Cooking Technique Blog

How to Roast Beets in the Oven

• Trim your beets. You don’t have to peel your beets, but I do recommend trimming them: just the tops and (if they have them) long tips at the bottom.  If your beets come with greens, those can be saved for a sauteed side dish or to be thrown in eggs or pasta.

• Lightly coat the beets in oil. Place each trimmed beet on a piece of foil that’s big enough to wrap the beet up. Rub the beet lightly with a little olive or avocado oil; you don’t need much, just a small coating. This will help the skins to slip off, ultimately, after roasting.

          Alternatively, you can add a tablespoonful or two of water right before closing up the foil.  This will help the beet steam and make            it easier to rub off the skin. Close the foil up at the top.

• Now roast the beets in a pre-heated 400°F oven for 45-60 minutes, or until you can unwrap the beets and pierce them quite easily with a fork or knife. Small beets may only need 40 minutes of roasting, while very large beets might need about 75 minutes.

• Cool the beets. Remove the beets from the oven and let them sit for 15-20 minutes, or until they’re cool enough to handle. Cold water will be involved in the next step, so it’s OK if they remain quite warm.
• Slip the skins off under cold running water. Remove each beet from its foil wrapper, and, while holding the beet under cold, running water, slip the skin off.  I like using a paper towel for an easier grip.  This should happen easily.
• Dry and Store. Pat the beets dry and store them. Sometimes I store them whole, and at other times, I cut them into pieces prior to storing. Either option is fine.