Roasted Turnips Recipe (2024)

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These delicious roasted turnips are a simple, flavorful side dish that's easy to make.

Turnips are a fantastic root vegetable that can be served as a side or added to salads, grain bowls, or soups. Turnips, like most root vegetables, are available year-round but are at their peak from October to February.

This turnip recipe is a great way to enjoy this slightly more unusual vegetable - if you like roast potatoes, you will like this, too!

Roasted Turnips Recipe (1)

Roasted turnips are a perfect side dish for a weeknight meal or a special occasion like a holiday dinner. You can use them like any other root vegetable in a grain bowl or salad.

This will be your new favorite way to enjoy turnips - roasting them really brings out the delicate flavor and natural sweetness of the turnips. Roasting also removes any bitter flavor from turnips that you might experience when they're raw.

You might find turnips at the grocery store that come with greens; you can use them to make this spicy skillet turnip greens recipe that's delicious!

Turnips are rich in vitamin C and A and low in calories and fat (source).

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • More Great Side Dishes
  • Storage
  • Tips for Making this Recipe
  • Roasted Turnips

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this roasted turnips recipe into an easy side dish.

  • Fresh turnips - I used purple top turnips, but any kind will work for this recipe, although I do recommend using smaller turnips (about 2 inches across) as they will have better flavor than large turnips, which tend to be older and less sweet.
  • Olive Oil (you don't need to use extra virgin olive oil; the regular stuff will work!)
  • Sea Salt
  • Paprika
  • Ground Black Pepper
  • Garlic Powder
  • Optional - chopped herbs like parsley or oregano for topping

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

You don't need to remove the outer peel of the turnips (turnip skin is edible), but if you'd prefer to remove it, peel the turnips with a vegetable peeler.

Using a sharp knife, slice the tops and bases off the turnips and chop them into ½-inch pieces.

Roasted Turnips Recipe (2)

Place the diced turnips on a parchment or aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan.

Pour the olive oil over the turnips and sprinkle with the salt, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss to coat the turnips.

Roasted Turnips Recipe (3)

Spread the turnips out in a single layer, leaving a little space between each piece.

Roasted Turnips Recipe (4)

Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

Roasted Turnips Recipe (5)

Remove from the oven and place in a serving bowl or large serving platter. Top with optional chopped herbs.

Roasted Turnips Recipe (6)

More Great Side Dishes

If you love roasted vegetables and root veggies, try some of these fantastic recipes.

  • Smashed Brussels Sprouts
  • Roasted Radishes
  • Oven Roasted Root Vegetable Recipe
  • Roasted Golden Beets

Substitutions & Variations

Want to make a few swaps or changes to the ingredients? Here are some options.

  • Oil - you can substitute the olive oil for avocado oil or vegetable oil.
  • Seasonings - feel free to add fresh herbs like oregano, thyme, or rosemary to the seasoning blend or if you like a little spice, add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
  • Optional Toppings - if you want to add a bit of sweetness give the roasted turnips a drizzle of honey or if you'd like some acid give them a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or balsamic vinegar.

Storage

You can save roasted turnips for up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

For best results when reheating, I suggest heating them in an oven or toaster oven and not the microwave. This will keep them crispy.

Roasted Turnips Recipe (7)

Tips for Making this Recipe

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Cooking Tips - Make sure to cut your turnips to similar sizes. This helps them roast evenly. Don't crowd the turnips on a baking sheet - they need a little space in between them to get a crispy exterior. Use two baking sheets if they don't fit onto one.

Ingredient Notes - 1 ½ pounds of turnips was 4 medium turnips for me. I used purple top turnips. If you use larger turnips like regular white turnips, you may only need 3. And if you use smaller hakurei turnips or baby turnips, you'll probably need 5 or 6.

Recommended Tools - I like using parchment paper that's the same size as my sheet pans - this is the ready-to-use parchment paper I use, and here are the sheet pans I recommend.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Connect with us on Instagram and share your photos or leave us a rating.

Yield: 4 servings

Roasted Turnips

Roasted Turnips Recipe (8)

These delicious roasted turnips are a fantastic side dish with a wonderful savory flavor.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time30 minutes

Total Time40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds turnips
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • optional - chopped herbs like parsley or oregano

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Using a sharp knife, slice the tops and bases off the turnips and chop them into ½ inch pieces.
  3. Place the diced turnips on a parchment or aluminum foil-lined sheet pan.
  4. Pour the olive oil over the turnips and sprinkle with the salt, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss to coat the turnips.
  5. Spread the turnips out in a single layer, leaving a little space between each piece.
  6. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
  7. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with optional chopped herbs.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 71Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 293mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g

Roasted Turnips Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to peel turnips before you roast them? ›

It's not essential to peel turnips before cooking. If this skin appears to be thin enough you can leave it on and cook as is. However if the skin feels thick and leathery, you can peel it off with a sharp knife or vegetable peeler. Both the roots and leaves, also known as turnip greens, are safe to eat.

