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Check every twenty minutes — if they look like they are drying out or burning, add a tablespoon or so of water to the foil packet before closing back up and returning to oven.
• Cool enough so that you can handle them before using a paper towel to rub off peelings. I’d also recommend wearing kitchen gloves unless you like pink hands.
• Store covered in fridge for up to a week.

To Boil:

• Place beets in a large pan and cover with water so beets are submerged by 1-2 inches of water.
• Place on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil, covered. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes (or longer, depending on size of beets), until fork tender.
• Carefully drain out water and fill pan with ice water or submerge beets in a bowl of ice water.
• When beets are cool, rub peelings off – they should come right off! Rinse beets lightly, and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Store covered in fridge for up to a week.

Notes

• Cooking times may vary based on the size of your beets. Larger beets will take much longer and smaller beets cook more quickly.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1g, Calories: 38kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 2g, Sodium: 46mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

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