Refrigerator Pickled Beets {Quick Pickled Beets}
Refrigerator Pickled Beets are a fast and easy way to preserve this delicious and healthy vegetable! Quick pickled beets just like grandma used to make but without the canning. These easy pickled beets are an amazing side dish, quick snack, or addition to salads.
My nana always made amazing canned pickled beets that I was addicted to as a kid. Of course, after she passed, we found her recipe book and realized that the beets contained like two cups of added sugar.
No wonder they were so delicious!
But these small batch refrigerator pickled beets only have a tiny bit of (added) sugar in them, and frankly, you can leave it out if you’d like. And unlike my nana canning for hours in a hot summer kitchen, you can make a batch of easy pickled beets and store them in the fridge.
Just like my Refrigerator Dilly Beans, these quick pickled beets are not shelf-stable and must be stored in the fridge after 24 hours.
What ingredients are in pickled beets?
- Beets! You’re not surprised, right? Do we need to talk?
- Vinegar – both white and apple cider
- A wee little bit of sugar which is optional
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
You’ll see some fresh dill in the photos of my pickled beets. I did this mainly for photo styling (omg, beets are so hard to make look enticing), but I do love the flavor the dill added. You can’t beet the taste.
^I regret nothing.
Can I make these refrigerator pickled beets sugar-free?
You bet! Feel free to leave out the sugar and voila, refined sugar-free pickled beets that are also Whole30 compliant and paleo approved.
WHAT KIND OF beets SHOULD I USE for quick pickled beets?
The best answer – whatever kinds of beets you have! I used generic red beets for these easy pickled beets, but feel free to use golden beets or stunning Chioggia beets.
Pro tip: don’t mix beets of different colors unless you’re ok with the colors bleeding into each other.
How to make refrigerator pickled beets
*A detailed and printable recipe card is available at the bottom of this point.
There are four ways you can cook the beets prior to pickling them – steam, boil, pressure cook, or roast.
There are lots of different recipes for these methods, and all of them get something wrong. They have you peel the beets after they are cooked. This is a giant mess and creates some very stained hands.
I prefer to slice the top and root off and then cut the tough outer beet skin (dibs on “Outer Beet Skin” as a band name) off with a knife. And THEN I cook them. Sooooo much easier. And they cook even faster if you chop them before cooking.
To pressure cook: check out this post on Instant Pot Beets.
To steam: place in a pot fitted with a steamer insert. Add water to the pot and place the beets in the insert. Place the lid over the pot and cook on medium low for 10-15 minutes.
To roast: place cubed beets on a baking sheet and roast at 425 F until beets are easily pierced with a knife (15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the beets).
To boil: cover your cubed beets with water and cook on medium high for 20 minutes. Strain and rinse in cold water.
Once your beets have cooked, set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan or microwave safe container, combine water, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, sugar, and kosher salt. Heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved (2 minutes on high in a microwave). Allow it to cool to room temperature.
Pro tip: if you want to speed up the cooling (yeah, I’m not patient either), fill a baking dish with 2 inches of cool water and ice and place the container with the brine in the dish. Stir continuously until cooled.
Add peppercorns and any spicy peppers or dill you’re using (optional) to your jars.
Add in the beets and cover with brine. Cover with a lid and set aside.
how long do pickled beets have to sit before eating?
I keep my quick pickled beets on the counter for 24 hours and then move the jars to the fridge. The flavors will develop over time, and I would give them a minimum of three days before you start snacking on them.
Try them on a salad like this Green Goddess Salad from Stay Snatched.
What Jars Should I Use?
A wide-mouth pint jar would work best, but honestly, use whatever you have on hand. For more information on canning jar sizes and uses, check out this post on Canning Supplies.
how long can you keep pickled beets in the refrigerator?
Pickling is a way to preserve produce, so these suckers can stay in the fridge for a long time! These refrigerator pickled beets will last for six weeks in the fridge.
SO CAN I CAN THESE? CAN I?
Just to make it crystal clear, this recipe is for refrigerator pickled beets. These beets are NOT shelf stable and must be stored in the fridge. They should not be canned as the recipe is written.
If you would like a safe method for canning/preserving pickled beets, the Ball Blue Book of Canning is my favorite trusted canning resource.
Pro tips/recipe notes
- Every pickled beet I have ever had eaten (including storebought) has had little floaties in the brine after a day or so. This is perfectly normal and as long as your beets do not smell off, and there is no obvious sign of spoilage, they should be safe to eat.
- Make sure the beets are covered with the brine during the pickling process. This will keep everything safe and edible.
- Feel free to add in some sliced onions if you love pickled onions!
- Once you’ve finished the beets, add some peeled hard-boiled eggs (related: Easy Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs) to the brine to make easy pickled eggs.
- I love spice, so I add red pepper flakes to my brine to make spicy pickled beets.
More Vegetable recipes you’ll love
- Encurtido – Spickle Pickled Vegetables
- Nana’s Cucumber and Onion Salad
- Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Blistered Shishito Peppers
- Spicy Green Beans
Making this recipe or others?
Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #sustainablecooks. I can't wait to see your take on it!
Refrigerator Pickled Beets are an easy way to preserve a delicious and healthy vegetable! These easy pickled beets are an amazing side dish or quick snack.
- 2 1/2 cups beets chopped
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water plus more for boiling
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
To pressure cook: check out this post on Instant Pot Beets.
To steam: place in a pot fitted with a steamer insert. Add water to the pot and place the beets in the insert. Place the lid over the pot and cook on medium low for 10-15 minutes.
To roast: place cubed beets on a baking sheet and roast at 425 F until beets are easily pierced with a knife (15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the beets).
To boil: cover your cubed beets with water and cook on medium high for 15-20 minutes. Strain and rinse in cold water.
Once your beets have cooked, set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan or microwave safe container, combine water, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, sugar, and kosher salt. Heat until the sugar and salt has dissolved (2 minutes on high in a microwave). Allow it to cool to room temperature.
Add peppercorns and any spicy peppers you're using (optional) to your jars.
Add in the beets and cover with brine. Cover with a lid and set aside on the counter for 24 hours. Then move to the fridge.
Make sure the beets are covered with the brine during the pickling process. This will keep everything safe and edible.
These refrigerator pickled beets will last for six weeks in the fridge.
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Yum! I’ve been looking for a recipe for pickled beets. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Pickled beets are the best!