How do you get the bitterness out of turnips? ›

How do you get the bitterness out of turnips? Smaller turnips tend to be sweeter and less bitter, so start by selecting fresh, small, tender turnips and peeling them. Adding a little sugar to your turnips after cooking can also help to counteract any bitterness.

What does a roasted turnip taste like? ›

In the hands of an able cook, a well-cooked turnip tastes heavenly. When roasted, the natural sugars are allowed to caramelize, resulting in a crispy-tender side dish that tastes like a cross between a potato and a carrot.

Why put baking soda in turnips? ›

One turnip website from the United Kingdom notes that if you boil them, add a little sugar to tame the scent and add baking soda to reduce bitterness.

How do you make roasted turnips less bitter? ›

Roasting brings out their natural sweetness. Another secret is how you peel them. Bitter notes lie just under the surface of the skin, but you can eliminate this if you go a little deeper when peeling them. I use a paring knife instead of vegetable peeler to remove the thick outer later.

What is the appropriate method of cooking turnips? ›

Place the turnips in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of salted water. Bring to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer until the turnips are tender when pierced with a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife, 20 to 30 minutes. Step three: Season and serve. Drain the turnips and season with salt and pepper.

Can turnips be overcooked? ›

Turnips should not be overcooked, or they will become dark in color and strong in flavor. The summer turnip, when sliced, can be cooked in thirty minutes, the winter turnip in from forty-five to sixty minutes.

Why does my turnip taste bitter? ›

They can be bitter if they're poorly grown, harvested too late or have been in storage for a long time, but are sweet when they're young and still fairly tender.

Are roasted turnips bitter? ›

Turnips have a slightly bitter taste to them, so cooking the onions in this recipe will be the key to getting more of a sweet taste out of the dish! The bigger a turnip is, the more bitter it tastes so aim to choose ones from the market that are about the size of a tennis ball.

Are roasted turnips good for you? ›

As a product of this group, the turnip is known for its high nutrient count and its low calorie density, which makes it a perfect food to add to your healthy eating plan. In one medium-sized turnip there are just 34 calories, 4 grams of fiber when cooked and 1 gram of protein.

Are turnips anti inflammatory? ›

Turnips are a cruciferous vegetable with multiple health benefits. They boast an impressive nutritional profile, and their bioactive compounds, such as glucosinolates, may support blood sugar control, protect against harmful bacteria, and provide anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects.

What do you eat turnips with? ›

Cooked turnips are also sweet but the tang becomes somewhat bitter, so they are best eaten with fatty or spicy food. The best combinations I know are a sidedish of mashed turnips and carrots and as a full meal, mashed potatoes, mashed turnips (with or without carrots) , a rich beef gravy and haggis.

Is a turnip the same as a rutabaga? ›

Rutabagas are also generally much larger than turnips. So for a quick rule of thumb, the brownish-yellowish ones are rutabagas, and the smaller white and purple ones are turnips. In terms of their flavor, rutabagas are slightly sweeter-tasting than turnips whereas turnips have a slightly more radishy flavor.

What is the disadvantage of using baking soda to vegetables? ›

This is a bad practice, however, and you should avoid adding baking soda when boiling any type of vegetable. It has various unwelcome effects, such as softening the vegetable, altering the vegetable's flavor, destroying thiamine content, and hastening the loss of vitamin C.

Can you eat raw turnips? ›

Turnips are a vegetable that people can consume raw or cooked. They are a good source of vitamin C, folate, iron, and calcium. Turnips are a creamy white color and a purple top. People often group this popular European staple food with root vegetables, such as potato and beetroot.

Why do you peel turnips? ›

There are two school's of thought on cooking larger turnips. They can either be peeled and quartered or chopped before cooking – or they can be cooked in their skin and then peeled (they are said to be sweeter this way). If you are baking turnips in the oven, do not peel before baking.

Do turnips soften when cooked? ›

Roast the turnips until they're tender and browned. Start checking them after about 30 minutes. Depending on their size and age, it may take up to an hour or more to become completely tender.

Do turnips take longer to cook than potatoes? ›

Add the turnips and potatoes to a large stockpot and fill the pot with water, enough to cover the vegetables. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then simmer until the turnips are tender (they may take longer to cook than the potatoes), about 15 minutes.

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