Turnip Fries

Turnip Fries is a super simple recipe that’s great as a side dish or as a snack. These Fries are a sumptuous new way to eat healthier and lose weight. Make them at home with my step-by-step instructions.

Hey, there fellow foodies! Let me tell you a little story about one of my favorite side dishes — Turnip Fries. One day, I was craving fries and started to look around the kitchen for something fun and tasty. Low and behold, out popped the turnips! I knew immediately that I had to make fries with them. So I did. And they were so good that I decided to share the recipe with the world. Now all of us can enjoy the fabulousness that is Turnip Fries!

Turnip fries are appetizing and healthy! Just like my Jicama Fries and Zucchini Fries, these turnip fries are low-calorie and delicious. You get to enjoy your treat without the guilt. The beauty is that turnips are plenty here in Florida this time of the year.

I usually purchase turnip greens including the roots from the local market, use the leafy greens to make my Southern-Style Mixed Greens recipe, then use the roots to make this amazing turnip fries recipe.

Why You Should Try This Recipe?

• The recipe just calls for a few simple ingredients.
• Turnip fries are an excellent substitute for regular French fries when you’re trying to spice things up a bit.
• They’re a great way to make use of seasonal vegetables.
• These baked Turnip fries are a delicious side dish for any low-carb, Paleo, or Whole30 meal.
• Turnips are lower in calories and carbohydrates than potatoes.
• By varying the spices, the flavors can be tailored to your tastes.
• They’re delicious on their own or can be paired with a burger for a more substantial dinner.
• This recipe for baked fries is quite tasty!

Scroll down for the detailed recipe, but I suggest reading the complete article for useful tips and suggestions if you want to make a perfect recipe every time.

What Is Turnip?

Turnip is a round root vegetable from the cabbage family, both its root and leaves are edible. Turnip looks like rutabaga or swede and can be used interchangeably.

What Do Turnips Taste Like?

They remind me of carrots but they are less sweet, slightly bitter undertone but with a sharper flavor.

Turnip Nutritional Profile And Health Benefits

The nutritional profile of turnips is outstanding.

They’re low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals, just like other cruciferous vegetables. Turnip is also a great source of antioxidants and fiber. 

Turnips have a variety of health-promoting properties due to their high nutritional composition.

• Turnips include glucosinolates, which are plant-based compounds that may assist prevent cancer of all types, including breast and prostate cancer.
• Turnip glucosinolates breakdown into isothiocyanates, a class of compounds that suppress microbial and bacterial development.
• Turnips are an excellent source of the antioxidant lutein. This helps to maintain your eyes healthy and prevents macular degeneration and cataract.
• Turnips are high in calcium, which is beneficial to your heart, nerves, and muscles.
• For someone trying to lower their carbohydrate intake, lose weight or improve their health, these keto-friendly fries are perfect.

How To Make Turnip Fries?

Turnip Fries are a crispy, healthy, and tempting snack or an addition to any dinner. Additionally, they’re also quite simple and easy to prepare. You’ll require the following simple pantry ingredients and a few simple instructions to follow:

Ingredients

• Turnips
• Olive oil
• Nutritional yeast flakes
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Cayenne pepper
• Salt
• Vegan Parmesan

Instructions

1. For these low-carb turnip fries, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Peel turnips and cut them into ¼ inch matchsticks.
3. Place turnip into a large bowl and toss with oil then the remaining seasonings
4. Place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.

Ideas for Seasoning and Serving

As with many fantastic fry recipes, they may be seasoned in an infinite number of ways to produce endless flavor combinations. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

• BBQ Sauce and Blue Cheese: Drizzle BBQ Sauce over the finished fries and top with blue cheese dressing! They’re fantastic.
• Parmesan cheese: Season the fries as directed in the recipe, but then top them with Parmesan cheese. For Paleo/Whole30, nutritional yeast can be used to achieve a similar flavor.
• Season with salt: I know a lot of folks who are obsessed with seasoned salt on their french fries. If you’re following a low-carb/Paleo/Whole30 diet, double-check the contents because many popular seasoned salt brands contain sugar.
• Spicy: Add a sprinkle of chili flakes or chili powder to the turnip fries for spicy turnip fries.

This light, spicy, crispy, and sweet snack is delicious when paired with crunchy nuts or any other protein. Serve these homemade fries alongside a crispy Beyond Meat Burger, Black Bean Burger, or Beet Burger for a delicious meal! 

