Polish Horseradish Beets (Ćwikła z Chrzanem)

Polish horseradish beets are traditionally served at Easter but can be enjoyed year- round. Made with just 5 ingredients this simple condiment is delicious, full of goodness and extremely versatile.

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

It involves cooking beets and combining with fresh horseradish, which 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 beets with horseradish taste earthy, sweet, slightly acidic and spicy (you can make them as spicy as you like). They are as delicious as they are healthy, made without any fat and full of vegetable goodness.

Polish horseradish beets ingredients and substitutions

• Beets: prepare from raw. I do NOT recommend using ready-cooked beets from the shop as they are watery and lack flavour.
• Horseradish: if you can’t get raw horseradish use horseradish from a jar (more details below).
• 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 dirt. Dry thoroughly and finely grate. Use immediately.

Top tip

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

Can I use ready-made horseradish sauce

Yes, you can although your beet horseradish won’t be quite as good. Horseradish from a jar is rarely just horseradish and often contains vinegar, quite a bit of sugar and other flavour-enhancing ingredients, which are simply not needed to make Polish ćwikła.

If, however, you can’t get fresh horseradish or prefer to use the jarred variety add it gradually and adjust the amounts of sugar, salt and lemon juice (you’ll likely need to use less).

How to prepare the beets

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.

Top 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.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).

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

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

4. Finely grate the horseradish.

5. Combine with the beetroot, add the lemon juice, sugar and salt.

6. Stir thoroughly, taste your horseradish beets and adjust the ingredients if needed.

7. Place in a jar/airtight container and refrigerate overnight before serving.

How to serve

Polish Easter dishes often involve ham, poultry, Polish kielbasa and, boiled or deviled eggs, which are all perfect served with horseradish beetroot. This condiment also works well with lunchmeats, chicken or turkey sandwiches, tuna, salmon and even avocado toast.

What to do with leftover horseradish

You are likely to have some leftover horseradish, which can be used in a variety of ways. You can add it to mayo (regular or avocado) or yogurt-based sauces, such as dill mustard. It adds a deliciously spicy twist to coleslaws as well as dishes made with bechamel, such as chicken breast in white sauce.  You can also freeze leftover horseradish, peeled and cleaned (in freezer bags) to use later.

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.
• Adjust the recommended amounts to your taste.
• Serve chilled.
• 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).
• Keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
• Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

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 find it in the international aisles of large supermarkets (here in the UK). The shop-bought varieties are usually quite mild and sweet and offer a finely pureed form of the condiment.

Related recipes

• Polish Cold Beet Salad
• Polish-Style Beet and Potato Salad
• Potato Salad Deviled Eggs (No mayo)
• How to Make Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs

Check out also these other traditional Polish recipes!

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).

Keep in touch!

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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