Air Fryer Beets roast up sweet and tender with just oil, salt and pepper, and make an easy roasted beets side dish or salad topping! You’ll want to add this simple and delicious recipe to your dinner rotation!
This recipe is a little different than your typical roasted beets recipe for a few reasons:
- The beets are peeled and cubed, instead of whole, so they’re more like home fries.
- They’re roasted in the air fryer not the oven. While I love oven roasted beets, sometimes I like using the air fryer for side dishes because it saves a little time and frees up valuable oven space for cooking main dishes.
- This recipe includes three different kinds of beets. In addition to the more popular red beets, I’ve added colourful golden beets and candy cane beets to the mix.
Different varieties of beets
Beets (or beetroot) are root vegetables that grow best in cooler climates. While they’re available year round, peak season for beets is usually mid-summer into late fall.
Beets comes in different shapes and colours, from red beets to bright yellow golden beets and candy cane striped beets. Here’s a quick overview of the varieties used in this recipe:
Red beets: This is the most common variety. They’re a deep maroon colour and often come in round and long sizes. They’re great for roasting and have a sweet taste.
Golden beets: These beets have a golden/bright yellow flesh with an orange skin. They’re not quite as sweet as red beets but are just as delicious roasted and work well in soups too.
Candy cane beets (Chioggia beets): They have a red-ish/pink exterior and are red and white striped on the inside, which resembles a candy cane pattern. Once roasted, some of their striped colouring fades but they have a sweet and earthy flavour.
What you’ll need for these air fryer beets
This recipe is super simple and only requires a few basic ingredients:
- Fresh beets
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
How to roast beets in the air fryer
- Peel and cut your beets into roughly 1-inch pieces.
- Add the beets to a large bowl along with the oil, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Place the beets in the air fryer basket and air fry on 400F for 18-20 minutes, or until fork tender.
What goes well with beets?
- You can serve these air fryer beets on the side with any kind of protein. (They’d make a great addition to your Christmas or Thanksgiving menu!)
- I love to add them to salads and grain bowls such as this roasted beet and walnut salad.
- You can also add them to beet hummus, or eat them as they are with some goat cheese and pumpkin seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to peel beets before air frying them? Since this recipe requires the beets cut into smaller pieces, I would suggest peeling them first. When roasting whole beets, however, many people leave the skins on and remove them after roasting, as they usually just slip right off the beet flesh.
How long should you air fry beets? At 400F, three cups of beets (1-inch pieces) will need about 18-20 minutes in the air fryer. If you double the recipe (as I’ve done in the photos you see here), you will need to air fry them for 25-30 minutes. The key is to air fry them until fork tender and a little caramelized around the edges.
How long do air fryer roasted beets last and how do you reheat them? These beets are best enjoyed right out of the air fryer. If you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To reheat them, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 375F for about 10 minutes, or until heat through.
Can you freeze roasted beets? While some recipes note that you can freeze roasted beets, I think this works best if it’s whole beets. I tried freezing these beet home fries, and I didn’t care for the texture once they were defrosted and reheated. They were too soft and a little rubbery.
Additional recipe tips and substitutions
- Make sure your beets are all about 1-inch thick pieces so they cook evenly. If you cut your beets into smaller or bigger pieces, you will need to adjust the air frying time accordingly.
- You can easily double the recipe. Just increase the air frying time to 25-30 minutes.
- Feel free to change up the seasonings with garlic, spices or dried herbs. You can also add more salt and pepper to taste.
- While I used three different kinds of beet in this recipe, you can stick to just one kind. The cooking time will be the same for whichever variety of beet you choose.
- The red beets will add some discolouration to the golden and candy cane beets. So just keep that in mind for presentation purposes. The candy cane stripe on the Chioggia beets will also fade once roasted.
Other beet recipes you might enjoy
- Golden Beet Soup with carrot and ginger is vegan and comes together in one pot.
- Oven Roasted Root Vegetables are paired with kale, rosemary, goat cheese and pumpkin seeds.
- Beet Hummus Tart with sautéed asparagus and an almond flour crust.
If you make these air fried beets, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.
