I was scared of roasted beets for years
Trust me when I tell you that I’m no stranger to that anxious feeling when tackling a new food at home. Namely, roasted beets.
I LOVED them at restaurants but was terrified to try my hand at them.
And let me tell you… All that worrying was for nothing!
This root vegetable is so forgiving and easy to work with. Though, fair warning, it IS a little messy.
These Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese really come down to three things. Peel them raw so you are not wrestling hot skins later, cut them the same size so they finish together, and add the pecans halfway through so they toast right on the pan.
But when you’re digging into a bowl of this hearty side that perfectly balances sweet and savory, you’ll forget about your beet-stained hands.
(All of the beet lovers need to try this Spinach Beet Salad, too. And if you want the bare-bones method with no cheese at all, here is How to Roast Beets.)
Very easy to make and delicious! Easy way to avoid beet stains while peeling is to just peel each beet over the foil it roasted in. No mess!
– Sharon
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Beets: You will need around 3 to 5 fresh beets depending on how big they are. Red beets have the best flavor here, though golden beets work and they will not stain everything they touch.
- Oil: Olive or avocado oil both work. This is what gets you caramelized edges instead of dried-out cubes.
- Goat cheese: Grab plain, unseasoned goat cheese and crumble it yourself. Feta is the closest swap if goat cheese is too tangy for your crowd.
- Pecans: Raw pecans are fine since they toast right on the pan with the beets, though you can also roast the pecans ahead. Pay attention to whether yours are salted, since that changes how much salt the beets need.
- Fresh thyme and rosemary: These create a fresh pop in every bite. Sage can stand in for the rosemary, and all of them get finely chopped before they go on.
How to Make Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Peel and cube the beets
Use a vegetable peeler to take the skin off the beets, slice away the stem end, then cut them into ½ to 1-inch cubes. Keep the pieces roughly the same size so they all finish at the same time.
Use a plastic cutting board you do not mind staining. Beet juice gets into everything, and plastic wipes down a lot easier than a wood board.
Roast, then add the pecans
Spread the beets in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast at 400℉ for 30 to 40 minutes. Flip them at the 20-minute mark and scatter the pecans across the pan so they toast while the beets finish.
Set a timer for 20 minutes. That is when the beets get flipped and the pecans go on, and it is the one moment in this recipe that actually matters.
The Sheet Pan I L❤️VE!
Your veggies will end up steaming instead of roasting if you overcrowd the pan. So my tip… use the largest sheet pan you have and spread everything out!
Top it and serve
Once the beets are fork-tender and a deep maroon color, sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese and the chopped thyme and rosemary over the top. They are best warm, right off the pan.
A drizzle of balsamic is the easiest way to change these up. Balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the top, or a handful of spinach or arugula underneath, and you have a warm beet salad instead of a side.
If it is the sweeter version you are after, my Oven-Roasted Beets with Honey Ricotta leans that direction.
Oops! What did I do wrong?
My beets came out bitter instead of sweet.
When you roast beets, the sugars caramelize and the sweetness concentrates. Overcooking undoes that and pushes them toward bitter, so pull them as soon as a fork slides in easily.
My beets are still hard in the middle.
They were probably cut too big, or the pan was too crowded. Give them another 5 to 10 minutes and spread them back out into a single layer first.
The goat cheese turned into a melted mess.
The beets were still ripping hot when the cheese went on. Let them sit for a few minutes off the pan, or add the cheese right at the table.
My hands and cutting board are stained.
That is just the deal with beets. Lemon juice and salt will take most of it off your hands, and a plastic board or a couple of paper towels keeps it off your favorite one.
FAQs
Thyme and rosemary are the pair this recipe uses, and they are the two I would start with. Both are woodsy enough to hold their own against how sweet beets get once they caramelize.
Use them fresh and chop them finely, since a whole rosemary needle in a soft cube of beet is not the texture you want. Sage is the easiest swap if that is what you have on hand.
Goat cheese is the classic for a reason. Beets are sweet and earthy, goat cheese is tangy and creamy, and together neither one takes over.
Feta is the closest swap and runs a little saltier. If you want something softer and more spoonable, my Roasted Beets with Oranges and Whipped Goat Cheese whips the goat cheese first.
Whether you peel beets prior to or after roasting is entirely up to you! It’s a little cleaner to peel before cooking, as the juice stains everything after roasting. But the end result is the same.
Yes. Red beets have the best flavor in this one, but golden beets work and they will not stain everything they touch.
Almonds or walnuts both work, and they toast right on the pan the same way. Keep an eye on whether they are salted, since that changes how much salt the beets need.
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Fair warning, the goat cheese softens and melts into the beets after a day or so, so store the cheese separately if you want them looking sharp on day three.
Roasted beets freeze for up to 8 months, though they come back softer than they went in. Thaw them in the fridge and treat them as something to fold into a salad rather than a side you serve on its own.
Tap stars to rate!
Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese
email this recipe!
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 large beets about 1 ½ pounds
- 2 tablespoons oil olive or avocado
- ¾ teaspoon salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- ½ cup goat cheese crumbled
- ½ cup pecans toasted (optional to toast)
- ½ teaspoon thyme fresh, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon rosemary fresh, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Prepare Beets: Using a vegetable peeler, peel the outer skin from the beets. Remove the stem end and cut beets into ½ to 1-inch cubes. Add beets to a large bowl and toss with oil, salt, and black pepper.3 large beets, 2 tablespoons oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Bake in Oven: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and place cut beets in a single layer. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until beets are tender. Flip beets after 20 minutes or cooking and add the pecans.½ cup pecans
- Serving: When beets are fork tender, sprinkle with goat cheese and herbs.½ cup goat cheese, ½ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon rosemary
Tap stars to rate!
Notes
- Prep ahead: Roast the beets a day or two early and keep them in the fridge. Add the goat cheese, pecans, and herbs right before serving.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The cheese softens and melts into the beets after a day or so, so store everything separately for the best results.
- Freezing: Roasted beets freeze for up to 8 months, but they come back softer than they went in. Thaw in the fridge and fold them into a salad rather than serving them on their own.
- Single layer: Spread the cubes out on the pan. Crowded beets steam instead of caramelizing.
- Cutting board: Use a plastic board you do not mind staining, or lay a couple of paper towels over your favorite one.
- Swaps: Feta for the goat cheese, almonds or walnuts for the pecans, sage for the rosemary.
- Plus it up: Serve over spinach or arugula with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil for a warm beet salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with roasted beets
These land squarely in holiday-side-dish territory, which is exactly when they get made around here. On a Thanksgiving or Christmas plate they are great next to Honey Roasted Broccoli and Crispy Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes.
If you are building a whole roasted vegetable spread, Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower, Roasted Butternut Squash Cubes, and Roasted Asparagus with Garlic all round it out. The squash is the one I would add first, since it goes sweet the same way the beets do.
For a lighter plate, spoon the beets over a pile of greens with a drizzle of balsamic and you have a warm salad. That is basically the shortcut version of my Spinach Beet Salad.
More beet recipes
Once you are not scared of them anymore, beets get fun. These four are where the rest of my bunch usually ends up.
Very easy to make and delicious! Easy way to avoid beet stains while peeling is to just peel Each beet over the foil it roasted in. No mess!
What a wonderful idea, Sharon! Will definitely do that next time. Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