This simple "How to cook beetroot" guide will teach you how to prepare, roast, boil & steam this humble vegetable ready to use in wide array of recipes. Beets rule!
Humble beetroot (in America more commonly known as beets) is a fantastic, super nutritious and extremely versatile vegetable that can be cooked in many different ways depending on preference and subsequently used in a variety of sweet and savoury recipes.
If you cannot think of beetroot beyond the jarred, vinegary type, I'm here to help.
This super simple guide will teach you how to cook beetroot for maximum flavour and also how to buy, store, prepare and use it.
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How to cook beetroot
If you decide to cook your own beetroot (it's so worth it) you've got few methods you can go for:
- Roasting (whole or chunks/wedges)
- Boiling
- Steaming (whole or chunks/wedges)
On the whole, beetroot is not the quickest vegetable to cook but timing will also heavily depend on the size of your specimen so the bigger it is the longer it will take.
Choosing beets
Here in the UK beetroot growing season runs from early July till late October although as it stores extremely well we can pretty much buy it fresh all year round.
I absolutely adore young, bunched beetroot with greens still attached as it's the sweetest there is and the leaves can be used in a similar way you would use spinach or chard so there is no waste whatsoever.
Young beetroot is much smaller than more mature one later in the season and is perfect for eating raw in smoothies and salads.
When choosing/ buying bunched beetroot always look for greens which are fresh and not limp and beetroot itself nice and firm too.
Same principle applies to larger beetroot later in the season. Outside of the growing season you won't get bunched beets anymore but when buying fresh always look for firm taproot (the technical term for beetroot and other edible roots we consume) with undamaged skin (why skin is important will become clear soon).
Also when buying older beets stay clear of the ones that are too large as they might be a bit woody plus they will cook forever. The ones up to 6cm/2.5inch in diameter will be best.
Last but not least, try and buy your beets similar size so that they cook at the similar rate.
How to prepare beetroot
Larger beetroot (not bunched)
When you buy beetroot and you don't want to cook it straight away, don't be tempted to wash it at this point as it might go mouldy in storage. If it comes covered with fair bit of dirt simply remove it as much as possible (just with your hand) but only wash it properly before cooking it.
When you're ready to cook your beetroot, go ahead and give it a wash and gentle scrub with vegetable brush to remove any dirt and soil debris.
There is no need to peel beetroot as its skin acts as a protective layer during cooking and helps keeping both the colour and nutrients in the beetroot. Once beets are cooked, the skin removal will be so much easier too.
Also, don't be tempted to trim either top or bottom of the beetroot too close to the root itself as this will open the way for the goodness and colour to seep out.
Bunched beetroot with greens attached
Best way to prepare bunched beetroot both for storage and cooking is to first separate the greens from the roots leaving about 2-3cm/1inch of the stalks still attached.
Removing the leaves will help keeping beets nice and firm as leaves tend to draw the moisture out of the root.
Next, trim the thin root at the bottom of the beets but not too close to the taproot itself not to damage the skin.
Similarly to the older beets, only wash beetroot before cooking.
Don't waste the greens as they're really delicious raw in salads or gently sautéed with some olive oil and garlic. Alternatively, you can make traditional Polish beet greens soup called Botwinka.
They cook pretty quickly as spinach or chard but you might want to chop up the stalks pretty finely and start them off couple of minutes ahead of leaves if you'd prefer them slightly softer.
How to roast beetroot
The simplest way is to roast beetroot whole, wrapped individually in aluminium foil.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
Wash each beetroot carefully and give it gentle scrub with vegetable brush if required. Don't peel it!
Dry it gently with clean kitchen towel, put in a prepared piece of aluminium foil and wrap like a little parcel. There is no oil or seasoning required.
Put the parcels on a baking tray and into preheated oven.
Roasting time will depend on the size of beetroot, anything from 30 minutes for small, young beets to 1 hour or more for larger specimen.
Check beets for doneness with a knife and let them cool before peeling.
***PRO TIP***
For quick side dish, you could also roast beetroot peeled and cut into chunks or wedges. Drizzle over some olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and your favourite herbs (thyme and rosemary go particularly well here) and roast in preheated oven until tender.
How to boil beetroot
Similar to roasting, start with washing beets carefully and giving them gentle scrub with a brush to get rid of the dirt.
Be gentle so you don't damage the skin and don't peel your beets!
Choose the size of the pan depending on the size of the beetroot and cover them with cold water.
Add a tablespoon of vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar) or lemon juice. This is the trick I learnt from my mum and it helps beetroot retain its lovely colour.
Cover the pan with a lid and bring to boil.
Once boiling turn the heat down to simmer and let your beetroot cook (depending on the size) for anything from 20 minutes to an hour or until tender.
I cooked my beets for 45 minutes from the moment the water came up to boil.
Once you're happy with tenderness of your beets, pop them onto colander and under cold running water to stop the cooking process.
Dry it carefully or let air dry and once cold enough to handle, peel and use as desired.
How to steam beetroot
You can steam beetroot by placing it in a steamer basket in a pan with just enough cold water so that the bottom of the basket doesn't touch the water.
Cover the pan with tightly fitting lid to allow for the steam to build up and do its job.
Steam for anything between 30 minutes to an hour (depending on the size of your beetroot) or until tender.
Main benefit of steaming is of course the retention of the colour and nutrients.
***PRO TIP***
Instead of steaming the entire beetroot you might want to opt for peeling and cutting it into small wedges/chunks instead. As beetroot is not in the water, even though it's been peeled and cut both colour and nutrients will be retained.
Steaming smaller beetroot pieces will also be much quicker and is a perfect way of cooking it if you want to have a quick side dish or use it in salads.
