🔑 Quick Answer: Marinated roasted beets are baby beets roasted until tender, peeled, and tossed with olive oil, vinegar, shallots, and thyme. This version roasts at 400°F for about 45 minutes, marinates for at least 1 hour, and is topped with chopped pistachios and feta right before serving. It makes six servings and tastes better the longer it sits.
Marinated roasted beets are my answer to a holiday table that already has too much going on. When everything else is rich, I want one side that’s simple, bright, and happy next to anything.
These pistachio thyme marinated beets are that side. They’re earthy from the oven, sharp from the shallots and vinegar, and crunchy from the pistachios.
Why Trust Us
I’m Aida Mollenkamp, and I wrote the cookbook Keys to the Kitchen. Before founding Salt & Wind, I ran the professional test kitchen as Food Editor at CHOW magazine. We test every recipe three to five times before publishing.
This is the side we work into holiday menus on purpose, because it’s simple enough to go with pretty much anything on the table.
It’s inspired by our home state of California, where we tend to cook easy but elegant dishes with seasonal flavors. California is also one of the main places we plan custom travel itineraries for food and wine lovers to help them visit California wine country, farmers markets, and local artisans.
Best for: This side is for hosts who want one make-ahead dish that won’t compete with the main.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This is the low-effort side that balances a busy holiday menu.
- It gets better as it sits. The beets keep soaking up the marinade, so making them ahead actually helps.
- It’s almost all hands-off. You spend about 10 minutes on prep, and the oven and the marinade do the rest.
- It goes with everything. Roasted or grilled lamb and pork both work next to it, and so does a vegetarian spread.
- It brings color and crunch. The ruby beets and green pistachios brighten a table that’s mostly roasted and brown.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what each ingredient brings to these marinated roasted beets. You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
- Baby beets are the star, and they’re sweeter and more tender than big ones. Larger beets work too, though they’ll take longer to roast.
- Extra-virgin olive oil coats the beets for roasting and then carries the marinade.
- Aged balsamic or sherry vinegar gives the marinade its tang. Aged balsamic leans sweeter and sherry vinegar leans sharper, so pick the one you like.
- Shallots add a mild, sharp bite that keeps the dish from tasting flat. Red onion works in a pinch.
- Add fresh thyme twice: roast it with the beets, then stir it into the marinade so its flavor runs all the way through. Rosemary or sage works too.
- Kosher salt and black pepper season both the roast and the marinade.
- Pistachios add crunch and nutty richness. Walnuts or pecans make a good swap.
- Feta or ricotta salata is optional, and it adds a salty, creamy contrast. Goat cheese or blue cheese works if you want something bolder.
How to Make Marinated Beets Recipe
These marinated roasted beets take four steps, and you can do the first three well before your guests arrive.
- Roast the beets. Heat the oven to 400°F. Toss the beets with the thyme sprigs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper in a baking dish, then roast until a knife slides in easily, about 45 minutes.
- Peel and cut them. Let the beets cool until you can handle them. Rub off the skins with paper towels, then cut each beet into sixths.
- Marinate them. Mix the beets with the shallots, the vinegar, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the leaves from 1 thyme sprig. Season with salt and pepper and let them sit for at least 1 hour.
- Finish and serve. Just before serving, toss the beets with the pistachios and the feta, if you’re using it.
Variations On This Recipe
- Nut Variations: Swap pistachios for walnuts or pecans if you prefer.
- Herb Choices: Replace thyme with rosemary or sage for a different herbal note.
- Vinegar Options: Try different vinegars, like apple cider or raspberry, for a unique twist on the marinade.
- Cheese Options: For a bolder flavor, try using blue cheese or goat cheese instead of feta or Ricotta salata.
What to Serve This Recipe With
These marinated beets pair best with grilled or roasted meats, especially lamb or pork, which complement their sweetness. They also pair well with a green salad or a vegetarian spread with quinoa or wheat berry salad.
Wine Pairing
A Sancerre has the acidity to match the vinegar and a grassy edge that pairs well with feta. If you’d rather pour red, a chilled Beaujolais brings earthiness without the tannin that clashes with vinegar.
Frequently Asked Questions
You peel them after roasting. Roast them with the skins on, let them cool until you can handle them, and the skins rub right off with a paper towel.
You can, and they taste better for it. Let them marinate for at least 1 hour, or longer if you have time, and add the pistachios and feta right before serving.
You can store the marinated beets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days before serving.
You can use larger beets. They'll take longer to roast, so start checking them with a knife at 45 minutes and cut them into smaller wedges after peeling.
Pistachio Thyme Marinated Roasted Beets Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds baby beets trimmed and scrubbed
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons Aged balsamic or sherry vinegar
- 2 small shallots halved and thinly sliced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme plus more for garnish
- Kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios for serving
- Crumbled feta cheese or shavings of ricotta salata, optional
Instructions
- Roast The Beets: Heat oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Combine beets, 3 of the sprigs of thyme, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and salt and pepper in a baking dish and toss to coat. Cover with aluminum foil and roast until beets are knife tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside until cool enough toandle then rub off skins with paper towels and cut beets into sixths.
- Make The Marinated Roasted Beets: Mix beets with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the vinegar, the shallots, and the leaves of 1 thyme sprig. Season with salt and pepper and let sit at least 1 hour. Toss with pistachios and feta, if using, just before serving.
2 thoughts on “Pistachio Thyme Marinated Roasted Beets”
Should this be served hot or room temp?
We serve it at room temperature usually but it really can work at any temperature.