How you cook beets changes both the flavor and the root's nutrients. Roast them and the sugars caramelize into deeply sweet, complex flavors. Steam, and the nutrients stay locked in. Boil beets for simple cooking, but sacrifice some of what makes the roots so valuable nutritionally.
This guide covers four reliable methods: roasting, steaming, boiling, and air frying. Tried and tested temperatures, cooking times, and methods that make the difference between a perfectly tender beet and an undercooked one. Direct from a classically trained chef certified in culinary medicine.
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The Nutrition Behind Beets
Beets are among the most antioxidant-rich vegetables, and one of the most underestimated. The deep red pigment that stains everything it touches is betalain, a class of antioxidant pigment with known anti-inflammatory properties. This is why beet juice has been studied as a food-based treatment for cardiovascular health. The body converts the root's naturally occurring nitrates to nitric oxide, which can reduce blood pressure and improve circulation. Not to be confused with the "laughing gas" nitrous oxide used by dentists (fun, but different).
And yes, these are the same nitrate compounds in processed meats strongly implicated in colon cancer. But there is one very important distinction. Beets and other vegetables with naturally occurring nitrates also contain antioxidants, including Vitamin C. It is thought that the free radical fighters eliminate any harm from the nitrates while allowing them to boost cardiovascular health.
The nutrition science on nitrates themselves isn't definitive (smoking gun conclusions in nutrition are hard to come by). But there is plenty of evidence, including the landmark Nurse's Health Study, that shows pretty clearly eating more vegetables, even those with nitrates, led to better health, not harm.
Beyond nitrates and betalains, beets are a meaningful source of folate, manganese, and potassium. Worth a mention, sufficient potassium in the diet also helps keep blood pressure down (also see: exercise). Last, the beet greens - which most cooks toss in the bin - contain higher concentrations of calcium, iron, and vitamins A and K than the root itself. So eat the beet from top to bottom, and it truly earns its place on your plate. This is one of the cornerstones of culinary medicine and a Mediterranean-style diet: Eat whole foods and a variety of them.
How Cooking Affects Nutrition
How you cook any vegetable determines its nutritional integrity, and beets are no exception. Betalains are water-soluble and heat-sensitive, which means boiling pulls both the pigment and vitamins into the water. The longer you boil and the more water used, the greater the loss.
Steaming preserves significantly more betalains and folate, but also the grassiness that may turn off some at your table. Roasting at a high heat will cause some loss of nutrients, but concentrates flavor through caramelization and is a chef's favorite method for that reason.
To keep your beets' vitamins intact, steam them. For sweeter, more nuanced roots, roast. For speed and convenience, I recommend using an air fryer if you own one. The result is a roasted root in half the time. If boiling beets is what you like, your kitchen, your rules.
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Smart Shopping
When buying beets, look for unblemished roots with perky leaves free from holes. If you plan to cook them whole, try to buy beets of a similar size. No need to be exact; if they look the same, they'll cook the same. I recommend buying beets with their greens intact. In more than 15 years of cooking professionally, I've found beets with intact greens to be the most affordable and often the best-looking beets on the shelf.
On pre-cooked beets: Vacuum-packed cooked beets sold in the produce section are a great option. The nutritional profile is comparable to home-cooked, and the quality is often great. Always read the ingredient list to check for anything unworthy of your plate.
Cleaning & Storing
Since beets grow underneath the soil surface, a gentle scrub can remove any lingering dirt.
- Trim and separate. Cut the greens off the beets, leaving about one inch of the stem on. Pluck any rootlets (tiny sprouts) off the beets and discard them.
- Clean. Rinse the beet bulbs under a trickle of water, gently rubbing with your fingers to remove any dirt. For beet greens, quickly rinse them to remove any grit from the stems.
- Dry well and store chilled. Pat the roots and leaves dry with a kitchen towel, especially if you plan to roast the beets and/or sauté the greens. Wrap the roots and greens separately in damp paper towels and store them airtight by pressing all the air out of the food storage bag before sealing. Avoid too much water on beets before storage; the excess moisture speeds up rotting.
The Techniques
Choosing a cooking method for your beets boils down to your preferences, how much time you have, and your beet goals. But whichever way you choose, I recommend cooking beets whole. With any method, I recommend peeling and cutting beets after cooking; it's much easier. The edge of a spoon is great for scraping away the skin. Food-safe, disposable gloves are your friend when it comes to keeping your hands from turning beet red.
- Boil
- Roast
- Steam
- Air Fry (Convection)
How to Steam
Truly, steaming vegetables keeps all the flavor and nutrients locked into your food. But I find steaming a little high-maintenance since you need to keep an eye on the water level. Be sure to add more water as needed (lest you end up with a scorched pot).
- Set up the steamer. Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in your largest pot, or one that fits your steamer basket.
- Prepare the beets. Trim the beets to remove the root and stem.
