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    Home » Recipes » Polish Recipes

    Polish Horseradish Beets (Ćwikła z Chrzanem)

    March 23, 2022 By Monika Last Updated April 17, 2025 2 Comments

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    Polish horseradish beets are made with cooked pureed beets and freshly grated horseradish. This spicy condiment is delicious, simple to make, extremely versatile and traditionally served in Poland for Easter.

    Top down view of Polish horseradish beets in open jar with spoon.

    Horseradish beets are a traditional Polish condiment, a type of relish or sauce, served at Easter. In Polish it is called ‘ćwikła z chrzanem’ (pronounced ‘CHVEEK-wa s KHSHA-nem’) where ‘ćwikła’ is an old Polish word for ‘beets/beetroot’ and ‘chrzan’ means ‘horseradish’ in Polish. This condiment is also often simply called ‘ćwikła’.

    5-ingredient Polish beets with horseradish are made by cooking then finely grating the beets and combining with fresh horseradish. This root vegetable adds a little radish flavour as well as heat. Horseradish has a different kind of spiciness to hot chillies, for example, and you will notice it even as you grate it – it will release a strong smell that might make you sneeze or even cry.

    Polish ćwikła sauce tastes earthy, sweet, slightly acidic and spicy (you can make it as spicy as you like). It's as delicious as it is healthy, made without any fat and full of vegetable goodness.

    Horseradish beets ingredients and substitutions

    Ingredients for making horseradish beets in individual dishes.
    Polish horseradish beets ingredients.
    • Beets: prepare from raw. I do NOT recommend using ready-cooked beets from the shop as they are watery and lack flavour (another beet condiment made from scratch you might like is beet chutney).
    • Horseradish: if you can’t get raw horseradish use horseradish from a jar (see details below). You might also like my fresh horseradish mayonnaise.
    • Lemon juice: use according to preference. If you prefer vinegar (either cider or white wine will work) add a little less than lemon juice. Alternatively use a combination of lemon juice and (a drop of) vinegar) for more acidity.
    • Sugar.
    • Fine sea salt.

    How to prepare the horseradish

    Fresh horseradish root is very easy to prepare. Peel it and rinse, if necessary, to remove any grit. Dry thoroughly and finely grate. Use immediately.

    TIP: I do not recommend preparing the horseradish ahead as, once grated, it quickly loses its pungency.

    Can I use horseradish from a jar

    Yes, you can, although the result is not quite as good as with fresh horseradish. Prepared horseradish contains vinegar, sugar and other flavour-enhancing ingredients. I recommend adding it gradually until you get the pungency you want in your horseradish beets (you’ll likely need to add less salt, sugar and lemon juice).

    How to prepare the beets

    To make this horseradish beet sauce you can either roast or boil the beets whole and unpeeled. I personally prefer the former as roasted beets have an intense flavour and colour, more so than boiled. But the choice is yours.

    TIP: Using small beets, rather than very large ones, reduces roasting time. To save time you can also prepare the beets ahead and use the following day.

    Step-by-step recipe instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C/fan 170/gas mark 5. Wrap each beet (unpeeled) loosely in foil, place on a baking sheet and roast in the centre of the oven for 40-60 minutes until fork tender (the exact roasting time will depend on the size of your beets).

    2. Cool beets: Remove from the oven, unwrap and set aside to cool completely (you can cool them overnight and use the following day).

    Roasted beets partly wrapped in foil.

    3. Grate beets: Peel the beets, once cooled (the peel should come off very easily but be sure to wear rubber gloves) then finely grate them.

    Finely grated roasted beets in bowl with box grater in background.

    4. Prepare horseradish: Clean, peel then finely grate the horseradish root.

    Finely grated fresh horseradish in blue bowl with box grater.

    5. Assemble ćwikła: Combine with the beetroot, add the lemon juice, sugar and salt. Stir thoroughly, taste your horseradish root beets and adjust the ingredients if needed.

    Grated beets and horseradish in mixing bowl.
    Making Polish cwikla in mixing bowl with spoon.

    6. Store: Place in a jar/airtight container and refrigerate overnight before serving.

    Serving suggestions

    Polish beets with horseradish are an ideal pairing for ham, Polish kielbasa and boiled or deviled eggs, which are some of the most popular Polish Easter foods. This condiment also works well with lunchmeats, chicken or turkey sandwiches, tuna or salmon.

    It's also fantastic with French baguette and brie or camembert!

