These easy quick pickled beets are one of my favorite guilt-free treats that I love to snack on straight from the jar. Sweet, tangy, crisp beets with no added sugar - ready to jazz up salads, sandwiches, or even make a vibrant side dish.
If you love that punchy, zesty kick, try my Pickled Red Onions too. I make them with just fresh lime juice, salt, and red onions - super simple perfect topping for tacos, salads, or grain bowls.
Are Pickled Beets Good for You?
Pickled beets aren’t just super tasty, they’re packed with benefits:
- Beets are full of antioxidants and natural nitrates that support heart health.
- The vinegar helps with digestion and makes it gut-friendly.
- Best of all, it's naturally sweet, no added sugar needed.
Quick add-ons:
- Do beets have iron? Yes. Beets have a small amount of iron that's enough to give you a boost.
- Are pickles good for diabetics? If they’re made sugar-free (like these), they can be a tasty low-glycemic snack.
What Do Pickled Beets Taste Like?
They’re earthy, tangy, a little salty, and slightly sweet (from the natural beet flavor, not added sugar). Think sweet beets, but with a bright, zippy vinegar kick.
How to Cook Beets Before Pickling
There’s more than one way to cook a beet! Depending on how you want to use them. Here are a few easy methods before making your quick pickled beets:
- Oven Roasting Beets: Wrap in foil and roast until fork tender. Roasted beets get caramelized and sweet -perfect.
- Boiled Beets: Simmer whole beets until tender, then peel once cooled.
- Beets in Instant Pot: Pressure cook for a fast, hands-off option.
- Steamed Beets: My method! Steam until fork tender, then pickle!
Pro tip: You can peel beets after cooking when the skin rubs off, but I prefer peeling beforehand with a veggie peeler - it’s faster and less messy once they’re cooked.
Quick Pickled Beets Ingredients (What You’ll Need)
This is a simple, no-fuss pickled beet recipe:
- Beets: Red beetroot is classic, but golden beets or Chioggia beets work too.
- Salt: Helps preserve and keeps bacteria away. Traditional pickling salt preserves freshness, but if you need a pickling salt substitute, then use kosher salt or fine sea salt.
- Vinegar: White distilled or apple cider vinegar are best for pickling beets.
- Water: Filtered water. Or you can even use the steaming liquid (aka beet juice) for extra flavor.
No, actually there is a difference in flavor. White vinegar is milder and slightly fruity. White vinegar is sharper and more acidic, making it better for quick pickling.
Step by Step: How to Pickle Beets Quickly
- Step 1 - Peel using a veggie peeler, and slice your beets (I prefer straight-cut rectangles or wedges, but rounds work too).
- Step 2 - Steam them in a basket over boiling water for about 25 minutes until fork-tender. Let them cool just enough to handle, then pack into a sterilized mason jar.
- Step 3 - Mix vinegar, water, and salt. (Optional: simmer the brine gently, but honestly, I find it doesn’t change the flavor much).
- Step 4 - Pour brine over the beets until fully submerged.
- Step 5 - Seal with an air-tight lid, give it a little shake, and then refrigerate for 24 hours. Now, enjoy your new favorite refrigerator-only pickled beets.
How Long Do Quick Pickled Beets Last?
- Best after 24 hours, tasty for 3–6 weeks in the fridge.
- Always store in a sealed beetroot container or glass jar.
- If mold, sliminess, or off smell appear - then compost them.
Yes! These are refrigerator pickles only, not shelf-stable. Canning pickled beets requires a different process.
Canning vs. Quick Pickling
This recipe is for refrigerator-only beets, not shelf-stable canning. But if you want to dive into canning beets, you’ll need sterilized jars, a canning pot, and proper sealing with boiling-water processing. I recommend always following USDA guidelines when canning pickled beets recipe versions to ensure food safety.
Time-Saving Tips
- Use pre-cooked or canned beets if you’re short on time (yep, even Costco beets) to skip cooking - just slice, brine, and chill.
- Slice beets before steaming to cut the cooking time.
- Steam a big batch, pickle half, and save the rest for beet salads like my Roasted Beets & Fennel Salad or Orange Beet Salad.
No-Waste Tips for Beets and Brine
- Save the beet steaming water - it makes a gorgeous beet juice for smoothies or brine.
- Don’t toss the beet greens; sauté them with garlic or stir into soups.
- Reuse the brine once for cucumbers, carrots, or pickled onions. If you want ideas on which other veggies to pickle next, learn more on my post about quick pickled vegetables.
Fermentation vs Pickling: What’s the Difference?
Pickling uses vinegar brine for beets. Fermentation uses natural bacteria to develop tang. Both preserve veggies, but pickling is faster while fermented beets give you probiotics.
Serving Ideas
- Toss into a Pickled Beet Salad with Clementine for a citrusy, bright combo.
- Pile into sandwiches or wraps - I like to mix it in with my Vegan “Tuna” Salad for extra zing.
- Serve alongside dips like Butter Bean Hummus for a colorful snack board.
- Or just enjoy on their own - the way I prefer because I just can't resist!
Troubleshooting Common Mistakes
- Brine too weak? Double-check your vinegar-to-water ratio (at least 1:1).