- Steam covered until tender. Place the beets in the steamer basket and cover the pot (foil works). Begin checking the beets for doneness after 30 minutes by inserting a butter knife or fork into the largest one. If you feel resistance, steam for ten more minutes and check again. Add more hot water as necessary to maintain two inches in the bottom of the pot.
- Cool and peel. Remove the tender beets from the basket and let them cool until you can handle them.
To Boil
Advice that claims if you leave the stem intact, the beets won't bleed their pigment into the water. But no attempt will completely stop the process.
One method you can try is adding vinegar to the boiling water: A tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice can help beets retain more of their color by stabilizing the pigment. It won't prevent all color loss - beet skin is thin, and betalains are water-soluble. But it can make a small difference.
- Boil water and prepare the beets. Fill a large pot with water and set it over high heat on the stove. Trim the beets to remove the stem, leaving the tap root if you like.
- Salt the boiling water and add the beets. Add salt to the boiling water, if you like, then the beets.
- Boil for 35 to 50 minutes. Boil them until there is no resistance when you pierce them with a fork or butter knife. Adjust the heat to maintain a strong boil. Begin checking for doneness after 30 minutes. Add more hot water to the pot to maintain a level that submerges every beet.
- Drain and cool. Remove the beets from the boiling water by straining them with a large colander or removing them with tongs. Cool the beets for a few minutes, then pat them dry and peel and cut.
To Roast
The high, dry heat of an oven allows beet sugars to caramelize and develop more complex flavors by way of the Maillard Reaction. The fastest, easiest way to roast beets is to wrap them in foil. When cooking beets at home and for my clients, I drizzle a little water into the foil. It's an old-school chef trick for faster cooking as the water provides a little steaming action.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. The higher the heat, the faster the beets will cook.
- Prepare the beets. Trim away the root and stem.
- Oil and roast the beets. Coat the beets in oil and season with salt. Wrap or spread them out on foil for a less messy pan. You can also roast beets without foil by lining your pan with parchment paper (not wax, as it will smoke, burn, or melt at high temperatures). Wrapping the beets tightly in the foil allows them to steam at the same time and encourages faster cooking.
- Check for tenderness. Roast the beets until you can easily pierce them with the tines of a fork or a butter knife. Your utensil should meet no resistance. Begin checking after 30 minutes, but larger beets can take up to 60 minutes.
Air Frying or Convection
Technically, an air fryer isn't a fryer at all. The appliances are tiny convection ovens, which is a cooking method chefs have used for decades. So if your oven has a convection setting, the same applies. The circulation of the hot air inside the oven encourages browning and caramelization and speeds up cooking.
Prepare beets for cooking in an air fryer as you would for roasting, and I recommend wrapping them in foil to contain the color bleed. An air frying temperature between 350° F and 400° F works well. Average-sized beets will become tender in a 400° F air fryer in 30 to 40 minutes. Beets cut smaller (hard to do raw) will take 15 to 20 minutes. Always prick multiple beets with a fork or butter knife to be sure they're tender.
Peeling, Slicing & Storing
- Peeling. I recommend using the edges of a small spoon to scrape the skin away in strips from top to bottom. The pigment will stain your hands, so I recommend either cradling the beets in a paper towel or wearing disposable gloves.
- Slicing. Raw beets are dense and round - a combination that makes them roll under the knife. Trim a thin slice from one side first to create a flat base, then set it cut-side down, and the beet stays put while you chop.
- Storing. Store cooked beets in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or freeze them. To freeze: I recommend sealing them in a food storage bag using the water displacement method. Simply dip the bag with cooked beets in a large bowl of water until it is submerged up to the bottom of the zipper. Then, holding it in the water, seal it well. The water forces all (or most) of the air out, which helps prevent freezer burn.
Chef's Tips
- Avoid undercooking beets. Less than perfectly tender beets can cause digestive distress. And it's truly very hard to overcook them (I know from experience). So cook your beets until they give easily to the tines of a fork. When in doubt, cook the beets for ten minutes more.
- Peel the beets after you cook them. Unless a recipe names a very specific reason for not doing so, peeling and cutting beets after cooking is much easier and the professional standard. I have cooked thousands of beets in restaurants (and endless ones in culinary school), and not once did we peel them before cooking.
- Season beets with salt before cooking. If you only season a food after cooking it, you miss your chance at real, complex flavors. Salt encourages reactions among the flavor compounds in food. And the reactions only happen during cooking, not after.
- Protect your cutting surface, skin, and clothing. Raw and cooked beets give off plant pigments that stain any surface they come into contact with, including your hands and clothes. When working with beets, I line my cutting board with paper towels. And for peeling especially, I wear food-safe disposable gloves or cradle the beets in paper towels.
