This cold red beet salad with carrots, mayo and cilantro is creamy, tangy, and surprisingly refreshing—perfect for summer BBQs, potlucks, or meal prep.
Red Beet Salad
I’ll be honest—beets have never been my go-to vegetable. But this creamy beet salad recipe completely changed my mind. Made with tender red beets, carrots, mayo, and lots of fresh cilantro, it’s bright, refreshing, and totally unexpected. It reminds me of a lighter potato salad, making it the perfect side dish for your next BBQ or summer potluck. This is the recipe that finally got me to love beets—and to my husband’s surprise, he went back for seconds! For another variation, try my Raw Beet Salad with Apples and Carrots.
Why This Beet Salad Works
If you’re skeptical about beets and mayonnaise, don’t just take my word for it. One reader said, “This is the strangest salad recipe, lol. BUT, it was so good that I ate the entire recipe myself!” Another commented, “I was stunned at how delicious this combination is.” Here are more reasons to try it:
- Make Ahead Friendly: It tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge.
- Summer BBQ staple – Cold, creamy, and vibrant on a hot day.
- Lighter than Potato Salad: While I love potato salad, this dish is excellent when I’m watching my carbs.
- Great for beet skeptics: The mayo and cilantro mellow out that strong “beet” flavor.
- Dietary Restrictions: Weight Watchers-friendly, gluten-free, low-carb, vegetarian; vegan and dairy-free (if using vegan mayo)
What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients for this creamy beet salad recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Red Beets: Cut off the stems and leaves, and wash the beets. Try to get beets about the same size, so they cook evenly.
- Carrots add flavor plus vitamin A and fiber.
- Fresh Cilantro balances the sharp onions and creamy mayo.
- Onions for crunch
- Light Mayo for creaminess.
- Salt and Black Pepper for seasoning
Beet Salad
Ingredients
- 4 large red beets, washed and stems cut off
- 2 cup carrots, peeled
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 tbsp diced onion
- ¼ cup light mayonnaise
- kosher salt, and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Boil beets in water until soft, about 50 minutes. Peel and cut into small ½" cubes.
- Add the carrots to the boiling water and cook 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain and cut into bite size cubes.
- Combine diced onion, carrots, beets, mayonnaise, cilantro, salt and pepper.
Last Step:
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Nutrition
How to Make Beet Salad
Prep the onions and cilantro while the beets and carrots cook. Once they’re done, it only takes a few minutes to assemble the salad. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Cook the Vegetables: Put the beets in a large pot and cover with water. Bring it to a boil and cook for about 50 minutes until soft. Remove the beets with a strainer or slotted spoon and add the carrots to the boiling water. Cook until tender and drain.
- Cut the Veggies: Peel the beets by rubbing the skin off with your fingers while rinsing them under water. Then, cut the beets and carrots into small cubes.
- Make the Salad: Combine the beets and carrots with diced onions, mayo, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
Variations
- Beets: If you’re short on time, buy precooked beets in the produce section of your supermarket. They’re a fantastic timesaver. And you can use canned if needed, but nothing beats fresh beets.
- Make It Golden: Substitute golden beets.
- Roasted Beet Salad: To roast the beets instead of boiling, wrap them in foil and bake on a rimmed baking sheet at 400°F, depending on their size, for 50 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes. Once you can easily pierce them with a fork, remove them from the oven and let them cool.
- Onions: Use scallions or red onions.
- Vegan: Use vegan mayo instead of regular.
- Herbs: If you don’t like cilantro or want to try something different, swap it with dill, or chives.
- Unexpected Twist: My friend makes a similar salad, but she adds chopped hot dogs. It sounds strange, I know, but it’s actually really good!
Serving Suggestions
This summer beet salad is a fantastic side dish for weeknight dinners or backyard BBQs. Here are some ideas that would be delish with it:
- Grilled Proteins: Grilled Chicken Breasts, Grilled Pork Chops, Grilled Salmon Kebabs
- Potluck Sides: Creamy Cucumber Salad, Macaroni Salad, Grilled Corn on the Cob, Summer Tomato Salad, Coleslaw
Storage Tips
Since this red beet salad is eaten cold, it’s perfect to prep ahead.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the salad a day early and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days total. Since it contains mayo, don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Skinnytasters Tried It & Loved It!
