Grilled Beets
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Grilled beats with a garlic balsamic vinegar and delicious fresh rosemary is argueably the best way to enjoy this root vegetable as a side. Beets are a vibrant earthy vegetable that is most commonly used for an addition to salads.
That being said, grilling beets in foil packets make adding them as a unique side dish an option for those sick of the same old roasted potatoes (not that I am complaining) or roasted broccoli dishes.
Why you should give beets a chance.
Beet lovers typically understand that these plants taste a bit like soil and bringing them up to an edible, if not incredibly tasty beet side dish, can be a real challenge.
The bitter taste of a beet is offset by the Balsamic vinegar and the sweet aroma of fresh Rosemary, so if you are considering beets as a side, this is a great recipe to start with.
Grilled Beets Ingredients
- 3 Whole Raw Beats
- Balsamic vinegar
- garlic cloves – this is equal to 2 tsp minced garlic
- olive oil
- herb seasoning blend (like Mrs. Dash)
- Fresh Rosemary – do not skip out on the fresh here. Fresh rosemary smells amazing and really brings the dish together well in color, taste, and smell.
How to choose beets: In my local produce section, typically beets come in a set of 3 together. Choose raw beets that are not too small, a good medium to medium/large size. Each beet represents one foil packet (one serving) so choose as many as you need for the amount of people being served.
Prepping & Cleaning Beets
Beets need a really good scrub to make sure all the dirt is off the bulb prior to cooking.
- Rinse with Cold Water and scrub down with a vegetable brush. Alternatively, if working with vegetables a lot, keep vegetable wash on hand.
- Slice tops off beets and bottom root. Please note that beets are VERY pink and dye pretty much everything they touch as soon as you slice, so make to use a cutting board and keep paper towels on hand for fingers.
- Slice beets (not too thin!) into about 5-6 pieces (depending on size of beet).
Preparing Beets with Balsamic Vinegar
- Add Balsamic Vinegar, sliced or minced garlic, and herb seasoning to a bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Place sliced beets into marinade and set aside for 15 minutes, rotating half way through so beets get marinade on both sides. Taking one large sprig of fresh Rosemary, remove leaves and chop.
How to Grill Beets
- Heat grill to medium heat. As you can see, I am using a Blackstone grill with a flat top.
- Pull out three large squares of aluminum foil. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- Once raw sliced beets are done marinating, using tongs, divide beets into the foil evenly, sprinkle freshly diced rosemary on top of beets and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
- Seal foil on all sides. Make sure to completely seal up the sides so no steam escapes, as this is important to softening and cooking through beets.
- Place foil packets on grill and close lid. Heat beets on the grill for about 20-22 minutes.
- Once grilled beets are fork tender (they should be easy to slice but not soggy), remove, transfer to a cutting board, and carefully cut into chunks.
Avoiding Grill Burns in Foil
Any time vegetables are cooked in a foil packet, there is a risk of the bottom layer sustaining burns or blackening due to the closeness of the heat. Its almost impossible to avoid but making sure heat is not set too high (where the flames are licking the top) is important.
The goal here with grilled beets is to slowly heat or roast in the packet, so medium heat is usually fine. About 15 min through sometimes I like to check on mine and VERY CAREFULLY, as to avoid any steam burns, open a packet and see how tender they are with a fork.
I will say that even if the bottom beet is a bit more blacked, I have found that the blackened beet in the foil packet really brings a nice Smokey flavor to the dish and is REALLY good.
Grilled Beets
Equipment
- Aluminium Foil
Ingredients
Grilled Beets
- 3 Whole Raw Beats
- 1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves this is equal to 2 tsp minced garlic
- olive oil
- 1 tsp herb seasoning blend Mrs. Dash
- 1 sprig of Fresh Rosemary
Instructions
Prepping Beets for Grill
- Rinse raw beets with Cold Water and scrub down with a vegetable brush. Slice tops off beets and bottom root, taking care not to remove too much of the actual vegetable.3 Whole Raw Beats
- Slice beets (not too thin!) into about 5-6 pieces (depending on size of beet) and set aside.
Marinating Beets
- In a mixing bowl, add Balsamic Vinegar, sliced garlic cloves, and herb seasoning to a bowl. Whisk to combine.1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp herb seasoning blend
- Place sliced beets into marinade and set aside for 15 minutes, rotating half way through so beets get marinade on both sides.
- While beets are marinating, take one large sprig of fresh Rosemary, remove leaves and chop.1 sprig of Fresh Rosemary
How to Grill Beets
- Heat grill to medium heat. Pull out three large square of aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Using tongs, divide beets into the foil evenly, sprinkle freshly diced rosemary on top of beets and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.olive oil
- Seal foil on all sides. Make sure to completely seal up the sides so no steam escapes, as this is important to softening and cooking through beets.
- Place foil packets on grill and close lid. Heat beets (in foil packet) over grill for about 20-22 minutes until fork tender but not mushy.
- Remove from heat and open foil packets carefully (note hot steam!). Dice down beets into chunks and serve with any extra marinade on the side. Sprinkle with additional fresh Rosemary if you like.
Notes
- Beets are incredibly messy and dye anything its pink juice touches. Keep a wet rag or paper towel on hand to clean fingers and counters during slicing process.
- Use tongs to transfer beets to avoid pink finger tips.
- Vegetable wash makes sure that the last bit of dirt is off vegetables.
- There is no need to peel beet (and I advise against it).
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
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