These grilled beets have a sweet and smokey flavor with a light caramelized coating around the edges. Drizzled with a scallion vinaigrette sauce, it is a flavorful side dish for any meal.
Why this recipe is just so good...
- Beet lovers, if you have only had canned beets, you are in for a treat! Grilling them brings out their savory and sweet, earthy flavor. When their edges are just barely charred, they begin to caramelize with the beets' natural sugars and are so delicious!
- Beets are a healthy vegetable that are high in antioxidants and fiber. They are also fairly low carb root veggies with about 6 grams net carbs per ½ cup.
Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make grilled beets:
- raw red beets and/or yellow beets
- olive oil
- salt
Ingredient Notes
- We are using red and yellow beets for no other reason that variety is fun in a recipe and the colors entice you to eat more vegetables. You can use red or yellow or both.
- Peeling the beets literally takes less than 20 seconds each. The red do stain so I wore gloves. Plastic baggies work in a pinch. Or follow the tips below to remove stains.
- Grilled beets are a versatile side dish and go well with most main dishes. Try it with Dutch Oven Pork Chops, Air Fryer Roast Beef or Buffalo Chicken Thighs.
Ingredients for the Scallion Sauce
- olive oil
- scallions
- mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- salt
- black pepper
- Sherry wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- fresh thyme
The scallion sauce is a delicious finish to the grilled beets. It enhances the savory flavor and balances the sweetness. Of course you can go the simpler route and just sprinkle some salt and pepper and enjoy as well.
How to make grilled beets
Wash and peel the beets. Slice beets in ¼ inch thick slices. Mix olive oil and salt in a medium bowl and stir in beets to coat.
- Dab a paper towel with some oil and lightly rub over the grill grates.
- Place beets on preheated, medium flame grill. Close lid and cook for 6 minutes. Flip beets over.
- Lower flame to low-medium if the beets are getting too charred. Cook another 6 minutes.
Make the scallion sauce by chopping scallions into small dice. Mix together the scallions, mayonnaise, vinegar, Dijon, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until all is combined. Drizzle over the beets.
FAQ
Besides the color and the intense staining factor using red beets, there are only a few differences. Red beets have a stronger but sweeter flavor than the yellow.
Nutritionally, they are basically the same. WebMD states beets have 35 calories , 0 fat, 6 grams net carbs per ½ cup. They are high in fiber, antioxidants and B9.
Yup, peeling and cutting beets can be messy. I happen to use plastic gloves that I keep on hand for hot peppers and vegetables like beets.
But if you don't have gloves, no matter, Eating Well has some I ideas that I've tried that worked well. You can sprinkle some baking soda over hands, give them a scrub with a bit of water. Then finish with some lemon juice. Any remaining stain will wear off within a few hand washings.
For the board it is basically the same. Pour some baking soda over the stains, add a bit of water to make a paste. Give it a scrub. You can also try some salt and scrub the board with half a lemon.
It really does work!
Cooking Tips
- Slice the beets in similar size. They will finish cooking at the same time, rather than some are thicker than others and taking longer.
- After you wash and peel the beets, pat them with paper towel to make sure all water has been dried off. This way the beets will not steam on the grill and will be able to caramelize.
- Coat the beets well with the olive oil so they don't stick to the grill.
- Medium-high heat is about 375-400°F on a grill. Turn down the flame if the beets are getting too brown.
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Grilled Beets
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Description
These grilled beets have a sweet and smokey flavor. Drizzled with a scallion vinaigrette sauce, it is a flavorful side dish for any meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound red and/or yellow beets (about 4 medium size)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Scallion Sauce
- 2 green onions (scallions), chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar *
- 1-2 teaspoons sugar *
- 2 sprigs of thyme, minced fine, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat grill over medium heat.
- Make the scallion sauce: Stir together the chopped scallions, Dijon, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Slowly pour in the olive oil and whisk together quickly to combine well. Refrigerate until needed.
- Wash and peel beets. Cut of the ends of the beets, discard or save to make broth. Cut the beets into ¼ inch slices.
- Mix the oil and salt together and combine with sliced beets. Stir to coat.
- Place beet slices on grill, close lid and cook for 6 minutes. Turn flame to low -medium if the beets are getting too charred.
- Flip the beets over and cook another 6 minutes.
- Place beets on a platter. Remove scallion sauce from refrigerator, whisk again to combine. Drizzle over the beets and serve.
Notes
*You can use all red or all yellow beets as you prefer.
*To substitute the sherry wine vinegar, use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or balsamic. The red wine and balsamic are a stronger flavor. You may need to add an extra teaspoon of sugar. Taste test the sauce before you add more of anything.
*To save some carbs, use granulated sugar substitute.
*The nutrition reflects only uses a few teaspoons of sauce. If you use more, the calories will be higher.
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