Serve these oven-baked turnip fries with:

• Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
• Vegan Tzatziki Sauce
• Vegan Sour Cream
• Vegan Mayo
• Vegan Cheese Sauce

Leftover Storing Suggestions

The best time to enjoy these fries is right after they’ve been cooked. However, if you have any leftovers, you can also refrigerate them in a resealable bag for around 4-5 days.

And, if you want to freeze these turnip fries just make sure to cool them completely before storing them in any freezer-safe container/bag after cooking. These should not be thawed. Simply remove from the freezer and reheat.

To reheat them, I recommend heating them in the air fryer or oven — do not microwave them as they will become mushy.

Chef’s Notes

Here are a few more pointers I learned while preparing these fries and I would like to share them with you so that you can get the best results:

• Turnips are different from potatoes so don’t expect the same crispy texture as potatoes. They have a delicious flavor and are a great low-carb substitute.
• If you’re afraid about the turnip fries sticking, line the baking sheet with parchment paper (as I did).
• It may also take a little longer to cook depending on how the turnips are cut. The fries should be crisp on the outside but tender on the inside.
• Make sure that the fries are laid out in a single layer, without being overlapped. This ensures that they crisp up well and don’t steam.
• Make your home-cooked veggie fries crispy by coating them in cornstarch or arrowroot powder. If necessary, potato starch can be substituted.
• If your turnip fries aren’t crisping up, it’s probably because your baking tray is too full. Transfer half of the fries to a separate baking sheet and re-bake for approximately 5 minutes.
• You can also substitute olive oil with any other of your favorite or available oil like avocado oil, canola oil, etc.
• You can also deep fry these turnip fries. However, I’ve shared the baking method here. Because baking the fries instead of deep-frying them is always a healthier option.
• If you like you can air fry these turnip fries.

Air Fryer Directions:

Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Working in modest single-layer batches is recommended. Cook for 10 minutes on each batch, shaking the basket after 5 minutes.

More Low Carb Snacks

• Best Low Carb Snacks
• BBQ Cauliflower Wings
• Gluten-Free Vegan Cauliflower Hash Browns
• Air Fried Cauliflower
• Brown Rice Crackers
• Roasted Edamame
• Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
• Jicama Chips

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do Turnips Taste Like Potatoes?

Turnip flavors differ owing to a number of reasons. Young turnips are crisp, sweet, and have a carrot-like flavor. Turnips that are older and more mature have a taste similar to potatoes. When eaten raw, they have a bitter flavor, but when cooked properly, they have a sweet aroma and taste.

Are Turnips A Good Substitute For Potatoes?

Turnips can be used in place of potatoes in soups, stews, and pretty much any other dish that calls for a potato. When roasted, this vegetable mashes easily and retains its shape.

One medium potato gives you about 30 grams of carbohydrates versus 1 medium turnip gives you only 8 grams of carbohydrates.

Are Turnip Fries Bitter?

Depending on their size and development, they can have a mild sweetness (younger turnips) or a mild bitterness (mature turnips). Younger ones can be consumed raw, while older ones must be cooked. When they’re cooked, the bitterness fades and they absorb the flavor of whatever you’re seasoning them with.

Are Turnip Fries Keto-Friendly?

To some extent. No, not at all. Maybe…

Turnip fries have fewer carbohydrates than potato fries.

Turnip fries, on the other hand, are not ketogenic on their own, according to the macros.

However, if you couple them with a rich fatty dipping sauce and portion out your fries. Then yeah, they’re keto!

Baked Turnip Fries Vs. Air Fryer Turnip Fries: Which Is Better?

If you’re baking turnip fries, convection heat produces a more uniform crispy texture than conventional heat.

Turnip fries can be made with much less oil if you have an air fryer. They will still be crispy. It’s possible that they’ll be even crispier than they were in the oven!

To ensure that the turnip fries cook evenly, you must air fry them in small batches. As a result, even if each batch cooks more quickly than when cooked in the oven, the total cooking duration will be longer.

Unless you’re making a small batch for only 1-2 individuals.

I suggest attempting both ways to determine which one you like!

Is It Possible To Substitute Rutabaga?

Rutabaga often termed yellow turnip, is a terrific alternative for these fries because it is somewhat sweeter and has a less bitter flavor. Rutabaga is technically a cross in between turnip and a cabbage, and like turnips, it makes an excellent low-carb substitute for potatoes. If you don’t like turnips, you might prefer rutabagas, which have a milder flavor. Additionally, rutabagas get sweeter when cooked.

If you like and try it out, let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment in the comment section below!