If you are looking for an easy recipe for cooked beets, this Roasted Beets recipe is just what you have been searching for. As an avid veggie gardener and seasonal produce expert, I have spent years testing and perfecting the best way to get perfectly tender roast beets in the shortest amount of time! They are simply seasoned with balsamic and thyme to take their sweet flavor to the next level.

A close-up of a white bowl with colorful roasted beets

I originally shared this recipe on Feb 19th, 2021. I have updated some of the content to share it with you again today.

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Why We Love Roasted Beets

Summertime means my vegetable garden is full of fresh beets and I can be found making Pickled Beets and salads made with beet greens. But in wintertime, this roasted beets recipe is just what I want for an easy vegetable side dish to pair with various dinners and main courses.

After much trial and error, I have come up with a simple method that takes half time time of many roast beet recipes thanks to our pro tips below!

Very good and easy to make!

~Lydia

Ingredients For Roast Beets

ingredients for the recipe on a wooden board
  • Beets: You’ll need about two pounds of beets. I used Chioggia, golden and red beets to make this today but you can use a single color.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I use oil to coat the beets for roasting. You could sub in another cooling oil if you prefer.
  • Salt and Pepper: To season the beets
  • Balsamic vinegar: To add acidic balance to the sweet earthy flavor of the beets.
  • Fresh thyme: You can sub in dry thyme or your favorite fresh herbs if you do not have fresh thyme on hand.
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How To Roast Beets

collage with the steps to make this recipe

Step 1: Preheat oven

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. If your beets are particularly dirty, rinse off any excess dirt.

Step 2: Peel and Cut Beets

On a cutting board, peel the whole beets with a sharp vegetable peeler. (Wear gloves if you don’t want your hands to be temporarily stained.) Cut the beets into 1-inch chunks. Toss the raw beets, oil, salt and pepper in a 9 by 13-inch Pyrex or ceramic baking dish. Spread them in a single layer and cover with aluminum foil.

PRO TIP: Keep the peeled and cut beets moist by covering with aluminum foil. Otherwise, they can get tough! Covering them will trap the steam (just like their skin would have done) and yields perfectly tender beets every time!

Step 3: Bake Beets

Roast beets, lifting off the piece of foil to stir once or twice, until the beets are tender when pierced with a fork or a sharp knife, about 40 minutes.

Step 4: How to Season Roasted Beets

Remove the beets from the oven and add in the thyme and balsamic. Toss them and then let them roast again uncovered so that the balsamic creates a glaze of sorts! In 10 more minutes, the beets will be glazed, tender and utterly delicious! Serve warm or at room temperature.

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The roasted beets with whole uncut beets and the mis en place
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Roasted Beet Recipe Variations

  • Feel free to use another type of herb or another vinegar.
  • Use 50% beets and 50% sweet potatoes. They cook at the same rate and taste amazing together!
  • I also love using different colors of baked beets mixed together, but it’s also really pretty to make this with all one color. Golden beets are a favorite!
  • Try adding on crumbled goat cheese or feta at the end.
  • Serve these chilled drizzled with Walnut Balsamic Vinaigrette or Tarragon Vinaigrette.
  • Blue cheese is a great addition to beets. The flavors just pop together! Top these baked beets with crumbled blue cheese and chopped toasted walnuts. Instead of thyme, use chives or fresh tarragon.
  • You can also try lemon juice or orange juice instead of balsamic vinegar. Add in a little lemon or orange zest for even more citrus flavor.

Expert Tips: How To Make The Best Roasted Beets

Is it better to peel beets before or after roasting?

Many roast beet recipes will tell you to wrap beets in foil and roast them whole. As a self-proclaimed beet lover who preps them regularly, I do not recommend this method. Here is why you want to peel your beets BEFORE cooking:

  • When you roast whole unpeeled beets (in foil on a rimmed baking sheet) you have to wait for them to cook through. It is important to know that this takes a really long time when they are whole. It can take an hour for small beets or two hours for larger beets.
  • If you have beets of different sizes, you need to remove smaller beets from the oven and leave larger ones to continue roasting. This whole babysitting thing kind of goes against the spirit of this being a hands-off method.
  • You also have to wait until they are cool enough to handle to get the skins off with a paper towel and cut them. That’s no big deal if you have to wait for them to cool anyway like for use in a salad. But if you are intending to serve them hot, it is a waste of time since you will then have to heat them back up again.
  • You can’t add flavor to them until after they are peeled.
  • I suggest peeling them while they are raw. The easiest way to do this is with a vegetable peeler. Then cut them into bite-sized pieces so they will cook more quickly.
  • They can be roasted until they are tender in literally half the time this way!
  • You can season them before you cook them so the seasoning and additional flavors cooks into the beets and makes them more flavorful and brings out their natural sugars!

Serving Suggestions For Roasted Beets

Storing and Reheating Roasted Beets

  • Meal Prep: Cooked beets are great for meal prep and to add as a side dish in your meal prep containers. Because they reheat so beautifully they make a terrific make-ahead side dish.
  • Leftovers and Storage: Leftover beets can be stored in an airtight container for four days.
  • Reheating: They can be reheated in the microwave on high heat, stirring occasionally until steaming hot. They can also be reheated in a casserole dish (coat it with cooking spray or brush with extra-virgin olive oil first.) Make sure it is covered with foil so they do not dry out. Bake until they are steaming hot, about 25 minutes on 350 degrees.

Roasting Beets FAQs

Are roasted beets good for you?

Yes! Pickled beets good for cardiovascular health and may lower blood pressure. They are a good source of folic acid which is important for pregnant women. Among other various nutrients they are also a high in fiber which aids in digestion and gut health.

What is the best temperature to roast beets?

Roast beets in the oven set at 425 degrees F covered with foil.

More Beet Recipes

a bowl of beets chunks from the side with a bottle of balsamic vinegar behind it

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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a bowl of chunks of roasted beets from overhead

Roasted Beets Recipe

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4.9 from 9 reviews

  • Author: Katie
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 3 cups 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

If you are looking for an easy recipe for cooked beets, this Roasted Beets recipe is just what you have been searching for. Roasted beets are simple and come out perfectly tender. To season we added balsamic vinegar and thyme to take their sweet flavor to the next level.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 pounds beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Instructions

1.     Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2.     Toss beets, oil, salt and pepper in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil.

3.     Roast, lifting off the foil to stir once or twice, until the beets are tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes.

4.     Add balsamic vinegar and thyme and toss to coat. Return to the oven, and roast uncovered for 10 minutes.

5.     Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

You can use any color beets for this recipe. Note that the red beets will stain the other colors a bit as they cook. To prevent your hands from turning red when you handle the beets, wear disposable gloves. 

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Roasting
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2/3 cup
  • Calories: 161
  • Sugar: 15 g
  • Fat: 7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 20 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 5 g

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