There are many delicious methods for preparing beets, from roasting to pickling to eating them raw, steamed, or sautéed. And thanks to its sweet-but-earthy flavor, this root veggie pairs well with plenty of foods and seasons. They taste (and look) just as perfect sliced and served on top of a spring salad as they do slow-roasted next to a pork tenderloin with potatoes.
We've rounded up some of our favorite easy-to-make beet recipes that you can serve at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert. FYI: Beets are delicious baked into muffins with tahini. If you didn't know, now you know.
This Clever Cooking Trick Will Seriously Upgrade Your Roasted Vegetables
01of 16
German Beet-and-Potato Salad
To make the base dressing for this take on German potato salad, mix apple cider vinegar with whole grain mustard, and then add beets for a hit of color (and something fresh). Don't skip the bacon: it adds rich, salty flavor that perfectly balances out the acidic dressing. You can make this one ahead—it's even better the next day.
Get the recipe:German Beet-and-Potato Salad
02of 16
Smørrebrød With Yogurt, Beets, and Eggs
Smørrebrød is an open-faced sandwich from Denmark, where densely seeded bread is slathered with butter and piled with artfully arranged toppings like pickled herring, cheese, eggs, and herbs. In this lighter version, yogurt swaps in for the butter, and a fresh marinated beet salad adds a deliciously refreshing twist. You'll finish the dish with jammy soft-cooked eggs and capers.
Get the recipe: Smørrebrød With Yogurt, Beets, and Eggs
03of 16
Cauliflower Rice "Risotto" With Beets
This creamy, delicious risotto recipe does double duty as a healthy weeknight staple. The best part? It comes together in just 15 minutes.
Get the recipe:Cauliflower Rice "Risotto" With Beets
Here, nutty tahini pairs with pure maple syrup for a delicious, delightful muffin recipe that no one will know is hiding a secret (healthy) ingredient: beets.
Get the Recipe: Beet Tahini Muffins
05of 16
Marinated Beet Toasts With Yogurt
This recipe for marinated beet and yogurt toasts is super easy to prepare. Simply combine Greek yogurt with horseradish, olive oil, salt, and pepper; and then divide it among toasted whole-grain bread slices. Top with each with marinated beets, radishes, and chives. It tastes as pretty as it looks.
Get the Recipe: Marinated Beet Toasts With Yogurt
06of 16
Beet-Pickled Eggs
These beet-pickled eggs pair perfectly with traditional ingredients you'd serve on a charcuterie board—like salty cheeses, sausages, fresh-cut stone fruits, and any snappy summer crudité you like.
Get the recipe: Beet-Pickled Eggs
07of 16
Beets, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Sandwich
If your beets come with beet greens, use them instead of the spinach in the recipe.
Get the recipe.
08of 16
Beet Pasta With Hazelnuts and Beet Greens
The base for this colorful sauce comes from fresh beets that get cooked until tender. The hazelnuts and greens add depth and complexity to this naturally vegan recipe.
Get the recipe: Beet Pasta With Hazelnuts and Beet Greens
09of 16
Chilled Beets With Sour Cream
For the prettiest dish, look for beets in an array of colors at your local farmers' market.
Get the recipe.
10of 16
Roasted Chicken and Beets With Couscous and Yogurt Sauce
Roast the beets and chicken in the oven at the same time for a low-effort meal.
Get the recipe.
11of 16
Watercress, Beet, and Fennel Salad
The tender roasted beets contrast nicely with the peppery watercress and crisp fennel.
Get the recipe.
12of 16
Watercress Salad With Beets and Feta
Salty feta complements the sweet, earthy beets.
Get the recipe.
13of 16
Pork Chops With Roasted Beets and Oranges
To minimize stains on your hands, use a paper towel to hold the beets as you peel them.
Get the recipe.
14of 16
Quinoa and Vegetable Salad With Tahini Dressing
Yes, you can eat raw beets—just peel and coarsely grate them, then toss into a salad.
From roasting and grilling to adding spices and glazes, there are many ways to elevate the flavor of beets. Pairing them with acidic, sweet, and salty ingredients, as well as various spices, can alter your perception of the humble vegetable for the better.
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.
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. Incidentally, to get beet stains off your hands, wet them, rub them with coarse salt, then wash with soap.
Roasting is an overall healthy cooking method with minimal vitamin loss, particularly vitamin C. Roasted beets are rich and sweet with slight mineral flavors. Remember to avoid long cooking times and high temperatures, as these can reduce nutrients. Try using smaller bulbs if you want to prepare them faster.
You can use cooked beets in salads, to make hummus or to blend into smoothies. They can be diced for slaw, quartered for a grain bowl or mashed to make a dip or spread. Their thick and chewy texture is even great in a galette or quesadilla.
Red beets contain a group of phytonutrients — betalains — which support detoxification by pushing toxins out of your body. Betalains also have anti-inflammatory properties which can help reduce the chronic inflammation in the body (Clifford, A. et al.
Steaming in the oven rather than baking helps preserve more of the healthy vitamins and minerals in beets. This method also helps beets better retain their beautiful, vibrant color. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place prepped beets and 3 tablespoons to ¼ cup water in a shallow baking dish.
Do not trim the tail. Store beets in a plastic bag in the refrigerator at or below 41 °F for 7 to 10 days. Beets may be frozen for up to ten months. For best quality and nutritive value, preserve only what your family can consume in 12 months.
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.
How to Boil Beets. Trim the stems and greens off of the beets, then scrub the beets clean and place them in a large pot. Add 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar to the pot with 1 teaspoon salt, then fill the pot with water, enough to cover the beets.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place each beet on a piece of foil. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the beets in the foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 35 to 60 minutes, or until fork-tender.
While it may seem like a good idea to have beets daily because of their benefits, you may need to exercise caution when eating them. Eating beets or drinking beet juice may lead to kidney stones, a potential food allergy, or stool or urine color changes.
Most studies on the health benefits of beets are based on drinking its juice, but beets also can be beneficial when consumed raw, in salads, boiled, baked, turned into chips or eaten dried. Beets can be pickled so they can be enjoyed year-round.
Their “earthy” flavor comes from a compound called geosmin, which is also the same compound that we associate with the smell of “fresh rain” and “forest soil”. Some people are much more sensitive to this compound than others, that is why some people say they taste like dirt, and others love them.
For this juice recipe, we combine beets with lemon, ginger, and cucumber. Beets are sweet and earthy, lemon and ginger add zing, and the cucumber makes it super refreshing and hydrating. It's so delicious, I could drink it every day!
Try marinating them with citrus zest, garlic, scallion, vinegar, and again, plenty of salt. "Beets need a sharp, strong note," he explains, to both counteract and complement their muted, dirt-like undertones.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.