This creamy beet salad has been a hit in kitchens all over—here’s what some of you had to say (and the fun twists you tried!):
- “This is the strangest salad recipe, lol. BUT, it was so good I ate the whole thing myself!” – One reader used pre-cooked Love Beets and skipped the cilantro—still a win!
- “I added green peas and a splash of Highland House dressing to the mayo—also delicious!” – Victoria
- “I’m not a carrot fan, but I add them anyway for the nutrition. You can’t really taste them!”
- “My family devoured this at our 4th of July BBQ. I used canned beets, matchstick carrots, and added dill. It was gone before I got a bite!”
- “I subbed parsley for cilantro and it was great. A tasty way to use up extra carrots!”
More Beet Recipes You’ll Love
For more dinner and side dish ideas using beets, check out these five delicious beet recipes to inspire your next meal!
- Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Candied Pecans
- Turmeric Braised Chicken with Golden Beets and Leeks
- Beet Hummus
- Golden Beet Salad
- Salmon Salad with Beets, Arugula, Pistachios, and Pomegranates
If you make this healthy beet salad recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. And be sure to join the Skinnytaste Community to see what everyone’s cooking!
made this for my husband and he absolutely loved it! i used canned beets and it still tasted great. thank you 🙂
You shouldn’t cut the root or all of the tops off before they’re cooked or a lot of color and vitamins will leach out during the cooking process. Beets are loaded with excellent vitamins so leave the root and about 2″ of the tops. Reserve the greens for a delicious “Wilted Greens Salad.” So many stores now cut off the greens and I really miss making a wilted greens salad with them. Tons of vitamins in the greens also. Just wanted your readers to know this. Thank you for letting me add my 50c worth.
This was so weird and SO GOOD.
This was a fantastic delicious and easy recipe!!!! my neighbor gave me a taste of her beet salad and i ran right out and bought the ingredients to make a salad for myself.
Delicious, perfect for a summer barbecue. I sprinkled a little goat cheese on top for the win.
Made the beet salad used a light poppyseed dressing instead of the mayo and added goat cheese to it. Was delicious!
This was a big hit, even with my husband who is decidedly not a beet fan. I love beets and am delighted that this is a way that we can both enjoy them.
Amazing. I didn’t have cilantro so I added some sea salt and Trader Joe’s ranch seasoning. Wow.
YUM! Can’t wait to make this. Instead of boiling the beets I will “Steam” them with the skins on in a steamer basket to retain nutrients and save time. The skins will then rub off easily with a paper towel and no need to run under water.
I like to add pickles and it’s the best combo!
I am so curious about this recipe. I like beets in salads pickled or otherwise but I’ve never cooked with them. I’m gonna definitely try this. I am however tempted to leave the carrots raw.
this recipe is sooooo yummy…
i got into making beet salad after trying it at a latin restaurant and i’ve been making it off of this recipe since
Love to hear that!
This is the strangest salad recipe, lol. BUT, it was so good that I ate the entire recipe myself! I left out the cilantro just because I didn’t have any. And I used the pre-cooked “Love Beets”. Gina, how did you come up with this?
Right! This is actually pretty common in Colombia, only they add hotdogs (which is oddly good).
I LOVE this recipe! Thank you, Gina! Today, I also added some green peas (maybe 1/2 cup) and mixed the mayo with a little “Highland House Salad Dressing” in lieu of added salt/pepper. Also delicious.
Love that you added peas!
Not a huge fan of carrots, but love beets. The flavor of the carrots gets mingled in with the beets, so I add them for their nutritional value. This is a great alternative to potato salad plus all the nutritive benefits of beets. Thanks, Gina!
Yes, you can’t really taste them!
This was the hit of out 4th of July BBQ! I didn’t make enough! Texans in Missouri I decided to make something new and fresh this year. This was fab! I used my canned beets and raw carrot “matchstick s”. I also used BOTH fresh cilantro and dried dill weed. It was gone before I could get a serving. I’m just glad I did a lot of taste testing before dinner. Now it’s a week later and my family ( who I never served beets to when they were growing up) has requested this for part of Sunday dinner. THIS IS A WINNER!
