Description
Roasted beets make a simple, healthy, and flavorful side dish that highlights the natural sweetness and earthiness of fresh beets. This recipe uses minimal ingredients—just beets, olive oil, salt, and pepper—and an easy roasting technique that caramelizes the vegetables perfectly, resulting in tender, delicious beets ready to complement any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Beets
- 6 medium beets, tops removed and scrubbed well
Seasoning
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for roasting the beets evenly and to maximize their natural sweetness through caramelization.
- Prepare beets for roasting. Place each scrubbed beet on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle each generously with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Wrap each beet tightly in foil to lock in moisture while roasting.
- Roast the beets. Arrange the foil-wrapped beets on a baking sheet and roast them in the preheated oven for 35 to 60 minutes, depending on beet size and freshness. Roast until the beets are fork-tender when tested.
- Cool and peel. Remove beets from the oven and carefully unwrap the foil. Let beets cool until they are safe to handle. Hold each beet under running water and rub the skins off with your hands for easy peeling.
- Slice and season. Cut or slice the peeled beets as desired. Lightly drizzle with olive oil again, season with more salt and pepper to taste, toss gently to coat, and serve as a delightful side dish.
Notes
- Beets vary in size; adjust roasting time accordingly—larger beets need the longer time closer to 60 minutes.
- Wear gloves when handling beets if you want to avoid staining your hands.
- Roasted beets can be refrigerated for up to 4-5 days for meal prep or later use.
- You can add fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary before roasting for extra flavor.
