Easy Crispy Roasted Beets
Crispy and savory on the outside, soft, sweet, and chewy in the middle, there is arguably no better way to enjoy this root vegetable than than these Crispy Roasted Beets! Made without peeling and without foil, they couldn’t be easier to prepare.
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Inspiration for this Recipe
I will never forget the first time I tasted crispy roasted beets.
We were at our dear friends’ fall wedding in upstate New York. The reception took place in a cozy, rustic barn, and we feasted on a beautiful family-style meal. Most memorable in the spread was the huge platter of roasted root vegetables.
In addition to the usual suspects of potatoes and carrots and less usual suspects like parsnips, the dish also included a brand new (to me) roasted veggie: beets. Not the kind of beets I had ever tried. These beets were WAY more interesting…they had texture and flavor all on their own.
That lovely fall NY day in 2008, beets upgraded from tolerable to in my top 3 veggies.
Why I love this recipe
These crispy roasted beets are:
Crispy
Chewy
Sweet
Spicy (optional)
Vegan
Healthy
Versatile
Whole 30 friendly
Paleo friendly
Ingredients and Substitutions
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and more information.
- Beets: This superfood root vegetable is the star of this dish. Any variety will work beautifully in this easy roasted beet recipe: golden, red, white, pink, candy striped, etc. Or use a mix of beet varieties together! To avoid color bleed, separate the different beet varieties when cutting, mixing, and roasting (see photos below).
- Oil: Olive oil not only helps the beets get crispy when roasting; it also brings a subtle olive flavor to the beets. You can substitute olive oil with avocado oil, grape seed oil, or vegetable oil.
- Sea Salt: Sea salt helps balance the natural sweetness of the beets, and complements the crispy texture at the end…they are essentially beet fries, and the salt is key to this! If avoiding salt, feel free to omit.
- Cayenne Pepper: For those who enjoy a kick, cayenne pepper is a delicious enhancement to this recipe. Sweet, spicy, crispy, chewy…what more could you want?! Black pepper or red pepper flakes also work.
How to make Crispy Roasted Beets
First, preheat oven to 400 degrees and clean beets. Then cut off stems and root. No need to peel, the skin will aid in crispy texture!
Expert tip: Consider using silicon baking mat or plastic cutting board to avoid staining wooden cutting board. If using a mix of beet colors, also consider cutting them separately as the raw red beets will bleed onto golden.
Next, cut beets into bite-size pieces about 1/2 inch thick, ideally with 2 flat surfaces to make them easier to flip.
Toss all ingredients together and mix. Transfer beets to cookie sheet or baking pan. Especially, if using red beets, use silicon baking mat or parchment paper for easier clean up. Avoid overlapping pieces.
Roast at 400 degrees for about 35-45 minutes, turning once at about the 16-17 minute mark.
Total cook time will vary by oven and beet slices sizes. Check beets towards end of cook time, around the 30-33 minute mark. Ideal texture is soft on the inside and slightly crisp on outside, especially the skin parts.
Serving Suggestions for Crispy Roasted Beets
I love to snack on these crispy roasted beets all by themselves…they are so addictive and healthy! But once in a while I save a few to include in a meal, either in a salad, a bowl, or as a side dish.
You can enjoy them warm, room temperature, or as chilled roasted beets.
Roasted Beet & Quinoa Salad with Ginger Lemon Dressing
This roasted beet recipe actually inspired my Roasted Beet Salad with fresh herbs, quinoa, and a ginger lemon vinaigrette. With so many layers of flavor, this salad is the perfect dish to impress guests.
Roasted Beets with Spicy Tahini Sauce (appetizer or side dish)
I also love to include crispy roasted beets with other roasted veggies as an appetizer or side dish when entertaining, paired with my Spicy Tahini Sauce.
FAQs
For perfectly crispy roasted beets, roast at 400 degrees.
If you plan to remove the peel, you can do so after roasting the beet whole. The skin will easily peel off. However, there is no need to remove the skin at all. If you cut the beets into pieces before roasting, the skin will help the roasted beets become perfectly crispy.
No, beet skins are perfectly edible and roasted beet wedges perfectly crispy to boot!
Both varietals of beets are similar in nutrients. Golden beets tend to have a sweeter flavor, while red beets have a more earthy taste.
Cut beets into bit-sized pieces with the skin on. Lightly coat with olive oil and sea salt, and roast on a baking sheet (with optional silicon baking mat to minimize mess) for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees for the perfect roasted beets: crispy and savory on the outside, soft and sweet in the middle.
If you liked this yummy veggie recipe, you may also like:
- Crispy Roasted Beet Salad with Quinoa and Lemon Ginger Dressing
- Delectable Tahini Dressing/Dip/Sauce
- Garlicky Roasted Cauliflower with Capers & Panko
- Air Fryer Parsnips
- Air Fryer Sunchokes
If you try this recipe, please tell me what you think by rating and reviewing below!
Cheers!
Jenn
Easy Crispy Roasted Beets
Equipment
- oven or toaster oven
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- baking pan or cookie sheet
- silicon baking mat optional, or parchment paper
Ingredients
- 3 cups cut beets, approximately 3 large beets or 4-5 medium; use one variety or mix see instructions below for cutting tips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1-2 pinches cayenne pepper or pepper of choice optional, see note below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Clean beets. Cut off stems and root. No need to peel, the skin will aid in crispy texture!If using more than one variety of beets, consider prepping each color separately to avoid staining lighter colors (see photos above).Especially if using red beets, consider using silicon or plastic cutting board to avoid staining wooden cutting board.
- Cut beets into 1/2 inch thick slices, ideally with 2 flat surfaces. This will make flipping the beets easier in the oven.
- Toss all ingredients together into mixing bowl and stir.
- Transfer beets to cookie sheet or baking pan. Avoid overlapping pieces.Especially if using red beets, use silicon baking sheet or parchment paper for easier clean up.
- Roast beets at 400 degrees for about 35-45 minutes, turning once at the 16-17 minute mark. Cook times will vary depending on oven and size of beet slices.
- Check beets towards end of cook time around 30-33 minutes to avoid burning. Ideal texture is soft on the inside and slightly crisp on outside, especially the skin parts.
- You can enjoy these crispy roasted beets warm, room temperature, or chilled. See serving suggestions above.
Notes
Nutrition
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I have never prepared beet like that, thanks for a great recipe!
so good, right? thanks for taking the time to share!
These spicy roasted beets are incredible!
Thanks Katie!
Jenn recently made this dish for me. I am far from a chef, but these beets convinced me to try the recipe. Just bought beets to give it a try!
Awesome Kathy! Please keep me posted on how it goes! And thank you for sharing!
I had these beets recently and they were the hit of the dinner party. We universally loved them and I look forward to trying the recipe at home. They will make an easy and versatile side dish.
Thanks Katie for sharing!
Simple and delicious – my kind of recipe!
Roasted Beets are my fav! I love how you got them so crispy. the timing was perfect