• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Roots and Radishes

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Subscribe
  • Recipes
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Subscribe
    • Recipes
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Sides

    Simple Herb Roasted Beets

    Published: Sep 2, 2021 by Tera Gigot with Leave a Comment · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Sharing is caring!

    23 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·Leave a Review

    This post contains affiliate links for products I genuinely recommend, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you.

    These simple herb roasted beets are sweet, herby, and delicious! Beets get sweeter when roasted, making them a delicious and healthy root vegetable to toss into salads or enjoy as a simple veggie side dish for any summer, fall, or winter meal.

    Some links in this post are Amazon affiliate links to products we love.

    Simple herb roasted beets in white ceramic bowl with copper serving spoon on light blue background this recipe

    A wonderful friend of mine says beets are her spirit vegetable, while another says that beets taste like Lake Mendota (a local Wisconsin lake). I don't know about you, but I lean much more towards the spirit vegetable end of the spectrum... I love beets! Beets are a hearty root vegetables that can be harvested during summer, fall, and winter, and there are tons of health benefits! They make an awesome salad ingredient or simple side dish to round out any meal.

    Yes, they're inherently a little "earthy", but today we're going to peel and roast them in plenty of olive oil, salt, and herbs for a sweet, savory, delicious result.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Equipment
    • Instructions
    • Ninja Foodi Method
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • FAQs
    • Simple Herb Roasted Beets

    Ingredients

    The ingredient list for simple herb roasted beets is short and sweet! You can use fresh herbs if you have them on hand, but I use dried herbes de Provence to get a blend of herbs/spices while keeping it easy.

    Whole beets on light blue and white surface
    • Beets
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Herbs de Provence (dried) OR fresh thyme, basil, & rosemary
    • Salt
    • Pepper

    Equipment

    To make these simple herb roasted beets, all you need is basic kitchen equipment: a knife, veggie peeler (if peeling the beets), cutting board, large bowl, measuring spoons, and sheet pan.

    Also, if you have a Ninja Foodi air fryer/pressure cooker, you can roast beets in there as an alternative method. Since this method replaces your oven, you can nix the sheet pan. We LOVE our Ninja Foodi (affiliate link) and honestly use it more than our oven for roasting veggies, which is almost daily! I provide an alternate method below for you if you'd like to use the Ninja Foodi instead of your oven.

    Instructions

    Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees.

    To prepare the beets for roasting, you'll cut the stem and root ends off of each whole beet. Since beets are root veggies, they tend to hold onto some dirt in their crevices even when washed and scrubbed, so I like to peel them for roasting. Not everyone does, so you could skip this step and be fine. If you do, just make sure you scrub them really well!

    Then, cut the beets into small cubes (between ¼ and ½-inch or ~1cm) and add to a medium-large bowl. Cutting the beet cubes smaller will help them roast faster!

    • Peeled beets in clear glass bowl on light blue and white surface
    • Beets peeled and cubed in clear glass bowl

    To the bowl of beet cubes, add olive oil, salt, and herbs, and toss to fully coat the beets. Then, empty the beets out onto a sheet pan and spread them into an even layer.

    Cubed beets in olive oil and herbs de Provence on sheet pan, ready to be roasted

    Roast the beets at 400 degrees for 35 minutes, or until they are easily pierced with a fork and the edges are browned. Since beets are so pigmented, it's hard to tell when they're 'browned', but they'll be darker in color and the edges will resemble a roasted potato.

    Simple herb roasted beets on sheet pan

    Boom, roasted. Beets.

    Hint: You don't need to use foil for this roasted beet recipe, but sometimes it can help with easier clean-up. In effort to reduce waste, I love using silicone baking mats (affiliate link) to line my sheet pans and make clean-up super easy!

    Ninja Foodi Method

    Lately, we've been roasting all of our veggies in a Ninja Foodi air fryer/pressure cooker (affiliate link), and I cannot recommend it enough. It keeps our kitchens cool during hot summer days, plus it's faster than roasting in an oven (especially for root veggies, which tend to take longer). Needless to say, it's earned a permanent spot on our kitchen counter!

    To make these simple herb roasted beets in a Ninja Foodi, skip the oven preheating and put away your sheet pans. Place the Cook & Crisp plate in the Ninja Foodi, and prep the beets in the same way (de-stem/root, peel, cube).

    Then, toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbes de Provence (or fresh herbs), and place them in the Ninja Foodi in an even layer. Turn the power on, press the Bake/Roast button, set the temperature to 375 degrees, and set the time to 18 minutes. Finally, press the Start/Stop button to start cooking, and prep the rest of your dinner while you wait, or just hang out!

    Simple herb roasted beets in white ceramic bowl with copper serving spoon on light blue background with golden yellow linen

    When the beets are done, you'll hear a beep and the Ninja Foodi fan will stop; make sure to open the lid right away, or the beets will continue to cook. We've accidentally burned veggies by leaving them in the hot Ninja Foodi with the lid closed 🙂 At this point, you can pierce one with a fork to make sure it's cooked all the way through; if more time is needed, bake/roast for 2-3 more minutes. It's easy to overdo it and burn the veggies, so just a couple minutes will do!

    Hint: The Ninja Foodi roasts so well because because of the airflow inside, so if you have too many roasted veggies piled in, some of the air might not get to the center. To mitigate this, reduce the amount of beets in the recipe, OR be sure to stir halfway through so that all the beet pieces get airflow and heat exposure.

    Substitutions & Variations

    You can use fresh herbs if you have them on hand, but I use dried herbes de Provence (a very common spice blend you can buy in any standard grocery store or spice shop) to keep it easy and flavorful. If you don't have herbes de Provence, you can also make your own or use a blend of dried basil, thyme, and rosemary.

