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You’ll love these sweet and tender Candied Beets as a delicious side dish for the holidays or any day of the week. It’s an easy recipe with just 5 ingredients and the most amazing sweet orange glaze!
We definitely have a love for root vegetables in our house (like these honey roasted parsnips). They store well and don’t spoil easily, so we usually stock up when we can.
Candied beets couldn’t be easier to make! Once you cook your beets, you just need to cut them up and make your glaze. Combine the two and heat for 5 minutes.
These sweet beets are great on top of a salad or as a side to this Dutch oven roast chicken or sous vide whole duck!
We are also pretty big fans of these sous vide beets or Instant Pot beets too!
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Why this recipe works
- These candied beets come together in no time! Just cook your beets and the glaze is ready in 5 minutes.
- The sweet orange glaze balances the earthy flavor of the beets.
- You can easily make candied beets in advance by cooking the beets a few days ahead of time.
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What are candied beets?
Candied beets are simply beets that are cooked and then warmed in a sweet glaze.
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and quantities used can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll need 3-5 medium beets, cooked, peeled and cut in 2" pieces. I used red beets but you can also use golden beets (they’ll stain less too!) You can also substitute whole canned beets if you’re pressed for time.
To make the glaze, the recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of orange zest.
I normally prefer cooking with unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt added to recipes. If you only have salted butter, you may wish to omit the ¼ teaspoon of added salt in the recipe.
I love the caramel flavor of brown sugar in candied beets. You can also use coconut sugar and even substitute a little honey.
The orange zest adds a subtle citrusy flavor to the sweet glaze. You can leave it out if you prefer, but I highly recommend it!
Step by step instructions
Heat the butter, salt, orange zest and brown sugar over medium heat until bubbly, stirring regularly to prevent burning.
Add the beets and cook for 3-5 minutes in the glaze.
Remove and serve hot.
How to cook beets
In my opinion, the best way is to make Instant Pot beets. You can also roast them in the oven if you prefer, but I find the Instant Pot method is less messy and more hands off.
Expert tips
- Be sure to use a large enough skillet to fit all of your beets and glaze.
- While I cut my beets into 2-inch pieces, you can cut them into smaller pieces if you prefer.
- If you’re pressed for time, you can substitute with whole canned beets.
- To change things up, you can use golden beets instead of red beets.
- You can leave out the orange zest if you prefer.
- When cooking the glaze, do so until it is just bubbling. Also, if you cook it for too long without stirring, it may burn.
- While the beets just take 3-5 minutes to cook in the glaze, you will need to factor in time to cook the beets.
Common questions
Yes! You can cook your beets in advance and store them in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week. Then, when you’re ready to make the candied beets, all you need to do is make the glaze and add the beets.
I think candied beets are best served right away when the glaze is hot and fresh. While you can store leftovers and reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop, the glaze might not have the same texture.
You can enjoy them on their own with some chopped nuts and goat cheese. Or you can add them to salads like this strawberry spinach salad. They’re also the perfect addition to holiday meals and go perfectly with proteins like this sous vide turkey breast or Instant Pot Cornish hens.
More root vegetable recipes
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Recipe
Candied Beets
Ingredients
- 3-5 medium beets cooked, peeled and cut in 2" pieces (substitute whole canned beets)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Heat the butter, salt, orange zest and brown sugar over medium heat until bubbly, stirring regularly to prevent burning.
- Add the beets and cook 3-5 minutes in the glaze.
- Remove and serve hot.
How to Cook Beets:
- The best way is to make Instant Pot Beets.
Expert Tips:
- Be sure to use a large enough skillet to fit all of your beets and glaze.
- While I cut my beets into 2-inch pieces, you can cut them into smaller pieces if you prefer.
- If you’re pressed for time, you can substitute with whole canned beets.
- To change things up, you can use golden beets instead of red beets.
- You can leave out the orange zest if you prefer.
- When cooking the glaze, do so until it is just bubbling. Also, if you cook it for too long without stirring, it may burn.
- While the beets just take 3-5 minutes to cook in the glaze, you will need to factor in time to cook the beets.
Nutrition
Mimi Rippee says
What a fabulous idea! Thanks!
Danielle says
Thanks!
Sue Jechort says
Can I roast the beets and then pour sauce on top ?
And do beets stain pans if there not black ?
Will it stain the container I put them in
Danielle says
You can definitely roast them then pour the sauce on, they just won't be quite as sticky. Beets can definitely stain containers and possibly pans depending on what they are made of.
Heather says
I thought these would be more like candied fruit, but they were a little more liquidy. However, they were so sweet and buttery and delicious. I couldn't stop eating them!
Danielle says
That's exactly how we felt!
denny says
My new favorite thing. I loved the sweet and earthy combo. So delish.
Danielle says
Glad to hear you liked it - we fell in love with that combo too.