Wondering how to chop beets? Get step-by-step instructions, and a short video, from chef and meal prep expert Allison Schaaf.

I am often asked how to chop beets because I love including them on our menus, especially roasted and tossed into a salad.  But their sphere-like shape, which can often be quite irregular, tends to slip and slide all over the cutting board, right?! This can prove to be quite a messy experience. (I always wear a dark shirt when chopping purple beets – ha!).

Today, I am sharing a quick video that shows you how to chop beets – the quick & easy way. Tip #1 – as I always say with anything you are chopping, start with a flat surface. Watch the video below for more tips!

How to Chop Beets

I'm not sure if it's their color or their odd shape, but beets can be intimidating!

I assure you, they're actually quite easy to peel and chop if you keep these tips in mind. I always wear a dark colored shirt when I chop beets – that juice does stain! Some people also prefer to chop beets on a plastic cutting board to avoid staining your nice wooden one. If you want to avoid the mess altogether though, opt for golden beets! They have a similar taste, with none of the dark juice.

I recommend watching the short video, but here's a quick rundown of my method for how to chop beets:

1. Choose Large Beets: This first step happens before you even get home from the grocery store. Choose large beets to maximize efficiency. It's much quicker and easier to peel a couple of larger beets than to carefully peel a bunch of tiny beets.

2. Create a Flat Surface: As with all of my chopping tutorials, I recommend creating a flat surface right when you begin. To do this, simply slice off the top and the bottom of the beet. That way your beet won't be rolling around while you try to chop! This is important for efficiency, but especially for safety.

3. Peel the Beet: I like to use my knife to peel beets, but you can also use a vegetable peeler if you prefer. This is simply personal preference. Try both methods and see what's easier for you!

4. Slice into Sections: Once your beet is peeled, slice it into a few big sections.

5. Chop to Desired Size: Finally, chop your beet to whatever size you need it! It's that easy.

Nutritional Benefits – Beets

If you need a little motivation to tackle chopping a beet for the first time, taking a look at the nutritional benefits they provide should do the trick!

Beets offer many vitamins and nutrients including folate, manganese, potassium, vitamin C, magnesium and iron. They're also quite high in antioxidants.

Beets also contain something called dietary nitrates, which are actually responsible for some of their biggest health benefits. These nitrates may help temporarily lower blood pressure and can even boost athletic performance by supporting mitochondria efficiency and helping increase blood flow to your muscles.

Additionally, eating beets may help support your brain, reduce inflammation and support healthy digestion.

One thing to note – if you're prone to kidney stones, you may not want to eat beets regularly. Beets' oxalate content can lead to kidney stones.

If you're sold on beets but have no idea what to do with them, I'm sharing two of my very favorite beet recipes below!

2 Easy Beet Recipes

I love simply roasting a big sheet pan of beets as part of my weekly meal prep. They're great tossed on salads or as an easy side. Bonus? While most people think of the root when they think of beets, you can eat the leaves as well! Simply saute as you would spinach.

But if you're looking for a specific recipe on exactly what to do with beets, I've got you covered there too. Here are two of my favorites:

Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad: As with many vegetables, my favorite way to enjoy beets is roasted. It really brings out the flavor and results in a great texture as well. This salad pairs beets with goat cheese and walnuts, a classic combination for good reason!

You'll also find a simple recipe for my go-to balsamic vinaigrette. If you haven't tried making your own salad dressing, this is a great place to start! It requires only 3 ingredients and is a major upgrade in both flavor and nutrition from bottled salad dressings.

As with all Prep Dish recipes, this salad is designed for meal prep! Prepping a big salad at the start of the week makes it so much easier to eat your greens on a daily basis. Our Gluten Free and Paleo meal plans always include a big meal prep salad. This roasted beet salad is also delicious topped with chicken breast if you'd like to turn it into a main dish.

Fennel is another tasty ingredient in this salad that can be intimidating to some. Make sure to check out my video on how to chop fennel for tips!

Sweets, Beets & Kale Breakfast Hash: Ever try beets for breakfast? If not, you're missing out!

Okay, while beets might not be the first thing you think of when you think about your morning meal, they make such a tasty addition to breakfast hash. A veggie-packed breakfast hash is one of my very favorite ways to start the day. It's filling, delicious and completely packed with nutrition. I love topping my hash with a fried egg, but that part is optional.

This recipe calls for kale but if your beets come with the greens still attached, throw those in as well!

Breakfast hash makes a great freezer recipe as well. Make a big batch and freeze half. Pull it out when you're short on time or when your fridge is bare of veggies toward the end of the week.

Bonus – Lunch Meal Prep: Okay, this one isn't exactly a recipe, but roasted beets make a great addition to your lunch meal prep. I know not everyone wants to make a whole separate recipe for lunches, which is why I created this gluten free mix & match lunch chart! You'll find tips on creating a satisfying lunch, ideas for ingredients to prep and, of course, inspiration for how to combine those ingredients into a delicious salad, bowl or wrap!

What is your favorite way to prepare beets? Are you a fan of roasted beets or enjoy them pickled? Have you tried beet ice cream or put them in a chocolate cake? Let me know in the comments below or give us a shout-out on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Find us in all 3 places as @prepdish!

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