Quick Pickled Beets

When you don’t have the time or resources to spend a day canning beets, this quick and simplified recipe is the answer to your prayers. By skipping the need to sanitize, pressurize, and seal a ton of jars and lids, you can get a quick reserve of the good stuff with minimal prep and just 24 hours of marinating. While these beets don’t stay preserved for as long as canned varieties, they are perfect as a quick snack, salad topper, or appetizer to have on hand for a couple of weeks. Consider this your pickled beet cheat code! 

How to Bake Your Beets Before Pickling

Cooking beets in the oven versus a boiling water bath is the easiest way to prepare them for pickling. Here’s how: 

• Trim off the green leaves and stems and rinse the beets under cold water. Next, wrap each beet individually in foil. 
• Place the wrapped beets on a baking sheet and pop them on the oven rack. Roast them in the oven at 400°F for 40-60 minutes. 
• Check how tender the beets are by poking them with a fork. They should be a bit firm, but not hard.
• Finally, peel the skins off the beets while they’re still warm and it comes off easily. 

Preparing Quick Pickled Beets

To kick off the process, allow the baked beets to first cool at room temperature.

• Slice the Beets: Next, slice the cool beets into evenly-sized pieces. 
• Prepare the Jar: Assemble the beets and fresh herbs into the bottom of a sealable jar.  
• Assemble the Hot Brine: Whisk the hot water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and peppercorns in a measuring cup or small bowl until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. 
• Submerge the Beets: Then, pour the vinegar mixture over the beets until they are completely covered and there’s just a bit of headspace left at the top of the jar. 
• Marinate the Beets: Seal the jar and place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Pop it open and enjoy irresistibly tangy beets!

3 Tips for the Best Quick Pickled Beets

Aside from giving the beets at least 24 hours to marinate and develop their flavors, here are a couple of tips to help you get the best result. 

• Choose the freshest beets possible. When shopping for beets, opt for ones that are medium or small in size (if using smaller beets use 6 beets instead of 3), as larger beets tend to be tougher in texture and blander You also want to look for deep red skin, minimal blemishes, and bright green leaves – all indicators the beets are packed with flavor! 
• Slice the beets into small pieces. Instead of slicing big chunks of beets, slice the beets into smaller pieces. This will help them absorb the marinade more efficiently. 
• Remove the skin. Nix the skin for a smoother, more evenly-textured pickled beet. 

Different Ways to Season the Pickling Marinade

Once you get the technique down, get creative with the marinade and add in your favorite spices and ingredients. Check out the ideas below for inspiration: 

• Spices: Allspice (adds a nice spicy sweetness), a cinnamon stick, bay leaves, whole cloves, mustard seed, red pepper flakes 
• Herbs: Parsley, dill, basil, oregano
• Veggies: Garlic cloves, red onion slices

Ideas for Serving Quick Pickled Beets

There are so many different ways you can leverage this pickled beets recipe. Use them as a topper on your favorite salad tossed with beet salad dressing. If you’re planning out an appetizer spread, serve a bowl of beets on your charcuterie board or whip up some Danish pickled beets and pate smørrebrød (mini sandwiches). 

Keeping Pickled Beets Fresh in Storage

The key to keeping your beets fresh for as long as possible is storing them in an airtight jar. You can use a clamp jar like this one or a standard screw-top like this one. No matter which you use, make sure to seal it in between uses so that the beets don’t soak up any lingering smells in the fridge. When stored properly, they should keep for anywhere between 2-3 weeks.

FAQ

Other Pickled and Marinated Veggies

• Pickled Cabbage and Beets – Pickled cabbage and beets slaw
• Pickled Vegetable Salad (aka Giardiniera) – Pickled carrots, peppers, and cauliflower
• Quick Marinated Tomatoes – Juicy, tangy tomatoes
• Pickled Mushrooms (So Easy) – Pickled mushrooms for snacking or appetizer trays

Recipe

Quick Pickled Beets

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Servings

20 servings

Prep Time 20 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin

This recipe for quick pickled beets can be prepared the day before and requires no canner. A trifecta of tangy, sweet, and crunchy!

Ingredients

• 3 medium beets boiled
• 1/2 bunch fresh dill or other herbs

Pickling Marinade

• 2 cups hot water
• 6 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp whole peppercorns

US Units – Metric

Instructions

• Slice the beets into evenly sized pieces.
  
• Place the beets and fresh herbs in a large, sealable jar. Next, place all the marinade ingredients in a measuring cup or bowl and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve.
  
• Pour the marinade over the sliced beets, making sure the beets are completely submerged in the marinade. Allow beets to pickle for at least 24 hours in the fridge (they should stay fresh for up to 2 weeks).
  
• Enjoy in salads, soups, and on appetizer boards!
  

Nutrition Facts

Quick Pickled Beets

Amount Per Serving

Calories 45

% Daily Value*

Sodium 518mg22%

Potassium 100mg3%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 9g10%

Vitamin A 35IU1%

Vitamin C 1.5mg2%

Calcium 10mg1%

Iron 0.3mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.