Boiling beets correctly can be a delicious way to eat this sweet, earthy root vegetable, so often overlooked.
This is a simple guide on how to boil beets on the stovetop the proper way.
Cooked correctly, it will become an instant hit for making a tasty beet salad, beetroot soup, or delicious hummus.
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Is it better to boil or roast beets?
Boiling beets and roasting beets are two very different ways of cooking with two very different outcomes.
If you want to know how to roast beets properly then see my salt roasted beets recipe.
It's one of my favourite ways to cook beets.
Boiled beets have a juicier texture and roasted or baked beets have a drier texture but more concentrated flavour.
In my beetroot salad recipe, I use a combination of the two but feel free to use either boiled or roasted.
Can you peel beets before boiling?
Don't peel your beets before boiling. The skins are easily removed afterwards.
Keeping the skin on while boiling helps to keep some of the colour, flavour and nutrients from leaching into the water.
It also helps to brighten that sweet earthy flavour beets are so well known for which makes them such delicious root vegetables.
Why use vinegar, sugar and salt?
This is one of those small but very important steps that separates the pro from the novice.
The good news is that in this recipe it's easy for everyone to be the big boy/girl/person in the kitchen.
By adding vinegar to the cooking water you achieve two things.
- Vinegar helps the red pigments in the beet stay bright red and gives it this deep red-purple hue that makes you want to sink your teeth into it as soon as it's cooked.
- Earthy flavours go very well with vinegary flavours. It's a win-win all around.
Adding sugar and salt to the water helps to keep the sweetness of the beets intact.
This prevents the natural sugars and minerals from leaching into the water while also seasoning it perfectly all the way through.
When you consider small things while cooking they can have a big and beneficial impact on your cooking.
How long to boil beets?
It all depends on the size of the beets and how rapidly you boil them.
It could take anything from 20 minutes to an hour and attempting to boil different-sized beets and different times would be ludicrous.
The way we do it in a professional kitchen is to insert a toothpick or tip of a sharp small knife into the beets to check the doneness.
When perfectly cooked, the beets should not be hard or crisp in the centre and the knife or toothpick you used should be able to easily insert and remove from the beets.
If it resists and feels hard or raw, simply cook it a bit longer. Be careful not to overcook it to a point where the beets start losing texture and turn to mush.
Always simmer beets instead of rapid boiling.
As well as guarding against overcooking it also prevents gentle flavour compounds from boiling away and evaporating into the air.
The same goes for any other ingredients that require extended cooking time in a liquid on the stove.
Ingredients
- Beets - Use any type of beet you can find. Just make sure it's good quality. Some beets are sold with the greens on, some without. Some are red, some are yellow or pink. Beets also come in different sizes which need to be considered as it affects how long to boil them for. Most important of all, make sure the beets are firm, unblemished and do not have any strange odours. They should smell pleasantly earthy at most.
- Liquid - Water is the simplest liquid used to cook beets. But, what if you can use other liquids? In high-end kitchens, we use beetroot juice instead of water. This helps keep the maximum flavour of the beets. The liquid never gets thrown away as it becomes a special reusable seasoned stock for cooking beets. If you don't have a juicer or don't want to juice a ton of beets then use vegetable stock, or any other light-flavoured stock instead of plain water.
- Vinegar - Use a mild vinegar like balsamic, red wine, white wine or apple cider. It also helps to consider the colour of the vinegar and the colour of the beets used. For cooking red beets or pink beets, use red wine vinegar or balsamic. For cooking yellow beets, use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Seasoning - For this recipe you only need salt. If you want an extra layer of flavour or use the cooked beets for a specific occasion or cuisine then you can also add some spices and herbs. Whole spices like juniper, peppercorns, star anise, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and allspice berries are popular choices. You can also add herbs like thyme, marjoram, sage, or rosemary.
Instructions
- Wash the beets well under cold running water making sure any dirt gets washed off.
- Place the salt, sugar, vinegar, and water in a pot along with the beets. Make sure the pot is large enough so the beets are comfortably and completely covered with water. As the liquid evaporates you will have to add a bit more if the beets become exposed.
- Simmer the beets just below a rolling boil for about 20 minutes if you are using baby beets or up to 1 hour for large beets. The beets I cooked were medium to large and took 50 minutes to cook. Test the doneness with a toothpick or sharp knife. The beets are cooked when the toothpick or knife can be inserted without much resistance and come out easily when removed.
- If you have the time to wait, let the boiled beets cool down in the liquid before simply rubbing off the skins and wearing gloves if you don't want red-stained hands. Otherwise, remove the beets from the cooking liquid and rub off the skins under cold running water.
