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.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Sides & Vegetables

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Trim greens from beets, leaving about a half inch attached. Trim long root. Scrub beets well with vegetable brush. Place beets in a large pan and cover with water so they are submerged by 1 to 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 (see note).
Cool beets slightly until you can handle them. Use a paper towel or your fingers to rub off peelings. Trim off tops and bottoms, and rinse lightly to remove any remaining shreds of skin. To cool quickly (for adding to salads), fill a bowl with ice water and submerge beets for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
Use immediately, or refrigerate beets in an airtight container.

You may cook as many beets as you like, as long as you have a large enough pot. It's best if the beets are roughly the same diameter so they get done at the same time.
Cooking time will vary based on the size of your beets. Larger beets will take much longer and smaller beets cook more quickly. Beets are done when they are fork tender. Insert a fork into the thickest part of the beet; it should go into the beet with little resistance.
Cooked beets can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to a year. Refer to the post for freezing instructions.

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