How to check whether beets are done
To check your beets for doneness, use a sharp knife and gently insert it into the middle of the beetroot.
If the knife goes in easily it means that beetroot is done.
Let it cool slightly before peeling.
How to peel beetroot
Beetroot is really easy to peel once it's been cooked and cooled as the skin pretty much peels off on its own.
One thing to bear in mind is that it will stain your hands quite a bit but don't worry after you wash them couple of times the pink stains will be gone.
You can always opt in for wearing gloves if you prefer or use paper towel.
My preferred way of peeling beetroot is to use paring knife.
🥡 How to store beetroot
Uncooked beetroot is best stored in the fridge in a vegetable drawer or a cool, dark cupboard. Stored this way it should last good couple of weeks if not longer.
When in the fridge, keep it in a plastic bag with few air holes. This will prevent it from drying out and becoming soft and limp.
Roots and greens are best stored separately and greens are best used within couple of days when still nice and crisp.
Cooked beetroot should be stored in the airtight container and used within 5 days.
I wouldn't recommend freezing beetroot as its texture will not be too nice on defrosting.
💭 Top tips
- If you buy bunched beetroot make sure to cut off the greens as soon as possible and store separately as they will draw the moisture out of the root leaving your beets limp.
- Don't discard beetroot greens but use them raw in salads (really young leaves are best for that) or cook in a similar way you would spinach or chard.
- Try and not buy beets bigger that 6cm/2.5inch in diameter. Really large beetroot might be a bot wood and it will take forever to cook.
- Roasting beetroot (my favourite method of cooking it) intensifies its sweetness.
- Adding vinegar when boiling beetroot protects its colour.
- Don't peel beetroot when cooking it whole. Its skin acts as a protective layer keeping both colour and nutrients in the beetroot.
- Don't top and tail beetroot too close to the root itself until it's cooked to retain both colour and nutrients.
- Cooked beetroot is much easier to peel than raw.
- Choose similar size beets so that they finish cooking at the same time.
❓ FAQs
Yes it is. It's packed full of essential nutrients and is great source of fibre, folate, manganese, potassium, iron and Vitamin C. [source: Healthline]
Beetroot is absolutely fine and delicious to eat raw. You can use it in smoothies, juice it or grate it and use in nutritious salads.
I would only recommend peeling beetroot if you'd like to use it raw and even that is not always necessary as long as you give it a good scrub.
If you intend to cook your beets then leave the skin on as it will protect it from colour and nutrient loss plus beets are much easier to peel once cooked.
Yes as it's just a different variety of beetroot and it can be cooked the same way.
Have you found my How to cook beetroot guide useful?
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📋 Recipe
How to cook beetroot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium beetroots (beets) roughly 6cm/3inch in diameter
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar for boiling beetroot only (optional)
Instructions
Roasting Beetroot
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
- Wash each beetroot carefully and give them gentle scrub with vegetable brush if required, taking care not to damage the skin. Don't peel it!
- Dry it gently with clean kitchen towel, put in a prepared piece of aluminium foil and wrap like a little parcel.
- Put the parcels on a baking tray and into preheated oven.
- Roast for approximately 1 hr (smaller beets will require shorter roasting time) or until tender (check for tenderness with a knife). I roasted mine for 1 hour.
- Let them cool slightly before peeling.
Boiling Beetroot
- Wash each beetroot carefully and give them gentle scrub with vegetable brush if required taking care not to damage the skin. Don't peel it!
- Put cleaned beets in a pan and cover them with cold water.
- At this point you can add tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (optiona).
- Cover pan with a lid and bring it to boil.
- Once boiling turn the heat down to simmer and let your beetroot cook (depending on the size) for between 20 minutes and 1 hour or until tender (check for tenderness with a knife). I cooked mine for 45 minutes.
- Drain beets in a colander and pop under cold running water to stop the cooking process.
- Dry them carefully or let air dry and once cold enough to handle, peel and use as desired.
Steaming beetroot
- Put beetroot in a pan with a steamer basket with enough water so that it sits just below the bottom of the basket without touching it.
- Cover the pan with tight fitting lid to allow for the build up of steam and bring to boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to simmer and let it steam for anything between 30 minutes to an hour (depending on the size of your beetroot) or until tender (check for tenderness with a knife).
- Let beets cool a bit, peel and use as desired.
Notes
- Nutritional information provided is per 1 medium beetroot and should be treated as a rough guideline only.
- Uncooked and unwashed beetroot can be stored in the fridge or in a cool, dry place for couple of weeks or even longer. If storing in the fridge you might want to keep it in the plastic bag with few air holes to prevent it from drying out and going limp.
- Cooked beetroot should be stored in the airtight container in the fridge and used within 5 days.
- I wouldn't recommend freezing beetroot.
- If you buy bunched beetroot make sure to cut off the greens as soon as possible and store separately as they will draw the moisture out of the root leaving your beets limp.
- Don't discard beetroot greens but use them raw in salads (really young leaves are best for that) or cook in a similar way you would spinach or chard.
- Try and not buy beets bigger that 6cm/2.5inch in diameter. Really large beetroot might be a bot wood and it will take forever to cook.
- Roasting beetroot (my favourite method of cooking it) intensifies its sweetness.
- Adding vinegar when boiling beetroot protects its colour.
- Don't peel beetroot when cooking it whole as skin acts as a protective layer keeping both colour and nutrients in the beetroot.
- Don't top and tail beetroot too close to the root itself until it's cooked to retain nutrients and colour.
- Cooked beetroot is much easier to peel than raw.
- Choose similar size beets so that they finish cooking at the same time.
Gwen says
Brilliant told me everything I needed to do
joskitchenlarder says
Really pleased to hear! 🙂