How to Grill Beets

Beetroots, commonly abbreviated to beets, are typically roasted, boiled, or pickled.

Learning how to grill beets will add a new dimension to grilling, though, and we’ll show you how to achieve that today.

When you grill beets, you’ll develop a brand new way to enjoy the same old veggie. Grilling beets brings out a smokiness and leaves the beets caramelized to perfection.

While it is possible to use aluminum foil to wrap your beets when grilling, you’ll essentially be steaming or roasting them, just using a grill instead of your kitchen oven.

Why You Should Grill Beets

While beets respond well to cooking in a variety of different ways just like most veggies, and you can also eat them raw, grilling beets over an open flame delivers results you can’t achieve with any other method.

Beets are subtle and understated but also complex. Loaded with health benefits, you’ll bring out the natural sweetness of beets while also introducing the smokiness you get from the grill. This marriage of flavors is divine.

As we mentioned, you can grill beets with or without foil. Go without if you want beets grilled in a hurry, but watch out they don’t burn as there will no aluminum foil to protect the delicate veggies if you opt for this method.

What do you need to do, then?

How to Prepare Beets for Grilling

Peeling beets is a messy business, and you can choose to do this before or after you cook them. Either way, it’s not a clean process, but it only needs doing once.

Luckily, you don’t need to peel your beets, particularly if you’re using small beetroot. The skins are edible, and they also constitute a superb source of fiber. That said, leaving the skin on will impart a bitterness to your beets you may not enjoy.

You should always use some plastic gloves when you’re handling beets to avoid them becoming saturated in that deep scarlet color beets turn your cutting board. If you’re wearing plastic gloves, a tight git is essential. Try chopping beets – or any other veggie – using oversized gloves and you risk losing your grip on your knife.

Here’s all you need to do to finish prepping your beets:

1. Wash your beets under some cold water. Next, trim the stem ends and the root. Trimming the stem end helps if you plan to slice your beets or cut them into wedges. When the stem is trimmed, you’ll find the beets sit flat on the cutting board. If you encounter any dirt and grime that’s caked on, scrub and rinse the beets until it’s gone.
2. Place each beet on a square of aluminum foil. With very small beets, you’ll get away with placing two beets together inside each piece of foil. Wrapping the beets individually will speed up the grill time, though.
3. Drizzle your beets with olive oil.
4. Sprinkle on some salt and freshly ground pepper. Skip the salt and black pepper if you’re planning to peel the beets later.
5. Wrap your beets tightly.

If you don’t like the idea of using aluminum foil, you’ll be placing your beets directly on the grill, so you can steer clear of the foil.

How to Grill Beets Like a Pro

With all those preparatory steps taken care of, it’s time to get down to business.

1. Use a chimney starter and create a medium fire in your charcoal grill. If you’re using a gas grill, set it to medium. For smokers or pellet grills, you should set the temperature to 350F. Use delicately flavored woods to avoid overpowering the beets. Cherry, pecan, and applewood all work especially well with this veggie.
2. Pop your foil packets on the cooking grates and close the grill lid.
3. Grill your beets until they are tender when pierced with a knife. This should take 30 to 40 minutes. If you find they are not tender enough, just return the beets to the grill, wrapping them tightly to avoid any steam escaping.
4. Remove the beets from the grill when tender. Allow them to cool before attempting to remove the foil and the skin.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Note: When grilling beets along with other foods that need more heat, you can grill these veggies along the cool edge of your grill.

The Best Way to Serve Grilled Beets

If you’re stuck for ideas when it comes to serving your grilled beets, consider the following:

• Mix your beets with some goat cheese for a lip-smacking beet and chèvre tartare
• Cut your beets into thick slices. Brush the slices with some olive oil and grill them until gently charred. You can use these slices as a meat substitute for an impromptu veggie side. Add some arugula and goat cheese to taste
• Cut some beets into cubes or wedges and throw them into a salad topped with roast chicken
• Add some beets to a breakfast smoothie or a post-training shake with a delightful smokiness
• Beets add color and variety to a mixed veggie platter
• If you slice your beets and top them with crème fraiche, pistachios, and some parsley, you’ll create a delectable side for your next grilling session
• When beets are pureed with tahini, you’ll generate a first-class hummus, ideal for serving with some tortillas for movie night

Conclusion

We hope today’s guide has shown you how to grill beets the easy way.

While grilling steak, burgers, and hot dogs is always rewarding, rustling up the same old grilled snacks gets tedious. Here at Hempen Hill, we encourage you to experiment with alternatives like grilled peppers, seared catfish, and delicious grilled beets.

All you’ll need is your favorite gas or charcoal grill and the right grill tools and you’ll add a new layer to your menu next time you grill out.

Bookmark our blog before you head off and we’ll see you very soon!