Marinated Beet Salad is as vibrant as it is delicious with sweet and sour flavors. It stays fresh for weeks, making it the perfect candidate for meal prep.

This recipe makes for a large portion of marinated beets. They’re great to have on hand for unexpected guests or on the nights that you are feeling too lazy to cook.
Why marinated beets over fresh? Eastern Europeans are no stranger to a harsh winters with limited crop yield. The processes of pickling and marinating helped ensure that folks in this region didn’t go entire seasons without eating a single veggie.
Today we don’t face this same issue with the grocery store down the street, but this recipe is still great for when you don’t have the will to prepare a veggie dish from scratch.

How to Cook Beets
There’s two ways you can cook the beets before you marinate them — roasting or boiling. Boiling is preferred in my book, but find the directions for both methods below:
- Roasting Beets – Wrap beets in foil and bake at 350°F for 45-60 minutes. Keep in mind that roasting time may need to be adjusted due to beet size.
- Boiling Beets – Add beets into a big pot of boiling water for 45 minutes. Make sure the beets stay completely submerged.
How to Make Marinated Beet Salad
Marinating is much simpler than pickling. Prep is done in under 20 minutes and cook time clocks in at about 25 minutes. Follow these easy steps below to make this killer salad:
- Grate cooked beets on the largest setting of a cheese grater. Chop your onions and bell peppers.
- Create your marinade by combining water, oil, vinegar, sugar and salt. Cook on the stove top until the mixture simmers.
- Add in the onions and bell pepper to the marinade and cook for 10 minutes. Add in the beets and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- Allow the salad to cool down. Store in jars or any other airtight container. Keep refrigerated.




Storing Marinated Beet
Store your Marinated Beet Salad in a Mason Jar or other airtight container. When stored properly, this salad will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.
FAQ
Is it better to roast or boil beets?
It really depends on your preference. Some folks like the crunch of the roasted beets, while others love the smooth texture of boiled. It’s completely up to you.
Do I need to peel beetroot before roasting or boiling?
It’s up to you if you want to peel your beets. When roasting them, the skin is much like that of roasted potato. If you like that texture, keep the skin on, and just make sure that you clean each beet thoroughly with a kitchen sponge. Good on you for getting that extra bit of fiber in your diet.
If boiling and you don’t want the skin on, don’t bother peeling beforehand. Boil the entire beet and allow to cool. The skin will slip off easily and save you prep time.
What are the health benefits of beet salad?
Beets tout some major health benefits. They are packed with fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium, iron, vitamin C and much more. On top of this, they have been associated with increased blood flow, circulation, and lower blood pressure. Consider them a superfood.
How should I chop my beets?
Always try to chop your beets (and any veggie for that matter) into same-sized pieces. This will promote even cooking and an overall better aesthetic of your dish.
Serving Marinated Beet Salad
Marinated Beet Salad is good all year long. Serve it alongside our BBQ Ribs or with a couple of Shish Kabob Recipe. The vinegary flavor of the salad is the perfect contrast to savory and fatty meat.
Other Beet Salads
- Roasted Beet Salad – Love roasted beets? This salad combines roasted beets with arugula, apples, walnuts, goat cheese and cranberries.
- Pickled Beet Salad – Quick pickled beets are a game changer.
- Shuba Salad – All known as the “Fur Coat Salad”. This is perhaps the most impressive and beautiful Eastern European salad classic.
- Beet Quinoa Salad – Beets and quinoa team up for a healthier than healthy salad.
Try the Beet Salad Dressing! It’ll make the perfect dressing for most of your favorite beet salads.
Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Grate beets on the larger size of the grater. Cut onions and bell peppers into small pieces.
- Make the marinade in a large pot. Mix together water, oil, vinegar, sugar and salt. Place on stove top and cook until the liquid simmers.
- Place onions and red bell pepper in the marinade and cook for 10 minutes. Add beets and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Let all ingredients cool down. Place salad in jars (or any other airtight dish). Keep refrigerated.
Everyone seems to be selling 'Love Beets' Organic Cooked Beets which are cooked and peeled and ready to eat. Can we use these Beets for this recipe?
Hi Robbie, you can definitely use the pre-cooked beets for an extra easy hack. Thank you for that question!
I made this for the first time tonight and it turned out beautifully! I had only six large beets and four small onions, but it's hardly noticeable. It was enough to fill six 500ml sealer jars almost to the top. I'm not sure about calling this a salad, though. I see it as something more like a relish. I can see this pairing with just about anything. Thanks for sharing the recipe. It's a keeper!
Hi Linda, in Ukrainian culture we call it pickled or marinaded salad but I totally can see how its almost like relish. You would just eat a ton of it where relish is a topping. This is one of my favorite "salads", hope you love it as well. 🙂
Made this beet salad for Thanksgiving, it was my favorite salad to eat …. So so good ( added alittle more vinegar and a little less oil, since I like it more vinegary) will be making it definitely again to eat healthier this holiday season ❤️
Nataliya, We enjoyed it at Tims aunts house and was so good. I got this recipe from her. So glad you got to try it! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
Thank you so much for this idea and for the recipe! This is amazing!
Thank you for your feedback, I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
These are super tasty and flavorful! Loved it!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
We loved this recipe! What a perfect way to enjoy beets.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for your feedback!
Hi Natalya! How is this salad supposed to taste? Mine came out very salty, not sweet at all. May be there is supposed to be 2 tsp of salt instead of tablespoons?
For 8 large beets, it should be perfect with two table spoons. I guess everyone has their own definition of large. But no matter what, beets should still have a nice sweet taste. Plus with 1/2 cup of sugar, did you add the sugar?
Yes, I did everythithing like in your recipe,and did not forget about the sugar. My beets were very large.
That is very odd. Beets are sweet naturally and this recipe should have a good balance. I have made it many times. Sorry yours didnt turn out.
Love, love this salad. I make a lot to last for a whole month for a family of 7. I love the suggestion someone posted on your FB, so first time I did 2 versions, the grated beets and the chopped as suggested. Though I liked the soft texture of the grated, the chopped looked fancier for entertaining, so we do chopped style now. Last time, I have tried substituting regular white vinegar with Braggs Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, it's more healthy, safer of the stomach, and actually I like the taste, it goes well with beets.
Really like all the ideas. I will try chopped idea! Thank you for sharing all the tips.
This looks good.....did you slice, chop or dice the onions and red peppers...???? I want to make this but wasn't sure. Thanks....:-)
I cut them into half ring size.