So happy to hear!!!
I just starting eating beets and was looking for an easy prep-ahead salad for a potluck. I’m a die-hard Skinnytaste recipe girl and found this one, read all the reviews/comments, and decided to give it a go. I was stunned at how delicious this combination is. Thank you! I’ll definitely make this one again for family events/other potlucks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice surprise! Bern ordering produce from the local farm for delivery during this covid lock down. Your recipes never disappoint and you are the first cookbook I choose!
Since we aren’t cilantro fans I subbed parsley instead.
Great way to use up surplus carrots 🥕
Kim
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a beautiful jewel colored salad,. I like beets roasted so much never have done much else to them except maybe put in a salad with feta and clementines etc. But decided to try this and glad I did. Had a beautiful bunch of beets that I roast at 400 for an hour wrapped in foil, then the skin comes off with a swipe of paper towels. I roast them whole -time depends on size. I sweat the onion in water in the microwave to make less strong and like a bit more onion. I use Helmans low fat which is super low calorie only 15 calories per tablespoon. And even just a bit seems to be enough. Really like this and it would be pretty to take to a gathering. Enjoyed reading about other peoples embellishments or additions.
Lots of great ideas!
made this today, kick ass salad! delicious, great recipe!
This is actually a typical Russian recipe, so good.
Celery leaves / tops can be subbed for the cilantro.
Tarragon makes a great substitute for cilantro. It's a completely different flavor but it's really good with a mayonnaise-based dressing. I think fresh basil would also be good. FF Miracle Whip is a mayonnaise substitute product that is fat-free (ff) but I am pretty sure it is higher in sugar than regular mayonnaise. If I wanted to substitute I would use plain unsweetened fat-free yoghurt and add salt, pepper and maybe a little mustard powder or prepared mustard.
Hi there. I live in the uk and love your blog. Please tell me…what is cilantro? Also…what is ff miracle whip?
Could be called coriander in the UK. Miracle Whip is similar to mayonnaise or salad cream.
Could be called coriander in the UK. Miracle Whip is similar to mayonnaise or salad cream.
Can you make this beet salad the night before? Thanks
Anyone have an idea of serving size, other than 1/3rd of the recipe? Can't wait to make it!
Hi Gina,
I am not a big fan of cilantro, would flat leaf parsley be a good substitute ?
I would like to make this for our 4th of July get together,the rest of the recipe looks great and I love your site which I came upon by accident looking for a red potato salad recipe.
where did you get this? this recipe have been in my family for generations! my grandma used to make it and serve it with white rice and chicken. hmmm so good.
JUST tried this tonight….My husband and I are obsessed with beets and LOVED it! Thanks Gina!
My husband and I love beets and this is a great recipe for them. I like to make extra and keep it in the fridge. It definitely tastes better as it marinates and I use it as a "go-to" snack when I'm feeling peckish…I love mayo, although I have made this several times with Italian dressing also. Like I said, it tastes good a few days later.
Gina, the recipes are great and it's really the only thing keeping us on WW. Thanks for all the hard work you must be putting in it.
My family makes this all the time but we make it a potato salad. Same ingredients but with potatoes, some Italian dressing and Parmesan cheese. We call it the "Pink Potato Salad".
2 large beets = how many cups chopped?
I've roasted some beets – some the size of cherry tomatoes and some as big as large sweet potatoes.
I absolutely LOVE beets and so does my entire family. I'm sure this will be a hit. I have so many beets processed and frozen that I don't know what to do with. This recipe will surely help me use some of them up. Thank you!
Maybe it's because I have an almost un-healthy love of beets but I read through this recipe and immediately thought "ew! mayo??". but then I read all the rave reviews and thought maybe I was missing something. Because I know not everyone loves beets like I do, I was looking for a recipe to make them "friendly" to the others coming to the Mem Day BBQ I went to this weekend. I had a bunch of gorgeous dark red beets and a bunch of golden beets from the farmer's market, a bunch of carrots as well and got to work on the recipe. I guess I didn't get very far as I just don't like beets boiled. So I roasted them. Blanched the carrots, chopped my cilantro, diced my onion and then stood there and had a stare-off with the mayo. Really? I'm supposed to add mayo? I scooped a few out and mixed them off to the side and tasted them. Couldn't bring myself to do it. So I opted instead for a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. I tried, I really really tried, but just couldn't pull the mayo-trigger (and I like mayo!). So with my modification, the beets were delicious. Although, not really true to the recipe. (Sorry!) But if it's getting non-beet lovers on board with beets, I'm all for it! Go beets!