- Beets too soft? They were overcooked - aim for fork-tender, not mushy.
- Cloudy brine? That can happen if you add spices that shed particles or use iodized salt - stick to pickling salt or kosher salt.
FAQs
Yes, once, for refrigerator pickles with veggies like cucumbers or onions. After that, toss it. Don’t reuse it for a fresh batch of beets.
Yes, in moderation. Beets are low FODMAP in small servings, and vinegar-based pickles are usually tolerated.
Beets are higher in natural carbs than some veggies, but in small amounts they can fit into a low-carb plan.
Definitely. They’re rich in fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants while being naturally sugar-free in this recipe.
More Homemade Condiment Recipes
If you liked these quick pickled beets, you might also love:
Quick Pickled Beets: Easy, Sugar-Free, No Fuss
DESCRIPTION
EQUIPMENT
- 1 Mason Jar
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup white distilled vinegar
- ½ cup filtered water
- 1 teaspoon pickling salt, kosher salt, or fine sea salt
- 1 whole beetroot (large size) 2 or 3, if small in size
METHOD
- Peel, wash and slice the beets as your prefer. I prefer to slice them straight cut-rectangular or wedges, but some prefer rounds, or cubes.
- Place the sliced beets into a steam basket. Steam them over boiling water for 25-30 minutes, or until they're fork-tender. Once they're done, take them off and let them cool down for a few minutes till they are easy to handle.
- While the beets are cooling, mix the vinegar, water, and salt together in a separate cup. Note: You can heat the brine on a low to dissolve the salt, but this isn't necessary.
- Place the cooled beets into a clean mason jar. Pour the brine over the beets, making sure they are fully submerged. Secure the lid tightly and give the jar a good shake.
- Store the pickled beets in the refrigerator. Wait at least 24 hours before you eat them to let the flavors meld.
- Enjoy your quick pickled beets!
NOTES
- Peel before or after cooking – I peel my beets before steaming to save time, but many people wait until after cooking because the skins slip off easily. Both ways work!
- Protect your hands and cutting board – Beets stain everything, so slip on disposable gloves and lay down parchment paper to avoid a red mess.
- Shape it your way – Slice into rectangles, rounds, or even pickle whole baby beets. Different cuts change both texture and look.
- Choose your vinegar wisely – White distilled vinegar gives the brightest color, while apple cider vinegar adds a hint of sweetness. Both are great options.
- Don’t skip the salt – Salt isn’t just for flavor—it helps preserve the beets and keeps the brine safe.
- Reuse that steaming liquid – Instead of tossing it, use the beet-steamed water in your brine for an extra boost of color and flavor.
- Golden or Chioggia beets – These can be pickled too! Golden beets taste milder, while Chioggia (striped) beets look gorgeous in the jar.
- Pre-cooked shortcut – If you’re short on time, grab pre-cooked beets from the store, slice them, and drop them into the brine.
Denise Southard says
It seems there are more than 1 carb per serving if you're serving 3 people. Could you double check this amount?
Puja Verma says
Thank for bringing that to my attention. I did manually make some adjustments based off the serving size. Hope that makes more sense now.
My apologies for the confusion; API is not 100% accurate with some of the algorithms yet; and so there are some occasions where these numbers are off. However API is always working on improving with their software updates.
Lisa says
Made some last week and loved the tartness! With fermenting, it’s often recommended to add
Some of the brine from the previous batch into your next batch. With pickling, I’ve been
Known to save a liquid if I loved the flavor and re-use the brine for another vegetable. Can I re-use the brine here or do you suggest I toss it and make fresh? (Easy to make fresh but my husband considerately saved the brine for me in case I planned to re-use it.) Of course (and inconveniently) I’m steaming beets as I write… Thanks!
Puja Verma says
Yes! You can re-use the brine for another vegetable. It will give the vegetable a slightly sweet taste from the beet brine. It will also give it a red-ish color; which will look beautiful if you were pickling carrots next.
I'm so glad you loved it 🙂 Thanks for sharing 💚
Anna says
Thanks for your tips. We do not use sugar or salt so we just added powdered cloves, and a few slices of fresh garlic and fresh ginger to the remaining ingredients. We also added sliced raw onion. The recipe is so easy. We do not save the beets for long , because they get eaten within a day or three. 😋 (No need for the salt to preserve then.)
Puja Verma says
YES! That's a brilliant idea. No need for salt, if they are going to be eaten so quickly. Our pickled beets, also, don't last long before we eat them all. We will start to opt out of salt next time. Great modifications to the recipe. Thank you for sharing them. 🙂
BJ says
Can I use canned beets instead of fresh? And what kind of onion? Will red work? Thank you!
Puja Verma says
Yes! Canned beets will work; just skip steaming the beets and go straight to pickling. And yes, red onions work well. If you are interested on pickling Mexican pickled onions, then I suggest you also try this recipe: https://greenheartlove.com/mexican-pickled-onions/.
Lou says
Turned out great!
Puja Verma says
Oh yay!! I'm so happy to hear your outcome was great! Thank you for sharing, Lou! 🙂