Begin by preheating your oven to 300°F (150°C). While it heats up, take several baking sheets and line them with parchment paper. This will prevent the chips from sticking and make cleanup a cinch.

Give your beets a good scrub with a vegetable brush under running water to remove any dirt. Once clean, chop off the tops and bottoms. No need to peel them, since the skin will add extra nutrition and texture to your chips.

Using a mandolin slicer, carefully slice the beets as thin as possible, around 1/16 of an inch. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can use a sharp knife, but be careful. Those beet pieces can get slippery! Make sure to hold onto the root end for safety.

Transfer your beet slices to a large bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil, add the sea salt (or celery salt), garlic powder, and a few dashes of black pepper. Toss everything together until the beet slices are evenly coated. This is the moment to let those beets soak in flavor.

Here’s a little secret: let your beets sit in the seasoned oil for about 15-20 minutes. This resting period helps them release their natural juices, ensuring a crispier outcome and better color retention.

After the beets have soaked up the flavors, toss them again to ensure they’re fully coated. Drain any excess liquid, then lay the slices out in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Avoid overcrowding; this ensures even baking.

Pop your baking sheets into the oven. Let them bake for 45 to 60 minutes, keeping an eye on them. After 45 minutes, start checking for crispness. You want them to be crunchy but not browned (this can happen quickly).

Once they’re perfectly crisp, remove your beet chips from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheets. This cooling phase is vital, as they continue to crisp up! Once cooled, you can store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh.