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    Home » Recipes » Vegetables and Sides

    Salt Roasted Beets (Video)

    Published: Jan 14, 2021 · Modified: Apr 5, 2021 by Charlé Visser · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments · 1242 words. · About 7 minutes to read this article.

    jump to recipe Jump to Video

    Salt roasted beets are the ultimate way to cook beets in the oven. My method for preparing this delicious healthy red root vegetable wins the taste and texture test every time.

    Once you've cooked beets this way you can use it to make a delicious beetroot and feta salad, simply dress it with pomegranate vinaigrette or serve it alongside a simple warm potato and herb salad with the perfect ribeye steak or crispy salmon fillet.

    beetroot in a salt crust on a silver oven sheet
    The best way to roast beets is in a salt crust. Improving their texture and flavour.
    Jump to:
    • What does salt roasting do?
    • Why make a salt crust instead of just a layer of salt?
    • Do I need to peel beetroot before roasting?
    • How long to roast beets
    • Important note
    • Ingredients needed
    • Useful equipment for this recipe
    • How to make the salt crust
    • How to roast the beets
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Variations
    • Serving suggestions
    • Related recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    What does salt roasting do?

    Beets, like most other root vegetables, are full of water. Water does not have any flavour.

    Which means the natural sweet earthy flavours of the beets are diluted.

    We need to remove the excess water somehow in order to concentrate the flavours.

    Salt roasting in a crust is the perfect solution.

    The salt will draw out the moisture from the beets.

    Concentrating its flavour and improving the texture to be more dense, smooth and almost toffee-like.

    Why make a salt crust instead of just a layer of salt?

    By encasing beets individually in a salt crust the whole surface of the beets gets in contact with salt.

    This means that the moisture gets drawn out evenly and the beets also gets seasoned during the roasting process.

    The crust absorbs most of the moisture while protecting the outside of the beet from drying out too much.

    The temperature in the crust also gets much hotter than the dry air circulating in the oven.

    This means that the beets will be roasted much quicker than without a crust and the texture and flavour will be perfect.

    Do I need to peel beetroot before roasting?

    It does not matter how you cook beets. Either boiling beets or roasting. Never peel them.

    The skin protects the flesh from drying out and losing too much colour and nutrients and also helps to maximise the earthy-sweet flavour of beets.

    If that's not enough reason, then from a purely comfort and esthetic point of view it's much cleaner, easier, and your beets will look a lot prettier if you remove the skins afterwards.

    beetroot in a salt crust on a silver oven sheet
    The salt crust absorbs moisture as well as season the beets while reducing cooking time.

    How long to roast beets

    This depends on the size of the beets and the temperature you cook them at.

    • Medium beets - Takes about 45 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit or 220 degrees Celcius.
    • Large beets - Takes about 60 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit or 220 degrees Celcius.

    The best way to check the doneness of beets is to insert a wooden skewer into them.

    If the object you're using inserts without resistance and comes out easily then the beets are cooked.

    If they seem a bit raw then simply cook them a while longer.

    Important note

    Do NOT salt bake baby beets.

    Rather use my method for boiled beets instead.

    This is because they are small, have little water and their texture and flavour will not benefit from salt roasting.

    Ingredients needed

    ingredients for making salt roasted beets. water, flour, salt and beets
    • Beets - Medium sized beets works best. If you get them with the leaves on, then remove the leaves and use in a salad or give it a quick stir fry.
    • Flour - Any flour will do. I used plain all-purpose white flour.
    • Water - Normal tap water.
    • Salt - Fine or semi-course salt works best. Don't use the very course rock salt as the salt does not spread evenly if you use that.

    Useful equipment for this recipe

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    How to make the salt crust

    picture step of written instruction how to make a salt crust for roasting beets.
    1. Combine the salt, water, and flour together in a mixing bowl.
    2. Form a ball of dough and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    3. Roll out a piece of dough for each beet you want to cook.
    4. Wrap it until completely encased. Poke a hole in the top for steam to escape.

    How to roast the beets

    beetroot in a salt crust on a silver oven sheet
    1. Turn the oven to 425F degrees Fahrenheit or 220C degrees Celsius.
    2. Roast the beets for 45 minutes or until a skewer can be inserted easily into the centre of the beets without much resistance.
    3. If it still feels raw then cook it longer.
    4. Once the beets are cooked, crack open the crust and let the beets cool down before removing the skin.

    Frequently asked questions

    How to store cooked beets?

    Make sure the beets have cooled down. Seal in an airtight container and place into the fridge until needed.

    Salt roasted beets can also be store in the freezer, unlike boiled beets.

    How long will it last for?

    Sealed airtight it will last for up to 14 days in the fridge

    How to use the beet leaves?

    The leaves from large beets can be washed and cooked like spinach while the leaves from baby or smaller beets can be thoroughly washed and used in salads.

    Variations

    You might want to skip baking it in a salt crust or add some more flair to the crust you are making.