    Since roasted beets are somewhat of a template for many delicious flavors, try these variations to spice it up!

    • Balsamic - Drizzle balsamic glaze over the roasted beets while still warm from roasting.
    • Citrus - Add a squeeze of lemon or your favorite citrus vinaigrette after roasting.
    • Hummus - Blend roasted beets into hummus for beet hummus!
    • Feta & Walnuts - For a simple and delicious side dish, toss the roasted beets with feta and toasted (or candied) walnuts... and maybe even some balsamic glaze. The feta will definitely turn pink, but we're totally good with that 😉
    • Golden beets - We love trying new produce! If you have access to golden beets, those would be just as delicious in this recipe.
    • Tahini Maple Drizzle - Inspired by my harissa roasted sweet potato recipe, tahini + maple is an incredible combo to add to ALL things!

    FAQs

    What do I serve roasted beets with?

    I highly recommend tossing them into salads, but they are also great alongside any meal as a veggie side dish!

    How do I store roasted beets?

    You can store roasted beets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to seven days.

    How do I freeze roasted beets?

    To freeze, you can place roasted beets in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

    Print

    Simple Herb Roasted Beets

    Simple herb roasted beets in white ceramic bowl with copper serving spoon on light blue background
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

    No reviews

    These simple herb roasted beets and sweet, savory, and one of my favorite salad ingredients! Roasting beets caramelizes their sugars and brings out their sweetness, while olive oil, herbs, and salt add a savory flavor.

    • Author: Tera
    • Prep Time: 10
    • Cook Time: 35
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: ~4 cups
    • Category: Side Dish
    • Method: Roast
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 2 lbs. beets
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tsp herbes de Provence (or 1 tbsp fresh thyme, rosemary, and/or basil)
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp pepper

    Instructions

    1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
    2. Beets: Slice the stem and root off of each beet, then peel thoroughly. Cut beets into small cubes (approximately 1 cm or ¼-1/2-inch), and place them in a large bowl.
    3. Oil and herbs: Add olive oil and, salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence (or fresh herbs, if using) to the beets. Toss to even coat the beets in the oil and spices.
    4. Bake: Place the beets onto a sheet pan in an even layer, then bake at 400 for 35 minutes. You'll know the beets are done when the edges are browned and beet pieces can be easily pierced with a fork.

    Notes

    1. Storing & freezing: Store roasted beets in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. To freeze, place roasted beets in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months.
    2. Ninja Foodi: Skip step 1 and prepare beets through step 3. Place in a Ninja Foodi on the Cook & Crisp plate, and Bake/Roast at 375 for 18 minutes. Once done, open the Ninja Foodi lid right away and test a couple beets to make sure you can pierce them with a fork. If not, Bake/Roast at 375 for another 2-3 minutes.

    Keywords: healthy roasted beets, how to roast beets

    Did you make this recipe?

    If you loved this recipe, please consider giving it a star rating (below)! Star ratings help Roots and Radishes recipes reach more people, which helps support the continued production of our content. Also, we'd LOVE to see what you make! Tag @rootsnradishes on Instagram and hashtag it #rootsnradishes

    More Sides

    • Air fryer parsnips on small wooden plate with fork topped with chili crunch and flaky salt, and other air fryer parsnips in beige serving bowl on the side
      Air Fryer Parsnips
    • Air fryer green beans being speared with a fork
      Air Fryer Green Beans
    • Air-fried delicata squash on white plate with golden fork
      Easy Air Fryer Squash
    • Pesto potato salad scooped into large copper spoon resting on small white ceramic plate, next to bowl of potato salad and small white bowl of pesto
      Easy Pesto Potato Salad

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Tera Gigot, the author, photographer, and recipe developer of Roots and Radishes.

    Hey, I'm Tera! And I'm so glad to meet you. As a self-taught cook, I've found so much delight in 12 years of experimenting with whole foods in my Wisconsin kitchen. Here's where I share nourishing recipes that are simple and delicious.

    More about me →

    Wholesome Christmas Recipes

    • A stack of three healthier soft ginger molasses cookies, with more cookies in the background, on white marble surface with a few ornaments
      Healthier Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies
    • Flourless almond butter cookies drizzled with white chocolate, on white marble surface with small copper ornament and white chocolate chips sprinkled around
      Flourless Almond Butter Cookies with White Chocolate
    • Healthy cranberry orange muffin with parchment liner on white marble cake stand, with other muffins in background
      Healthy Cranberry Orange Muffins
    • Maple walnut roasted Brussels sprouts in black cast iron skillet, on cooling rack with teal linen and light blue and white background
      Maple Walnut Roasted Brussels Sprouts
    • Wild rice and pomegranate salad in clear glass bowl with copper serving spoons
      Wild Rice and Pomegranate Salad
    • Kale, potato, and onion frittata fresh out of the oven in cast iron skillet, with teal linen wrapped around skillet handle
      Kale Potato and Onion Frittata

    Cozy Season

    • Simple sautéed apples on small wooden plate, topped with walnuts and flaky salt, with a golden fork on gray/white surface with golden yellow linen
      Simple Sautéed Apples
    • Simple coconut chia granola on parchment paper lined sheet pan
      Simple Coconut Chia Granola
    • Homemade maple baked beans in beige serving bowl with gold spoon, next to golden-yellow linen, and sourdough dipped in
      Simple Homemade Maple Baked Beans
    • Ginger lime chicken soup with brown rice noodles, topped with cilantro, in gray bowl with spoon
      Healing Ginger Lime Chicken Noodle Soup