I had the same reaction to the mayo as you when I first read through the recipe. It’s only 2 Tbs, and I decided to go with the recipe as-is the first time. Happy that I did. i really was delicious.
Can't wait to try! Although, I don't care for cilantro, what herb would be a good substitute? Thanks!
I don't like cilantro, either. Gina? Suggestion for a substitute herb?
my mom made this all the time growing up she also added whipped cream and lighter on the mayo and peas! awesome with grilled leg quarters
This is a common recipe in my family's Haitian culture. Sometimes they even combine it with potatoes. I could never bring myself to like beets even past childhood! I am a rare case though among them.
Yes of course you can! Not sure of it lowers the points.
Can I use fat free miracle whip instead of the light mayo? Will FF miracle whip affect the points value?
I grew up eating a version of this salad, my mom and aunt had us loving beets from a young age! Always a favorite. In my mom's version, she uses sweet white corn in there instead of the carrots, it's a wonderful compliment to the beets. so yummy!
Ann, this was the recipe that got me to like beets!
This can be eaten cold, so yes you can refrigerate leftovers.
Gina, this may be a dumb question, but do you serve this warm or cold- or either? I can't wait to make it, but I think I will have leftovers and wasn't sure if it was ok in refrigerator for a day or so!
I have never liked beets, but had some in a salad over Christmas and decided they might be worth a second chance. I made this for dinner tonight and I could not stop eating it!! This will be something I make again and again. Thanks so much!
Ann
Hi Gina
I joined WW 2 weeks, and stumbled onto your site while looking for WW recipes and I LOVE your site, I have used recipes from your site almost everyday since finding it. This is one of my favorites thou, I love beets and they are so good for you.I love that you have a picture with all the recipes and the points too….awesome, thankyou for all your hard work:)
Leeanne
This recipe was awesome! YUM!
I like Helmann's Light
Do I use miracle whip or heilmans for the beets?
I've always loved beets! This was excellent! It went great with our pork steaks and Labor Day!
2 Thumbs up! This was super good. Having more with lunch today. I cooked the beets in my pressure cooker (quick and easy).
Toss a little fat free or low-fat feta in here? Delish.
Tried it today, and it was absolutely delightful! I love adding just a bit of garlic to beet salads for a little extra zing.
Love Love Love!!!! Sooooo delicious.
Sure, bake at 375°F, wrap in foil and place in the oven. Roast until tender, about 1 hour.
Can this recipe be made by roasting the beets instead of boiling?
If so, any tips on how to do this??
Love your website and have found it great for finding recipes for entertaining! Finally, recipes that look and taste delicious, but can help me stay on track!
made this tonight to go with the barbeque. cooking is never a smooth operation with me. Firstly didn't have enough carrots (and neither did the local shop!), but got stepdad to solve that issue. Then ran out of (extra light) mayo – so used low fat/light creme fraiche instead.
Still well worth the effort for something new to do with my favourite veg – other than eat it as it is!
Roasted beets are a fave, but honestly, they're good however they come. Nice summer salad.
I just adore beets in any form! We are growing quite a lot in our garden, so this will definitely be on the menu some point soon!
Hi Natalie – Happy you liked them! I boil the carrots until tender. They cook much quicker than the beets.
I just started WW 2 weeks ago, and I've used 2 of your recipes already! They were delicious by the way. For this recipe, when you say cook the carrots, is that in the oven? Or, do I boil them like the beets? Thanks for your help!
@Valerie- Canned beets will work fine. Nothing beats fresh beets when possible!
Any changes when you use canned beets?
Sounds like a recipe!
Thanks
Rebecca
I have beets sitting in my fridge with no ideas how to use them – until now. Thanks for the great idea! I think I am going to add in cooked corn and vinegar. Will let you know how it turns out! 🙂
Beets are now one of my favorite things to put in salad. Thx for the recipe!