- You can now use the beets in a wide variety of dishes, store them for later use, or season them with a bit of good olive oil, freshly cracked black pepper and a touch of flakey sea salt to enjoy straight away.
Video
Serving suggestions
As a side dish with the following proteins:
- Juicy oven-baked chicken breast or crispy chicken Kiev with mushroom and garlic butter.
- Slow roasted leg of lamb or bacon wrapped pork tenderloin.
- Citrus cured salmon gravlax or pan fried salmon fillet.
- Chimichurri steak or chocolate barbecue glazed bavette steak.
Alongside mezze-style cold snacks served with fresh flour tortillas or crusty sourdough baguettes.
Try the following:
- Roasted romano pepper with mascarpone and anchovy tapenade
- Pea and mint dip with feta
- Moroccan baked eggplant zaalouk
Make a relish by grating the beets with some fresh horseradish, a touch of grain mustard and season with some more sugar, vinegar and salt to taste.
It's a tasty healthy condiment you can use with many dishes especially grilled meats, fish and vegetables.
Make pickled beets by slicing or grating thinly, adding sugar, vinegar, and few bay leaves. Mix well and seal airtight in a vacuum sealer or store in Kilner jars.
Frequently asked questions
Once the beets are boiled, cleaned and cooled down, simply store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Freezing is not recommended, as the water crystals that form during freezing damages the texture.
Sealed airtight they will last for up to 7 days in the fridge.
Never throw away beet greens. They are super nutritious and delicious.
Steam the leaves like you would steam spinach.
If you have baby beets use the leaves in a fresh salad.
Tips for success
- Choose firm good quality seasonal beetroot.
- Do not boil vigorously but rather gently simmer.
- Cook until soft in the centre. Al dente won't work.
- Let the beets cool down in the cooking liquid for best results.
Useful equipment
Related recipes
If you would like to know more about cooking vegetables properly or bringing the best out of them, then you will find the following recipes useful.
- Ukrainian beetroot soup
- Honey roasted carrots
- Michelin star mashed potatoes
- 8 ways to cook broccoli
- Real steakhouse creamed spinach
- 4 healthy and easy sides for a barbecue
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Recipe
How To Boil Beets
Ingredients
- 500 grams (1 lb) medium beets - stems and leaves removed
- 1½ litres (6½ cups) water
- 100 grams (½ cup) red wine vinegar
- 100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 20 grams (1½ tablespoon) fine sea salt
Instructions
- Wash the beets well under cold running water, making sure any dirt gets washed off.
- Place the salt, sugar, vinegar, and water in a pot along with the beets. Make sure the pot is large enough, so the beets are comfortably and completely covered with water. As the liquid evaporates, you will have to add a bit more if the beets become exposed.
- Simmer the beets just below a rolling boil for about 20 minutes if you are using baby beets, or up to 1 hour for large beets. The beets I cooked were medium to large size and took 50 minutes to cook. Test the doneness with a toothpick or sharp knife. The beets are cooked when the toothpick or knife can be inserted without much resistance and come out easily when removed.
- If you have the time to wait, let the boiled beets cool down in the liquid before simply rubbing off the skins and wearing gloves if you don't want red-stained hands. Otherwise, simply remove the beets from the cooking liquid and rub of the skins under cold running water.
- You can now use the beets in a wide variety of dishes. Store for later use, or simply season with a bit of good olive oil, freshly cracked black pepper and a touch of flaky sea salt to enjoy straight away.
Video
Notes
- If the beets start getting exposed to air as the water evaporates, simply add more water.
- Once cooled, you can store the beets sealed airtight in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Can be frozen but will lose a bit of its texture. Not advised if you want to keep the texture intact. For making soups and grated into salads are fine.
- For variations, see the ingredients and substitutes section in the post.
- See the serving suggestions section for how to use boiled beets.
Geoffrey says
Absolutely fun and fantastically enjoyable.
Tom Hansberry says
I boil beets to make red beet eggs. To 3 cups of juice I add 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar then simmer that mixture 15 minutes or so and pour over hard boiled eggs. The problem I’m having is the juice gets syrupy after a few days. That never happened with canned beets. What’s going on?
Charlé Visser says
Might be because the beets are kept for a long time since they are harvested at the end of summer. It sometimes happens when you ferment root vegetables too. Alternatively, it could be because they are high in sugar and naturally thickens when cooled down.
Eva Conn says
have boiled my beets for hours and I cant get skin off.What can i do?
Charlé Visser says
This can happen. By no fault of your own. Some beets refuse to be peeled) On the odd occasion, I just peel them with a small knife or vegetable peeler.