Make the most delicious, tender roasted air fryer beets, the perfect easy side dish or salad topper! Diced beets are cooked fast, using just your air fryer, a little bit of oil, and seasonings.
👩🍳 Why it Works
Beets are deliciously sweet and earthy in flavor, not to mention good for you! They’re full of fiber, minerals, and vitamins like folate, B6, and C.
And when you roast beets, it brings out their flavor, making them addictively tasty. Now, they’re easier than ever to make in the air fryer!
👉 These beets are diced, tossed in olive oil and seasoned lightly, then cooked in the air fryer, which cooks them much faster than roasting in the oven.
👉 Why diced beets? Well, not only do diced beets cook quicker than whole beets, but this way gives you perfectly caramelized edges in every bite. It’s a win-win!
Best of all, you can use red beets, rainbow (candy cane) beets, and golden beets interchangeably in this recipe! So whatever variety of beet you have, you can enjoy this quick and easy air fryer recipe any day of the week!
Ingredients
Ingredients Notes:
- Beets. Red beets, rainbow (or candy cane) beets, and golden beets can be used interchangeably in this recipe!
- Optional Ingredients: Feel free to include other root vegetables that cook similarly. Dice carrots, radishes, and/or potatoes into pieces the same size as the beets, and cook them all together for a medley of delicious root vegetables!
🔪 Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: First, preheat your air fryer. If you don’t have a preheat setting, turn on the air fryer and wait at least five minutes.
Step 2: Meanwhile, prepare the beets. Cut off the beet tops and use a sharp peeler to peel the skin.
👉 Your hands will stain a bit from handling red beets, so you can wear gloves if you’d like to avoid that!
Dice the beets into bite sized pieces, being careful not to cut them too small.
Make sure each piece is at least twice the size of the holes in your air fryer basket. The pieces will reduce in size as they cook, and you don’t want them falling through the holes!
Step 3: Next, toss the diced beets with olive oil, salt and pepper. Turn to coat the beets fully on all sides.
Step 4: Pour the seasoned beets into the air fryer basket. Be careful not to overfill the air fryer basket! Aim to keep the beets in a single layer, as much as you can.
Halfway through cooking, open the air fryer basket and shake well. This turns and rotates the beets in the basket, allowing for more even cooking.
Finish the cooking, then open the air fryer basket. Season lightly with salt and pepper and enjoy right away!
👉 Make my Beet and Feta Salad, serve on any tossed salad, or with air fryer main dishes like roasted chicken, meatloaf, pork tenderloin, or any of your favorite dinner recipes!
Beet Chips Adaptation
If you’d prefer beet chips, follow the same steps, but use a mandoline to slice the beets into thin pieces.
Toss with oil and seasonings, and carefully lay in a single layer in a preheated air fryer basket. Cook for 15-17 minutes, turning once halfway through.
ℹ️ Tips and Notes
- Wear gloves and an apron! If you’d like to avoid stained hands and clothes after handling raw red beets, protect them!
- Don’t dice the beets too small. Cut the beets into pieces at least twice the size of the holes in your air fryer basket to keep them from falling to the bottom as they cook.
- Don’t overfill the air fryer basket. It’s better to cook in batches than to overcrowd your air fryer. This will lead to unevenly cooked beets.
- Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, per USDA.
- You can freeze leftover cooked beets! Allow the beets to cool completely to room temperature. Spread the beets on a baking sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours. Transfer the partially frozen beets to a freezer safe bag or container, and remove as much air as possible. Return to the freezer.
🍴 More Healthy Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Carrots
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Air Fryer Eggs
- Air Fryer Tortilla Chips
- Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
- Air Fryer Zucchini & Onions
- Or get my Air Fryer Cook Times Chart! It’s a free printable guide to air frying almost everything!
Making this recipe? I’d love to hear about your experience!
Please leave a star rating below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.
Air Fryer Beets
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium beets – red, golden, or rainbow (candy cane) beets.
- 1.5 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 325°F (162°C).
- Meanwhile, cut away the beet tops and peel the skin. Dice the beets into bite-sized pieces. Note: The pieces should be at least twice as big as the holes in your air fryer basket so they don't fall through.
- Toss the diced beets with oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to the preheated air fryer basket.
- Cook for 26-30 minutes, stopping halfway to shake the basket and turn the beets. Near the end of cook time, test the beets for doneness. They should be crispy on the outside and easily pierced with a fork.
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