Simple Roasted Beets {No Recipe Required}

This simple method for Roasted Beets requires just 3 ingredients - beets, olive oil, and salt. Eat these deliciously tender, flavor packed beets as is, add them to other dishes or dress them up in an endless variety of ways.

Simple Roasted Beets are part of our No Recipe Required series. 

No Recipe Required is a series of quick and easy dishes that are more idea than recipe. Each dish in this series is meant to inspire really good, really quick and easy meals that can be adapted to what you like, what you have on hand, and how many people you're cooking for.

Beets are one of my favorite vegetables to eat, but for years I didn't make them very often because I felt they were a bit of a hassle to cook.

The problem with beets is how easily they stain everything they touch, including your hands. BUT, this super simple method for roasted beets solves that problem (for the most part) AND creates the most flavorful beets I've ever eaten.

So, now you'll find beets in my refrigerator nearly all of the time. I make this recipe a few times a month, keeping the fully roasted beets in my refrigerator ready to eat as is, dress up, or toss into another recipe at a moment's notice.

The other kind of beets you'll find in our fridge most of the time are these easy pickled beets which are one of my favorite ways to make a salad more interesting.

Step-by-Step Photos and Instructions

#1. Heat the oven to a nice, low temperature.

Start, of course, by turning on your oven. This recipe relies on slow roasting, which concentrates the flavor of the beets while helping them cook evenly. So, you want the oven at 325 degrees F (162 degrees C).

#2. Scrub the beets clean.

Beets are are a root vegetable that grows in the dirt. So, obviously, they will have some dirt on them.

The easiest way to wash them is to fill up a bowl with cool water and dump them in there. Use a clean kitchen sponge, or something else that's gently abrasive, and scrub them clean.

Once clean, set them on paper towels and pat them dry.

#3. Slow roast the beets.

Put the beets in a square baking dish and cover the dish. If your baking dish has an oven proof cover, use that. If not, use aluminum foil. Crimp the foil around the edge of the pan to cover tuck the beets in there, nice and tight.

Place the pan in the oven and bake until the beets are fork tender.

What does fork tender mean, exactly? Poke a fork into one of the beets (preferably the fattest one). If the fork slides in easily, like butter, the beets are done. If not, let them keep roasting until they are.

I know it probably goes without saying, but how long beets take to cook will depend entirely on how big they are. Small golf ball size beets will not take as long as tennis ball size beets or larger.

If your beets are on the small side, check them after they've been in the oven for about 45 minutes. Larger beets will 75 minutes or even longer.

When you remove the beets to check on their doneness, it's also a good idea to roll them over in the pan. If it looks like they're scorching on the bottom, turn them over before returning them to the oven.

#4. Let the beets cool.

When they are fork tender, remove the beets from the oven and let them rest until they are cool enough to handle.

At this point, if it works better in your schedule, you can even pop them in the refrigerator and come back to them later. They'll be perfectly fine in there for several days.

#5. Remove their skins.

Hold a beet with a paper towel and use another paper towel to gently rub the skin from the beet. It should just fall right off.

This is one of the best parts of roasting beets before peeling them. Peeling raw beets makes a total mess of your hands, staining them red and making them look like you were just involved in a murder.

But, after beets have been roasted, the skins just rub right off with a paper towel, easy peesy.

#6. Break them apart into craggy pieces.

As you peel the beets, set them on a plate or serving dish. Then, use two forks to break the beets up into large-ish bite-size pieces, creating craggy edge that will trap the olive oil and whatever else you want to top them with.

Drizzle the beets with a bit of olive oil and give them a sprinkle of salt. At this point, you can eat them as is, or top with any kind of dressing (vinaigrette), chopped herbs, nuts, seeds, or croutons.

How to Serve Roasted Beets

At the moment, I'm obsessed with drizzling some Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette over these roasted beets, then topping them with a handful of chopped cilantro and some roasted, salted pumpkin seeds.

But, honestly, they are delicious topped with virtually ANY vinaigrette. Pomegranate Vinaigrette is a delicious way to dress any salad or vegetable, including roasted beets.

Or get creative and start with this easy recipe for Classic Vinaigrette, follow any of the variations in the recipe that sound good to you.

Sprinkle on a handful of fresh herbs, like chopped parsley or cilantro, and something crunchy like roasted nuts, seeds, or croutons.

Lately, I've been mostly eating these beets with roasted, salted pumpkin seeds. But, I also love to top them with Ja'ala, a delicious mix of nuts and seeds, coated with spices and roasted until crunchy and flavorful. 

More Topping Ideas:

• A crumble of cheese. Goat cheese, feta, or parmesan are especially delicious.
• Dried fruit. Chopped dried apricots, dates, or dried sour cherries go really well with roasted beets.
• Fresh orange slices. There's something so delicious about tender, roasted beets with citrusy orange slices.
• Any kind of sautéed or fresh green. Top a plate of fresh greens with roasted beets for a quick, delicious, colorful salad.
• Bacon! This needs no explanation. What isn't made better with a crumble of crispy bacon?
• Quick, 30-minute pickled onions. For a quick, savory and sour side dish, sprinkle a few quick, pickled onions over the top of these beets.

What to Serve With Roasted Beets:

I especially love serving roasted beets with soup. They add a bright, flavorful counterpoint to pretty much any kind of soup or stew but a few of my favorites are:

• Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup with Crispy Fried Potatoes
• Red Lentil Dal
• Curried Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Fried Mushrooms
• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Garlic and Mushrooms

Roasted beets are also delicious served with roasted or slow cooked meat and poultry. Try them with...

• Roasted Chicken
• Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Red Wine Cherry Sauce
• Asian Short Ribs
• Classic Meatloaf with Sausage

How to Store Roasted Beets

Roasted beets will keep well in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to a week. You can store them before removing their skins or after you've removed their skins, broken them into pieces, and drizzled them with olive oil.

More No Recipe Required Recipes:

• Crispy Corn Tortilla Quesadillas
• White Beans on Toast with Veggies and Greens
• Classic Vinaigrette with Several Variations
• 20-Minute Garlic Chipotle Pasta
• How to Make Any Kind of Hash