Cooking Beet Greens
Cook beet greens as you would any fresh green, such as spinach, kale, or chard. Beet greens are more tender than hardier winter greens like collards, so they will cook faster. I recommend slicing the greens into inch-wide pieces and then sautéing them over medium heat in olive or avocado oil. Stirring in a little minced garlic or shallots at the end of cooking adds flavor. And so does a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, melted butter, or a sprinkling of sea salt and a little black pepper. Leafy greens are wonderful served with fatty-fish such as salmon.
Questions Worth Asking
The bigger the beet, the longer in the heat. Cooking times also depend on the method you choose, elevation, and your particular stove, oven, or steamer. The only way to know if a beet is pleasingly tender is to pierce it with a fork or butter knife. It should feel easy; if not, the beets aren't done.
Check every beet since no one is alike, or just the largest. Ignore advice and recipes that offer hard and fast cooking times as a guarantee of doneness (the timing method is amateur and unreliable). They can surely be used as a guide, but that is all.
The pigment betalain is the answer, specifically betacyanin in red beets and betaxanthin in golden ones. They are water-soluble and bind readily to surfaces, including your skin, cutting boards, and fabric. To minimize staining, protect your cutting board with a towel and your hands with disposable gloves. In the absence of gloves, rubbing with lemon juice and salt before washing can help remove most of the pigment.
Raw and undercooked beets contain geosmin, an organic compound produced by soil bacteria that the human nose detects at extremely low concentrations. Geosmin is responsible for the earthy, soil-like (and even grassy) flavor many people associate with beets. Cooking beets thoroughly breaks down geosmin, which is why properly roasted or boiled beets taste sweet and earthy rather than minerally and raw. If cooked beets still taste pungent, they were likely undercooked. Roasting at higher temperatures is the most effective method for reducing the geosmin flavor.
The tap root is the thin "tail" or root on the bottom of the beet. While you will see advice that recommends leaving this on during cooking to lock in nutrients, beet skin is thin, and vitamins will leach out regardless. For easier handling after cooking, remove the tap root and most of the stems beforehand.
📖 Recipe
How to Cook Beets
How to cook beets four ways, and know when they're perfectly tender.
- Total Time: 60 minutes (50 inactive)
- Yield: 3 to 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of fresh beets or 4 to 5 whole beets, leaves trimmed
- salt, kosher recommended
- cooking oil, avocado or olive recommended
Instructions
Before cooking beets using any of the methods, wash them well to scrub away any dirt and rootlets, then trim away the root and stem ends. Cool cooked beets for a few minutes so they are easier to handle, then peel and slice to your liking.
To Steam
- Prepare your steaming setup. Bring a couple of inches of water to a boil in your largest pot or a pot that fits your steamer basket. Make ready a lid or foil to prevent excessive evaporation of the water.
- Steam covered until tender. Place the beets in the steamer basket and sprinkle with salt, if you like, and cover the pot. Begin checking the beets for doneness after 30 minutes by inserting a butter knife or fork into the largest one. If you feel resistance, steam for ten more minutes and check again. Add more hot water as necessary to maintain two inches in the bottom of the pot.
To Boil
- Boil water. Fill a large pot with water and set it over high heat on the stove. Water boils faster if you cover the pot.
- Salt the boiling water and add the beets. Add several pinches of salt to the boiling water. It will dissolve and pass through the beets as they cook.
- Boil for 35 to 50 minutes. Boil the beets until there is no resistance when you pierce them with a fork or butter knife. Adjust the heat to maintain a strong boil (but prevent boiling over). You can cover the pot to prevent the water from evaporating. Begin checking the largest beet for doneness after 30 minutes. Add more hot water to the pot to keep the beets fully submerged.
- Drain and dry. Remove the beets from the boiling water by straining them with a large colander or removing them with tongs. Pat the beets dry with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.
To Roast or Air Fry
- Preheat the oven to 425°F or an air fryer to 400° F. The higher the heat, the faster the beets will cook.
- Season and roast until tender. Coat the beets in a heat-tolerant oil like avocado or canola (not extra virgin). Season the beets with salt, if you like. Roast or air fry the beets until you can easily pierce them with the tines of a fork or a butter knife. Begin checking after 20 minutes for the air fryer and 30 minutes for the oven.
Notes
To clean fresh beets. Cut the greens off the beets when you bring them home, leaving about one inch of the stem on the beets. But only clean the beets right before cooking. To clean, pluck any rootlets (tiny sprouts) and rinse the beet in water, gently rubbing with your fingers to remove any dirt. For beet greens, quickly rinse them under a trickle of water. Pat the roots and leaves dry with a kitchen towel.
To peel cooked beets. I recommend using the edge of a small spoon to scrape the skin away in strips from top to bottom. The pigment will stain your hands and cutting board, so either cradle the beets in a paper towel or wear disposable gloves.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 to 50 minutes
- Category: Techniques
- Method: Air Frying, Boiling, Roasting, Steaming
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cooked Beet
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 5.5 g
- Sodium: 296.5 mg
- Fat: 5.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.8 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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