Make refrigerator pickled beets in 10 minutes and enjoy for weeks! A simple brine made of vinegar, water, sugar, and salt makes the most delicious quick pickled beets.
Why we love refrigerated pickled beets
Pickled refrigerator beets are the easiest way to enjoy juicy, tangy pickled beets without the lengthy canning process.
Just like my no-cook refrigerator dill pickles and this crazy popular Asian pickled carrots recipe, you don’t need special equipment to make quick pickled beets. You will need heat-safe bowls or jars, such as canning jars, but there's no actual canning happening here.
This refrigerator pickled beets recipe only takes ten minutes to make, yet lasts for several weeks if stored properly. In fact, the flavors only deepen as the beets rest in the pickling brine over time in the refrigerator.
Enjoy this tangy treat as a side dish, snack, salad ingredient, or straight from the jar!
Only five ingredients
- cooked beets - Use any method to cook beets, including steaming, boiling roasting, or pressure cooking using this Instant Pot beets recipe.
- vinegar - White vinegar or apple cider vinegar are very popular for pickled beets.
- water - Filtered or distilled water are recommended to reduce unwanted flavors and/or chemicals.
- sugar - Use white sugar or preferred sugar for this recipe.
- sea salt - or Kosher salt.
How to make refrigerator pickled beets
Peel cooked beets and slice to desired thickness. Pack beets into sterile jars, leaving ½ inch space at the top.
Whisk together VINEGAR, WATER, SUGAR, and SALT. Heat this mixture on HIGH (using microwave or stove) just until boiling.
Pour the hot mixture over sliced beets, leaving ½ inch space at the top. Use a stirring utensil to remove any air bubbles trapped in the jar.
Allow jars of beets to cool to room temperature (about 2 hours). Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours.
Recipe tips
You can quick pickle beets of any variety including red, golden, or white. Of course, red beets will result in a more traditional, deep red color.
This refrigerator pickled beets recipe is NOT a traditional beet canning recipe. Because of this, the beets need to be fully cooked via stove-boiling method or pressure cooked using this hands-free Instant Pot beets recipe.
It’s very important to use heat-safe jars – even though these are refrigerated pickled beets – because we’re initially adding very hot brine to the jars.
The more beets you stuff into a jar, the less brine you’ll need, so feel free to discard any excess pickling brine or use it for another recipe.
Quick pickled beets can last several weeks in the refrigerator if stored properly in airtight containers. But, they probably won’t last that long if you’re a pickled beet lover like I am.
If you scale this recipe up or down, you'll want to know this. One (1) medium-sized beet is 3 inches in diameter and weighs about 8 ounces. When sliced, it packs into a 1-pint canning jar and requires about ¾ cup brine. You're welcome.
Recipe variations
- spices - Add pickling spice or any combination of black peppercorns, cloves, star anise, etc.
- other vegetables - Add raw sliced onions, raw shredded carrots, or other vegetables to this recipe.
- pickling brine liquids - Feel free to swap the white vinegar for apple cider vinegar or even white wine to change things up.
More recipes with beets
- Apple Ginger Beet Smoothie
- Zucchini Noodle Quinoa Bowl [Zoodles]
- Turmeric Chickpea Buddha Bowl Recipe
- Vegan Pasta Salad
Refrigerator Pickled Beets
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium Whole Cooked Beets, peeled
- 1 cup White Vinegar, or other vinegar
- 1 cup Water
- ⅓ cup White Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
Instructions
- Cut the stem from BEETS and discard. Slice beets to desired thickness.
- Pack the sliced beets into sterile jars, leaving ½ inch space at the top.
- Whisk together VINEGAR, WATER, SUGAR, and SALT.
- Heat this mixture on HIGH (using microwave or stove) just until boiling.
- Pour the hot mixture over sliced beets, leaving ½ inch spage at the top.
- Allow jars of beets to cool to room temperature (about 2 hours).
- Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours. *see footnote
- Serve chilled.
Traci's Recipe Notes
Equipment
- microwavable measuring cup (or 2 quart soup pot for stove method)
NUTRITION
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
JB says
My favorite person is the beet lover of the house and I know she'd go crazy if I made these refrigerator pickled beets for her. The recipe is perfect for a non-kitchen guy like me 🙂