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    Home » Sides + Appetizers

    Crispy Roasted Parsnip Fries with Thyme

    Published on Nov 9, 2019 · Modified on Mar 9, 2024 by Kathryn - Leave a comment · 16 Comments

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    These roasted parsnips are not actually french fries -- but they are deliciously crispy and just as addictive. They're so good my 5 year old devoured them, and that's a serious win in my book.

    these roasted parsnips look like shoestring french fries and are just as addictive!

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    Sometimes kids surprise you. I'm not kidding when my 5-year old said these roasted parsnips were so delicious and continued to devour them for an after-school snack. After thinking, "What child is this?" my second thought was reaffirming how much I need to keep offering different types of vegetables to my kids -- and use a variety of preparation methods. You just never know what kids are going to go for. For example, my kids won't touch steamed broccoli with a 10-foot poll but absolutely loved crispy roasted broccoli. The younger one also loves crispy roasted chick peas. She pops those like popcorn. They also love rainbow roasted carrots and roasted brussel sprouts. Go figure.

    These crispy roasted parsnips are no different. They're crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and a little sweet. The thyme adds more flavor to the fries (mmm...like the herbed duck fat fries at Bourbon Steak), but you can always leave that off if your little people don't like anything green on their food (I would know!).

    the finished product - crispy roasted parsnips with thyme

    Roasting Parsnips

    Now is the perfect time to make parsnips! If you've never eaten a parsnip, they're a root vegetable like a carrot. They look like white carrots, in fact and they are also decently sweet. The biggest difference between a carrot and a parsnip is that parsnips have more of an earthier taste -- and sometimes they can taste almost nutty. Here are two tips when working with parsnips:

    1. Size matters. The skin is thicker than your average carrot usually, and the bigger the parsnip, the tougher the skin. While you don't always get a choice in these matters (the parsnips in our grocery store comes in a pre-packaged bag), the smaller you get the less tough the skin of the parsnips will be.
    2. Peel parsnips well. For the very reasons mentioned in #1, make sure you peel the parsnips well so you avoid the tough, fibrous parts. Sometimes that'll require you to peel the parsnip twice OR sometimes you get baby parsnips and you don't have to peel as much because the skin is so thin. Just adapt peeling based on the size. Some people don't bother peeling their parsnips at all. I'm a peeler.
    3. Don't crowd the sheet pan. It may be tempting, but don't crowd the parsnips because they won't get crispy if they're all on top of each other. It's okay if they're touching, but don't overlap them.
    the parsnips roast for 25 minutes and are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside

    How to Cut Parsnips for Fries

    Like carrots, parsnips get increasingly more narrow from the top of the parsnip to the bottom, so if you were to just simply cut them lengthwise, youd be left with a parsnip that won't cook evenly.

    In order to have similar sized fries, you'll need to cut the parsnips in half in the middle to divide the thicker part from the more narrow part. Then, continue to cut both sides of the parsnip until you're left with ¼" thick pieces (that are roughly 4" in length). You'll have to cut the top pieces much more than the bottom pieces. Usually I cut the top in sixths or even eights and the bottom pieces in quarters or halves depending on their size.

    you'll cut the parsnips into little matchsticks to ensure even cooking

    Other delicious parsnip recipes:

    Interested in more parsnip recipes? Get your parsnip on and try some of these:

    • Parsnip and Potato mash is a delicious way to prepare parsnips.
    • How about this parsnip and carrot mash? It's root vegetable heaven!
    • Roasted Parsnip Soup sounds amazing. I'm going to try this ASAP.
    • Parsnips with a bacon vinaigrette? I'm in!

    xox

    As always, if you make anything from the blog, be sure to let me know! I love hearing from you in the comments on this post below or find Worn Slap Out on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

    Roasted Parsnip Fries with Thyme

    These roasted parsnips are not actually french fries -- but they are deliciously crispy and just as addictive. They're so good my 5 year old devoured them, and that's a serious win in my book.
    5 from 1 vote
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    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
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    Ingredients

    • 4-5 medium to large parsnips
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
    • ½ teaspoon salt plus more to sprinkle at the end
    • ¼ tsp pepper
    • ¼ cup parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 425 degree Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this is just to save time on the clean-up).
    • Cut parsnips into 4" long strips no more than ¼" thick. Place parsnips on the baking sheet, coat them in olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper, then spread them out in an even layer as much as possible.
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges start to get browned and crispy. Remove from the oven, sprinkle more salt (to taste) over them and parsley (optional) to garnish. Eat immediately.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 309mg | Potassium: 614mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 400IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @wornslapout or tag #wornslapout!

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    Comments

      5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Rosa says

      November 10, 2019 at 8:14 am

      This looks so good! I think I’ll give em a try today! 🙂

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        November 10, 2019 at 11:42 am

        Yay! They're so easy, too. I hope you love them!

        Reply
    2. Jamie says

      November 10, 2019 at 8:16 am

      I love snacking on these and they're such a great low carb option whenever I'm craving french fries!

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        November 10, 2019 at 11:42 am

        Definitely! They're surprisingly addictive like french fries!

        Reply
    3. Lizet Flores de Bowen says

      November 10, 2019 at 3:10 pm

      I've seem them at the store, but never made anything with them. They look nice and crispy. I'll give them a try.

      Reply
    4. Bob says

      November 11, 2019 at 7:59 pm

      Fries do get boring! What would you suggest if you wanted to dip them in something?

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        November 11, 2019 at 8:23 pm

        Ooooh, my kids do good ole ketchup but I bet they’d be delish with a garlic aioli!

        Reply
    5. code2cook says

      November 12, 2019 at 8:35 pm

      love this idea. bookmarking this crispy parsnip fries, I can not wat to try it out. very clever.

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        November 12, 2019 at 9:29 pm

        I’m so glad to hear this! I hope you love them. They’re a new fav of mine lately.

        Reply
    6. Caitlyn Erhardt says

      November 12, 2019 at 9:35 pm

      I love the sound of this recipe! My son and I would be all over these!

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        November 13, 2019 at 6:03 am

        Yay! They’re so good and good for you! Hope you love them.

        Reply
    7. Claudia says

      March 09, 2024 at 8:04 am

      How many carbs in this recipe

      Reply
      • Kathryn says

        March 09, 2024 at 1:10 pm

        Made thsi recipe before I had the nutrition capabilities on my recipe. I re-ran the recipe, and it's calculating at 29g/serving.

        Reply
    picture of kathryn, owner of worn slap out food blog.

    Hi, I'm Kathryn!

    Welcome to Worn Slap Out, a Southern-inspired recipe corner for busy people on the go. As a mom of two littles who also loves food, I need meals on the table ASAP but I also want to eat well. Here, you'll find quick, easy, and reasonably healthy meals you can make in a flash. Other loves include Georgia football, cake of all kinds, and elastic waistbands.


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