On the stove, in a slow cooker, oven, or microwave — choose the method that suits you.

How to Prepare Beets

Beets for cooking should be medium-sized (no more than 10 cm in diameter), with thin dark red skin, and without any damage or rot. One of the best varieties is "Bordeaux."

Regardless of the cooking method, the beets need to be thoroughly washed, the tops trimmed (if present), and the tail slightly shortened.

Do not peel beets before cooking.

If you peel them, the juice will leak out. The vegetable will become pale and tasteless.

How long does it take to cook beets?

Cooking beets can take from 8-10 minutes to up to 2 hours, depending on the equipment used: stove, slow cooker, microwave, or oven. The larger the root vegetable, the longer it will take to cook.

You can check readiness with a fork or knife. If the beets are easily pierced, they are done and can be cooled by draining the water.

Store boiled root vegetables in the refrigerator, but not for more than two days.

How to and how long to cook beets on the stove?

1. Classic boiling method

Cooking time: about 2 hours.

Place the beets in a pot, cover them with cold water until fully submerged. Do not salt the water, as sodium makes the beets tougher and extends the cooking time, which is already lengthy.

Place the pot on medium heat. Once the water boils, reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about two hours.

To maintain the rich red color of the beets, you can add a little lemon juice to the water: about ½ teaspoon per liter of water.

2. Quick boil

Cooking time: 45–60 minutes.

To significantly reduce cooking time, place the beets directly in boiling water and do not lower the heat. To increase the cooking temperature, add 2–3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the boiling water.

After boiling the beets for about 30–35 minutes, remove them from the stove and hold them under cold water for 15–20 minutes. You can also place them in a bowl of cold water and add ice. If the water warms up, replace it with fresh cold water.

The sharp temperature drop quickly finishes cooking the beets and simultaneously cools them.

3. Steaming

Cooking time: 40–60 minutes.

Add a little water to a pot (about 3–5 cm). Place a steaming rack on top. If you don't have such a rack, you can use a fine-mesh colander, ensuring it doesn't touch the water.

Arrange the beets on the rack, cover the pot, and steam for 40–60 minutes.

How to cook beets in a slow cooker?

1. Steaming

Cooking time: approximately 40 minutes (may vary depending on the slow cooker model).

Rinse the beets and place them on a special steaming rack. Pour a cup of water into the bottom of the slow cooker, close the lid, and select the "Steam" mode for 40 minutes.

Important: For a successful result, the beets should be fresh and hydrated. If the root vegetable is dry, first soak it in cold water for a few hours to rehydrate. Then begin cooking, although in this case, the stove method may be preferable.

2. In water

Cooking time: 60–80 minutes (depending on your slow cooker).

The process is similar to classic boiling, but without the need to monitor the temperature. Place the clean beets in the slow cooker, cover with water and select the "Stew" or "Cook" mode (sometimes called "Soup") for 60 minutes.

After the time has elapsed, check for doneness: if the beets are not yet tender enough, add an additional 20–30 minutes in the same mode.

3. In foil

Cooking time: about 60 minutes, depending on the specific model.

This method is especially suitable for young and juicy root vegetables. Thoroughly wash the beets, dry them with paper towels, and wrap them in foil, lightly greased with vegetable oil (each root separately).

Place the beets in the slow cooker and set it to the "Bake" mode for about an hour.

How to bake beets in the oven?

This method retains maximum juice in the root vegetables, making the beets more juicy and aromatic.

Cooking time: about 20–25 minutes.

For baking, as in the previous method, wrap each root vegetable in foil to retain moisture and bake evenly. Preheat the oven to 190°C and place the wrapped beets inside.

Baking beets in the oven is particularly convenient if you need to prepare a large quantity at once — for example, for salads like vinaigrette or herring under a fur coat.

Useful Tip for Salads

To prevent beets from coloring other salad ingredients, there's a simple trick: after slicing, lightly drizzle them with vegetable oil. The oil will create a protective film, allowing the other ingredients to retain their color. You can then safely mix the beets with other components.

How to and how long to cook beets in the microwave?

In our family, beets are most often cooked in the microwave — it's the quickest and most convenient method.

Cooking time: from 8 to 20 minutes.

The duration depends on two factors: the size of the root vegetables and the power of your microwave. If the device has a power of 1,000 watts or more, the beets will be ready in 8–10 minutes. In less powerful devices, the time should be roughly doubled.

Before cooking, the beets need to be thoroughly washed (do not peel!) and placed in a glass dish. It's better to place larger root vegetables on the edges and smaller ones in the center. Add 3 tablespoons of water to the bottom of the dish and cover with a special microwave lid or glass lid.

To speed up the process in less powerful microwaves, you can use another method: put the beets in a plastic bag, add a little water, and tie it up. A lid is then not required.

There's no need to cut or prick the beets before cooking — they won't explode. It's also unnecessary to stop the process to turn the beets. After cooking, there's no need to cool the beets with cold water — let them cool at room temperature.

The taste of microwave-cooked beets is virtually indistinguishable from those boiled on the stove.