    Top tips

    • Roast then cool the beets completely before making the recipe (you can do this step the night before).
    • Prepare the horseradish when you are ready to put the recipe together (grated horseradish quickly loses its pungency).
    • 4 tablespoons of grated horseradish produce a moderately spicy ćwikła beets.
    • Adjust the recommended amounts to your taste.
    • Serve chilled.
    • Refrigerate your spicy horseradish beets in a jar/airtight container overnight before serving. However, as the flavour will continue to develop, this condiment will taste even better after 2-3 days (the horseradish flavour will intensify).
    • Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
    • Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
    • If you have leftover horseradish root you can add it to mayo, dill and mustard sauce, coleslaw or white sauce for a spicy twist. Alternatively freeze it (peeled and cleaned) to use later.
    Side view of Polish beets with horseradish in open jar with spoon.

    Where to buy beets with horseradish

    If you are looking for ready-made Polish ćwikła z chrzanem it is sold in jars in Polish delis, but you can also sometimes find it in the international aisles of large supermarkets (in the UK). The shop-bought varieties are usually quite mild and sweet and offer a finely pureed form of the condiment.

    Related recipes to try next

    • Polish Shredded Beets
    • Polish Cold Beet Salad
    • Zesty Beet Salsa

    See also these other Polish recipes including a list of most popular traditional foods!

    Allergy advice

    This recipe is vegan and gluten free but if you use store bought horseradish sauce, instead of fresh horseradish, check the label to make sure it doesn't contain gluten or dairy (if applicable).

    Recipe

    Top down view of Polish horseradish beets in open jar with spoon.

    Polish Horseradish Beets (Ćwikła z Chrzanem)

    Polish horseradish beets are made with cooked pureed beets and freshly grated horseradish. This spicy condiment is delicious, simple to make, extremely versatile and traditionally served in Poland for Easter.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: East European, gluten free, Polish, vegan
    Prep Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Cooling time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 12 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 31kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Equipment

    • Box grater
    • Rubber gloves

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound (450 g) beets whole, unpeeled
    • 4-5 tablespoons horseradish peeled, finely grated, see Instructions
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • ⅓ teaspoon fine sea salt

    Instructions

    • Start by roasting the beets. Preheat the oven to 375 F/ 190 C/ gas mark 5.
      Wrap each beet (unpeeled) loosely in foil, place on a baking sheet and roast in the centre of the oven for 40-60 minutes until fork tender (the exact roasting time will depend on the size of your beets).
      Remove from the oven, unwrap and set aside to cool completely (you can cool the beetroot overnight and use the following day).
    • Peel the beets, once cooled (the peel should come off very easily but be sure to wear rubber gloves) then finely grate them.
    • Peel and rinse the horseradish, if necessary, to remove dirt. Dry thoroughly and finely grate.
    • Combine with the beetroot, add the lemon juice, sugar and salt. Stir thoroughly, taste your horseradish beets and adjust the ingredients if needed.
    • Place in a jar/airtight container and refrigerate overnight before serving.

    Notes

    • Roast then cool the beets completely before making the recipe (you can do this step the night before).
    • Prepare the horseradish when you are ready to put the recipe together (grated horseradish quickly loses its pungency).
    • 4 tablespoons of grated horseradish produce a moderately spicy ćwikła.
    • Adjust the recommended amounts to your taste.
    • Refrigerate your roasted beets and horseradish in a jar/airtight container overnight before serving. However, as the flavour will continue to develop, this condiment will taste even better after 2-3 days (the horseradish flavour will intensify).
    • Serve chilled with ham, chicken, turkey (hot or cold), sandwiches, hard boiled or deviled eggs, Polish kielbasa, salmon and tuna.
    • Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
    • Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

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    If you make this horseradish beets recipe I’d love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks😊

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      5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    1. Monika says

      March 26, 2022 at 12:56 pm

      Hi Susan, a recipe that's 50 years-old must be very good! So 'hrenn' in Slovack must mean 'horseradish' as it's so similar to Polish 'chrzan'. Some Polish recipes also call for vinegar but I personally prefer lemon juice as it's less acidic and adds a hint of citrus flavour. I'd be curious to know how this recipe turns out for you if you do make it. Thanks for the feedback:)

      Reply
    2. Susan Onderisin says

      March 25, 2022 at 9:52 pm

      I just came across this recipe. What a delight to see. I have been making our family's version of this for over 50 years. We don't add sugar and use only vinegar. But I will definitely try this version. We call it hrenn (Slovack), but it's the same thing. I remember years, ago, before food processors, I would grate the horseradish outside because of the strong odor. We would cry and cry but it never stopped us from making it.

      Reply

    Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking.

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