Roasted Beets Recipe
Published March 4, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This easy-to-prepare roasted beets recipe are finish with pepper and fresh lemon zest for the perfect accompaniment to any main entrée. The flavor in these beets is to die for and are one of my all-time favorite side dishes.
I try to ensure I eat as many vegetables as possible. However, I must admit that it can be tough to make them delicious, so I want to eat them. If you’re in the same boat, check out my tasty Mexican Street Corn or Fried Cabbage Recipe.
Roasted Beets
Roasted beets are fresh beets peeled, cut, or sliced, and pan or oven roasted until tender and slightly caramelized. They are extremely easy to make and are an amazing side dish to any meal. If you are looking for more cardiovascular health, then these beets are a great option.
This is an accompaniment to other vegetables we used to serve at one of the restaurants I worked at and was always a big hit. The balance of flavors in these beets with the lemon and pepper make for an unbelievable taste. You can alter the flavor of this recipe by using fresh herbs such as dill or thyme.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beets – You will need fresh red or golden beets for this recipe.
- Fat – I prefer to use olive or avocado oil for this. Other options are ghee or clarified butter.
- Seasonings – I only use coarse salt and heavy on-ground black pepper for this.
- Lemon – A hint of lemon juice and lemon zest will brighten up these beets and help offset the pepper.
How to Make Pan-Roasted Beets
Slice both ends off the beets.
Peel the beets using a paring knife or vegetable peeler.
Cut the beets into wedges.
Pour the olive oil into a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
Add in the beets and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. Go heavy on the pepper.
Flip the beets around and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and roast at 425° for 40 to 45 minutes or until lightly caramelized and tender.
Garnish with chives and lemon zest.
How to Make Oven-Roasted Beets
To roast directly in the oven, toss the cut beets in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Place the seasoned and oiled beets on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cook them in the oven at 425° for 55 to 60 minutes or until lightly caramelized and tender.
Add the cooked beets to the serving bowl and squeeze on the juice of ½ lemon and the zest of 1 lemon. Garnish with option sliced chives.
Steamed Beets Option
- Remove the root end of the beets and place them in a 13×9 casserole dish cut side down.
- Pour in 1 to 1 ½ cups of water.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until tender.
- Remove the beets from the water and let them cool for 20 to 30 minutes.
Using paper towels, remove the peelings of the beets. The peelings will pull right off. You can slice, quarter, or even roast in the oven to further enhance the flavor.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten as soon as done. You can keep them in a pot covered in the oven at 225° for up to 1 hour before serving.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. These do not freeze that well. If you want to freeze them, it’s best to make soup out of them as they will be very soft and mushy upon thawing.
How to Reheat: Add the desired number of roasted beets to a saucepan with ¼ cup of water cover with a lid or foil and bake in the oven at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until hot.
Chef Notes + Tips
- You can completely substitute the lemon zest and black pepper with pre-made lemon pepper seasoning.
- When making the steamed beets, the paper towel protects your hands from turning red from the beets and helps if they are too hot.
More Vegetable Recipes
Roasted Beets Recipes
Ingredients
- 5 large or 10 medium-sized beets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- juice of ½ lemon, about 1 tablespoon
- zest of 1 lemon
- coarse salt and generous amount of cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice both ends off the beets.
- Peel the beets using a paring knife or vegetable peeler.
- Cut the beets into wedges.
- Pour the olive oil into a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
- Add in the beets and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Go heavy on the pepper.
- Flip the beets around and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and roast at 425° for 40 to 45 minutes or until lightly caramelized and tender.
- To roast directly in the oven, toss the cut beets in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place the seasoned and oiled beets on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cook them in the oven at 425° for 55 to 60 minutes or until lightly caramelized and tender.
- Add the cooked beets to a serving bowl and squeeze on the juice of ½ lemon and the zest of 1 lemon. Garnish with option sliced chives.
I made this as a side for Thanksgiving dinner. It was very well received.
Excellent!
Roasted beats using your recipe for a recipe using butternut squash. The beets were perfect!
Fantastic!
Love these beets!!!!
Thank you kindly!
Delcious !
Thank you!
These are perfect!
Do you see a taste difference in the beets started on the stove top vs those done only in the oven?
Maybe a bit more caramelized on the stove.