Grilled Beet Salad with Rosé Infused Cranberries and Smoked Bacon

Ingredients + Substitions

The exact portions are detailed in the recipe card.

• Beets – We use golden beets in this recipe for the sweeter flavor. You can also use red beets (Bulls Blood) or Chioggia using the same recipe steps.
• Dried Cranberries – You can also use raisins for a sweeter flavor.
• Rosé Wine – A dry wine you would drink is preferred. The wine is used to rehydrate the cranberries. If you don’t drink wine you can substitute with apple juice or grape juice.
• Bacon – Crisped up and tossed with the salad for crunch and, well, bacon!
• Citrus – We use both orange juice and lemon juice as the base to the dressing.
• Olive Oil – Extra Virgin olive oil is preferred for the dressing.
• Honey – You can use regular honey or spice it up with hot honey or smoked honey.
• Kosher Salt – Avoid using iodized table salt it will be too salty. We use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
• Coarse Black Pepper

Optional – You can add greens as well. We recommend arugula for the texture or a mixed green salad mix.

Preparation

A few steps of preparation make for an easy assembly of this delicious grilled beet salad!

Prep Beets

Remove any stems from the beets with a sharp knife and wipe clean. Just cut below where the stems meet the beet. You do not need to wrap the beets.

Hydrate Cranberries

Place dried cranberries in a small bowl and pour rosé over them until submerged. If the bowl is small enough you should only need about 1/4 cup of rosé. Pour a glass for yourself to sip on while these infuse. 

Let the cranberries infuse with the wine for a minimum of 2 hours, and up to 24 hours. Best to do it the day before. Drain the cranberries and discard the wine.

Make Dressing

Combine orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper in a small bowl with a whisk until it’s emulsified.

Grilling Beets and Bacon

1. Prepare grill for two-zone grilling targeting 400 degrees Fahrenheit using lump charcoal.
2. Place beets on the grill grate over indirect heat and close the lid. Grill for 45 to 50 minutes or until the beets are fork tender.
3. Remove from the grill and then let cool, then peel the beets.
4. As the beets cool – add the bacon on the grill grates over indirect heat and let them cook until crispy.
5. Peel beets, then place them back on the grill over direct heat to get some grill marks.

Assemble Salad 

1. Cut the grilled beets into bite-sized pieces. Depending on the size you can quarter them or cut them into sixths. Toss them with the dressing in a large bowl and let sit for up to 20 minutes to soak in some of the flavor.
2. In the same large bowl add rosé infused cranberries and chopped smoked bacon. You can also sneak in some greens if you’d like. Toss together.
3. Add to your plate and top with garnish, we like freshly shaved Parmesan.

Modifications

• Consider smoking the beets for a deeper flavor. Smoke uncovered with fruit wood at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for up to three hours or until soft.
• A great variation is adding smoked bacon.

Make Ahead + Storage

Want to make this grilled beet salad the day before? Then roast the beets first and peel them the day before. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Then you can grill them the next day for some grill marks.

You can also make the dressing the day prior if making for a party or crowd.

Frequently Asked Questions

Wine Pairing for Beet Salad

Rosé of course! In all honestly, rosé does pair incredibly well with Grilled Beet Salad! The cranberries are sweet and concentrated, but balanced by the dry acidic wine, and the bacon and cheese add both texture and savoriness.

I really can’t think of a better match. We recommend a dry fruity rosé for this. Oregon Pinot Noir Rosés are the ideal match, but I think a Spanish or Italian Rosado or a California Rosé made from Pinot Noir grapes, will work just as well.

More Grilled Vegetable Recipes

Explore all of our side dishes and vegetable recipes.

• Smoked Beets with Goat Cheese Ranch
• Grilled and Glazed Carrots
• Grilled Brussels Sprouts