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Air Fryer Beets (Easy Roasted Beets)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Air Fry
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Air Fryer Beets roast up sweet and tender with just oil, salt and pepper, and make an easy roasted beets side dish or salad topping! You’ll want to add this simple and delicious recipe to your dinner rotation!
Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (see note)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the beets, oil, salt and pepper to a large bowl and toss to combine.
- Place the beets in the air fryer basket and air fry on 400F for 18-20 minutes, or until fork tender. Stir or shake them a few times while air frying.
Notes
- I used a mix of red, golden and candy cane beets in this recipe, but you can use just one variety. The cooking time will be the same for whichever variety of beet you choose.
- Make sure your beets are cut into 1-inch pieces so they cook evenly. If the beets are cut into smaller or bigger pieces, you’ll need to adjust the air frying time accordingly.
- If you double the recipe (as I did for the photos in this post), just increase the air frying time to 25-30 minutes.
- The red beets will add some discolouration to the golden and candy cane beets. So just keep that in mind for presentation purposes. The pattern on the candy cane beets will also fade once roasted.
- The recipe instructions are based on a Philips air fryer with a 2.75 quart capacity. Depending on the size and brand of your air fryer, you may need to adjust the temperature and air frying time slightly.
- Be sure to check out the FAQ as well as the tips and substitutions section above the recipe for more detailed advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
Excellent recipe! Sometimes a simple side dish is perfect with a fancy entree. My beets needed more time – about 30 minutes – even though they were in a single layer and about 1” pieces. We have an oven air fryer so I had room to toss some skinny carrots in for the last 15 minutes.
Also, always nice to see someone who spells Leanne the right way. 😉
Hi Leanne! I’m so glad you liked the recipe and adding carrots is a great idea. Hahah, yes, it’s definitely the right way to spell our name!
do you need to put these in a single layer? your picture looks like they are piled up? my air fryer is small and doing in a single layer, it may take me days to get enough to eat! 🙂
Hi Kristi. You don’t need to air fry the beets in a single layer. Just make sure to shake the basket a few times while cooking. If your air fryer is really small, the basket will be full so you may need to air fry the beets a little longer or you could air fry them in 2 separate batches.
Loved this easy recipe! Although, my air fryer took longer than stated… more like actual roasting time. Most likely it’s the fryer, not the recipe. Will make this again and again!
Hi Corinne! Thanks so much for your review. I’m glad you enjoyed the beets!
Hi Corinne,
Your re review was spot on! The cook time in the air fryer was the same as roasting them – either way they were delicious!!
I’m trying to learn to like beets and incorporate them into my healthy diet, so I was looking for a recipe that would make them taste better to me and not so much like dirt! Ha. I used whole, peeled, cooked, ready to eat, vacuum-packed, red beets. Thank you for your recipe. I added garlic powder as well. I quarter them and cooked them a little longer. I think that helped me. They were good. Thank you.
You’re welcome! Glad you liked them.
I loved how the beets turned out! I will definitely make them again. It’s a lot faster than roasting them in the oven My beets were very small, a bit bigger than a large lemon. I cut them in wedges about 1/2” wide on the wide part of the wedge, and were done in 20 ‘minutes. They were crispy and delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Marisa! Thanks for letting me know!
Very tasty – I added some dried garlic flakes. We used the rotisserie basket. After 20 minutes, I could not yet poke the beets chunks with a fork, so we needed to cook much longer. But it was worth it!
Hi Alena! Thanks for your feedback. I’m glad you liked the beets, and the addition of dried garlic flakes sounds delicious!
These air fryer beets are such a great idea! I love finding new ways to eat beets and air frying them sounds like a great idea.
Thanks Christie!
You’ve done it again with the air fryer, Leanne! They look so good! I really ought to get an air fryer ASAP!
Thanks Michelle! The air fryer has turned into one of my kitchen essentials!
I love all of the colors of beets you used, Leanne! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the striped beets around here, but now I”m desperate to find them. And I can’t wait to use the air fryer for these! They look fantastic!
Thanks Katherine! You might be able to find the candy cane beets at your local farmer’s market. I’ve never seen them at the grocery store around here.
I love all your air fryer recipes, as I’m always looking for new things to try! These look fabulous 🙂
Thanks Jennifer!