How To Roast Beets In Foil

Roasted beets are a delicious way to have more savory cooked beetroot with an equally tender texture. The foil helps keep them deliciously juicy and retain most of their nutrients. Using this guide, you can create side dishes made with beet. Start with roasted beet dip if you want!

No matter which beet recipe you want to make, you need to cook the beets first, either by boiling on the stovetop or roasting them in the oven. We have shared how to boil beets before, now let's learn the tips for roasting them.

How to Prepare Beets

The way you prepare beets depends entirely on how you want to cook them. Because today's topic is how to roast beets in foil, we will take you through a couple of ways to prepare beets for different scenarios.

Cut away the leaves on the top if your beets have any. The tops can be saved for a different use. Leave about an inch of stem (at the most). This will give you a part to grip when peeling later.

Wash the beets first. We've found that a vegetable brush or scrubber helps us remove the tough dirt that remains on these root vegetables. It also helps remove sand, which can make the cooked beets grainy.

Dry them once they have been properly washed and rinsed under cold running water. When baking beets, you don’t want them to be soaking wet. A quick dry will do.

How To Roast Whole Beets

Now let's learn how to cook beetroot in the oven. This technique is very easy and helps prevent excessive beet juice from escaping. This results in an overall more juicy, tender, and flavorful oven-roasted beets.

You can even add some carrots and potatoes in separate foil packets  in the same baking pan. Wrap them in the same way and serve them together on a serving plate. Enjoy the colors!

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Meanwhile, prepare the beets by washing them under water and drying them well. Read more about how to prepare beets in the section above.

2. Wrap the beets. Lightly wrap each beet in a single layer of aluminum foil. If you have very small beets, you can wrap 2 to 4 of them together. 

Remember, it is possible to roast sliced beets without foil. But, we’ve found that roasting them whole before peeling and cutting is much easier.

3. Roast the beets. Set the wrapped beets inside a baking pan or on a baking sheet. Then, roast them for 50-60 minutes. The exact roasting time for these whole roasted beets will depend on their size.
4. Test their doneness. After 30 minutes, start testing the doneness of the beets with a fork or a skewer. If the fork glides in easily, the beets are done. If the it struggles, keep roasting the beets. 

5. Peel the beets. Once the beetroot is tender, remove it from the oven and leave it to cool for 10 minutes. Have a look at our guide below on peeling beetroot baked in foil. Remember to wear your gloves!
6. Use the peeled roasted beetroot. Finally, slice or cube the baked beets and incorporate them into your recipes. You can also just store them in an airtight container for up to a week.

How Long To Roast Beets

Now that you know how to roast beetroot in foil, let's quickly discuss the exact cooking times. There are too many variables to say how long to roast beets.

The exact oven temperature has a big effect on the cooking time of beets. The higher the temperature, the quicker the beets will bake. But only to some degree. At 400ºF (200ºC), it still takes almost an hour. At 360ºF (180ºC), it will take about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours.

Then, the size of the beetroot will also affect how long beets bake for. Medium beets weigh about 4 ounces (110 grams). It will take 50-60 minutes to roast them at 400. Large beets take much longer to bake. Smaller beets obviously don't. That's why we recommend checking their doneness after 30 minutes.

Peeling Whole Roasted Beets

To peel your whole roasted beets, remember to wear gloves. You can peel the cooked beets in a few ways.

Use paper towel. Hold one end in some paper towel. Use the paper to help rub off the beet skin.

Use your hands. Rub off the skin of cooked beets when they are still warm. If the beets are still warm, the skin will slide off effortlessly. Do not leave the beetroot to cool down. It will become harder to peel.

Use a knife. You can use this method for stubborn skin on the beetroots. 

How To Store

Always store your roasted beets in a container you don’t mind staining. This could be an airtight container or zip-lock freezer bags. 

Once the beets have cooled, you can place them chopped in a container and store them in the fridge for up to a week.

Tips

• Don't try to roast whole beets without foil. It takes very long to cook them. 
• If you don't have any foil left, then the best option is to chop the beets and then roast them. Just place the beet slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle salt over them, drizzle with oil and roast them for 30-40 minutes.
• Always check the doneness of beets before removing them completely from the oven. If they are not soft enough when you insert a fork inside them, cook for another 10 - 15 minutes.
• Make sure to wear gloves when peeling and chopping beets not to have the pink stain on your hands.

What To Make

Hopefully, you now feel confident with cooking beets in the oven. Now, how can you use them?

When you are ready to eat, you can combine the roasted beets with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and lemon juice for a very quick salad. You can even garnish it with fresh herbs like parsley and drizzle honey over them. 

But, you can also use these roasted beets to make pickles, beet dip or hummus. OR you can even make a salad with roasted beets and goat cheese.

FAQs

 More Beet Recipes

• Quick Beet Pickles
• Whole Boiled Beets
• Roasted Beet Dip
• Beet Hummus