If you invite a friend who’s a master gardener to dinner and she asks what to bring–ask back, “What’s in your garden?,” you might end up with this delicious treat–grill roasted beets and garlic!
That’s how this recipe happened. Our friends surprised us with vivid bloodshot beets, just picked, washed and trimmed. All I added was a little olive oil—and whole garlic cloves. Packaged in a big sheet of aluminum foil, onto the grill they went.
We sat on the deck enjoying our park-like yard, drinking wine and telling tales. Whenever Robbie warned me that the grill thermometer was pegged all the way to 600 degrees, I got up, opened the grill to cool it down, and moved the packet of beets and garlic to another spot on the grill. Casual. No worries. After about 45 minutes I poked into the packet and both the beets and the garlic were soft to the fork!
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Wow! The beets were caramelized on the bottom from the high heat, and subtly infused with roasted garlic flavor. They made a bright side for our veggie burgers!
We didn’t need condiments like mayonnaise, mustard, or ketchup. We mashed the buttery spreadable roasted garlic on the grill-toasted buns. Delicious!
The salt and pepper shakers in the photo came from my sister. We call them Sister Salty Mary and Sister Mary Pepper, and remember our elementary school teachers.
If you want beets in a hurry, and without firing up the grill or turning on the oven–use the pressure cooker. Here is my recipe for how to pressure cook beets.
- You may also like this recipe for Roasted Golden Beets and their Greens.
- Or this recipe for oven Roasted Garlic.
- This skillet chocolate chip cookie can be cooked on the grill too!
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Grill Roasted Beets and Garlic
Ingredients
- 3 beets , more or less (see note)
- 1 bulb garlic separated but not peeled
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Scrub the beets well. Trim and peel, then cut them in quarters. Alternatively, roast the scrubbed beets with the skin on–rub it away when the beets are cool enough to handle. (see note)
- Heat the grill to high. Toss the beets and garlic cloves with just enough oil to coat them lightly. Sprinkle with salt.
- Place the beets and garlic on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Fold the foil up over the vegetables, wrapping the edges together. Place the packet on the grill.
- Roast, grill closed, 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the beet pieces. Monitor the heat, keeping it medium high. Move the packet around on the grill—from hot spot to cooler spot—every 10 minutes.
- When the beets are tender to the fork, open the packet and serve. The garlic will be soft and spreadable, just slip the skin from the cloves and serve with crackers.
Notes
- Dark red beets are my favorites for grilling. I was gifted a mixture of striped chioggas and vivid reds—which I roasted for the photos. The chioggas have a more delicate flavor and bleed when cooked, particularly when peeled and cut beforehand.
- When oven roasting beets, I peel after roasting. When glamping and grill roasting, I peel beforehand so the beets are ready to enjoy when the packet comes off the grill.
Yum I want those · 6 August, 2014
I’ll make them for you. · 6 August, 2014
I’m not a huge fan of beets, but cooked this way they sound fabulous. · 7 August, 2014
Letty,
Thanks for this recipe! I’ve added it to the Farm Fresh Feasts Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for folks who love to eat from the farm share.
I appreciate it! · 18 June, 2015
Go farm shares! · 18 June, 2015
My new go to method thanks! · 11 August, 2019
Thanks William! It’s so easy. · 14 August, 2019
I love beets and eat them almost daily. Your recipe is an excellent idea. I never thought about grilling these beets! How come you don’t crush the garlic and won’t the oil start to smoke when used on a grill? · 9 February, 2023
Sam,
Thank you for writing. Whole garlic cloves roast perfectly in a package or covered dish in the oven or on the grill. Cooked in a package there is no problem with smoking oil. · 12 February, 2023