    • Wrap in foil and bake on a bed of salt. This method is not as effective as with a salt crust but still makes tasty beets.
    • Sprinkle the salt onto the oven tray and bake straight on the salt without foil. This way the beets will dry out even more and is a good method to use if you are planning on making beetroot roll-ups or if you want to puree it and use in baking.
    • Add crushed up activated charcoal to the crust for a dramatic black look.
    • Add herbs and spices to the salt crust to give the beets an extra layer of flavour.

    Serving suggestions

    What to do with roasted beets? Below are a few simple dishes you could serve it with.

    • Simply dressed with pomegranate vinaigrette
    • In a beetroot and feta salad
    • With Chimichurri steak
    • Side for bavette steak in chocolate bbq sauce
    • Oven-baked chicken breast
    • Roasted pork tenderloin glazed in teriyaki sauce
    • Slow roasted leg of lamb
    • Pan-fried salmon

    Related recipes

    • How to boil beets
    • Michelin star mashed potatoes
    • Real steakhouse creamed spinach
    • Sweet miso baked eggplant
    • Perfectly cooked rice
    • Authentic Thai Red Curry Paste (Video)
    • Homemade Orange Marmalade With Pectin (Video)
    • Homemade Clotted Cream(Video)
    • Homemade Pasta And How To Cook It

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    If you found this post helpful or have learned something, comment, subscribe, and follow me on social platforms for more tasty recipes.

    Recipe

    beetroot in a salt crust on a silver oven sheet
    5 from 7 votes
    Pin Recipe Print

    Salt Roasted Beets

    Salt roasted beets are the ultimate way to cook beets in the oven. My method for preparing this delicious healthy red root vegetable wins the taste and texture test every time.
    Once you've cooked beets this way you can use it to make a delicious beetroot and feta salad, simply dress it with pomegranate vinaigrette or serve it alongside a simple warm potato and herb salad with the perfect ribeye steak or crispy salmon fillet.
    Author Charlé Visser
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes
    Servings 4 portions
    Course Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine European, International
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 500 grams (1 lb) beets
    • 50 grams (3½ tablespoon) medium course salt
    • 150 grams (1⅕ cups) flour - plain
    • 60 grams (¼ cups) water

    Instructions

    To make the crust

    • Combine the salt, water, and flour together in a mixing bowl.
    • Form a ball of dough and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Roll out a piece of dough for each beet you want to cook.
    • Wrap it until completely encased. Poke a hole in the top for steam to escape.

    To roast the beets

    • Turn the oven to 425F degrees Fahrenheit or 220C degrees Celsius.
    • Roast the beets for 45 minutes or until a skewer can be inserted easily into the centre of the beets without much resistance.
    • If it still feels raw then cook it longer.
    • Once the beets are cooked, crack open the crust and let the beets cool down before removing the skin.

    Video

    Notes

    • Store the cooled and peeled beets in the fridge sealed airtight. They will keep for 10 days.
    • Do not throw away the leaves of the beets. You can use it in salads or cook it like you would spinach or other leafy greens.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 100g Calories: 190kcal Carbohydrates: 41g Protein: 6g Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 1g Sodium: 4944mg Potassium: 447mg Fiber: 5g Sugar: 9g Vitamin A: 41IU Vitamin C: 6mg Calcium: 29mg Iron: 3mg
    Keywords:salt roasted beets
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mark

      at

      Best beets I ever tried

      Reply
    2. Lana

      at

      Usually I just boil beets in water until they are soft. This way of baking in this salty crust and the way you boil it in your boiled beets recipe is simply amazing. A home cook like me always struggle to make food taste good and this website has taught me so much about preparing simple food so it’s as good as in top restaurants. Thank you for sharing all this knowledge! And for free. I Would easily pay for it!

      Reply
    3. Heather

      at

      5 stars
      This was a fun foodie project. I didn’t expect the beets to be so salty themselves, but they are still good. I added tarragon and fresh fennel fronds to the dough, smelled nice while baking. Planning to do an arugula feta salad with some apple to balance this saltiness, and some balsamic or a balsamic reduction depending how sweet I need it to be. Thanks for an enjoyable recipe to make.

      Reply
      • Charlé Visser

        at

        Glad you liked it! When you cool the beats down make sure to not let them sit in the crust too long. The juice becomes like a brine and the outside of the beets can be pretty salty

        Reply
      • Charlé Visser

        at

        Glad you liked it! When you cool the beats down make sure to not let them sit in the crust too long. The juice becomes like a brine and the outside of the beets can be pretty salty. Great work with the herbs!

        Reply
    4. Pam

      at

      Are you sure about the sodium content of the salt roasted beets?? If it's correct, who'd live to tell about it. That's entirely too much salt to take into the human body.

      Reply
      • Charlé Visser

        at

        The crust is not eaten of course. It's so salty that one would not want to eat it anyway. So yes and no. The salt content is correct for the entire recipe but the ingested salt is only a fraction. 1% the weight of the cooked beets.

        Reply

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