Baked parsnip fries or parsnip chips, a great side dish alternative to the good old roast potatoes for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or any other occasion. With a nice blend of paprika, parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper, plus a dash of olive oil, these parsnip fries are simply delicious.
More than a side dish, these parsnip fries are great for snacking too whenever you crave something yummy, but would rather stay away from junk. Not that I call the the almighty potato fries junk. Far from me that thought!
For me, the potato fries are THE ultimate food, and if I have to choose one dish I would have before I die, that would definitely be fries. Not even baked, the hell with that, fried!!! With some nice salt on them, and that’s it. Nothing else. Forget the ketchup, etc. Proper fries need nothing else.
And my Homemade French fries recipe with coarse sea salt are a fine example that you can get perfect fries at home too, no need to go for a take-away.
But, do you know what? These parsnip fries are nearly as good as the potato fries. I say nearly, because, well, they are not potatoes. But other than that, they are perfect! The naturally sweet taste goes wonderfully well with the paprika and garlic mixture, plus the parmesan comes to give the final nice kick to them.
How long does it take to bake parnip fries?
You only need about 25 minutes to put these parsnip fries to the table. Just make sure that the oven is well pre-heated before you pop them in. They only need 17-18 minutes in the oven, since they are sliced finely. Do keep an eye on them not to burn them!
You can tell how easy it is to make the fries. One thing I would recommend anyone to have in their kitchen is a nice vegetable peeler. It might be ridiculously cheap, I think I bought mine for £0.50 or so, but I couldn’t possibly live without it in my kitchen.
Peeling carrots, parsnips or butternut squash with a knife is simply impossible. At least, I can’t, for the life of me, do it properly. With the peeler, I can get it done in no time. And stress free too!
These parsnip fries can be made vegan by omitting the parmesan at the end. You could perhaps replace them with a vegan cheese, or have them with a vegan dip.
HOW TO BAKE PARSNIP FRIES
There are a few tips if you want to get perfectly baked parsnip fries. I know it’s a boring task, but it’s important to have them in one single layer on the baking tray. and, ideally, at least half a centimetre between them.
That will ensure an even bake. You can’t get the same perfect crispiness as you get with the fried potato chips, for example, but they are absolutely fantastic anyway.
The tray has to be greased before arranging the fries, and I promise you, they will not stick at all. They also have to be tossed in oil and spices beforehand.
The parmesan is best to be kept at the end, otherwise it will have a slight burnt taste. Same with the chopped parsley, better keep it fresh at the end. And there you have, a fantastic side dish for any occasion.
If you’ve liked my BAKED PARNSIP FRIES or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Healthy Baked Parsnip Fries, a fantastic side dish for your Christmas dinner or any other occasion. With a nice blend of paprika, garlic and parmesan, these fries will become a family favourite.
- 5 parsnips
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing the tray
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
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Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit).
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Peel and cut the parnips into sticks.
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Mix together the olive oil, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder, then drizzle it over the parsnips.
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Toss to coat, grease two baking trays with olive oil, then arrange the parsnip sticks in one layer, leaving at least half a centimetre between them.
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Bake one tray at a time, first for 15 minutes, then flip the parnip fries on the other side, and bake for a further 2-3 minutes.
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Serve hot with parmesan and parsley.
