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My roasted parsnips are sweet, savory, delicious, and complemented perfectly with a real buttery garlic topping. They are perfect for the holidays, and so easy that you’ll want to serve them every week!
Roasted veggies are all the rage, and it’s easy to see why. Roasting is super simple to do and brings out all the deeper flavors of the vegetables. My parsnip recipe here is one that you will go back to repeatedly. You’ll see! These fantastic garlic butter roasted parsnips are a surefire way to make you like them, and they simplify your meal preparation. With less than ten minutes required to prep and pop them into the oven, they’re as hassle-free as they are tasty.
What Are Parsnips?
Parsnips are very similar to carrots. They grow in the ground with a long cone-shaped edible root, which is why they’re called root vegetables, like carrots, potatoes, and turnips. As for flavor, these cream-colored beauties taste similar to carrots but with a more pronounced sweetness. Parsnips can be found easily during the fall and winter months, but the ones picked in spring are notably sweeter and tastier.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Making parsnips recipes means gathering a bunch of earthy, sweet ingredients that transform this humble veggie into something tasty. For this recipe, you’ll need fresh parsnips alongside butter for richness, garlic for a punch of flavor, and a blend of herbs.
- Parsnips – You’ll need about 2 ½ pounds of fresh, small parsnips, peeled and cut into batons.
- Butter – This recipe uses 5 tablespoons of butter. You can use salted or unsalted, but be sure to adjust the amount of regular salt used in the recipe.
- Fresh Garlic – Put the garlic through a garlic press or mince it finely.
- Herbs – I use half a tablespoon of minced fresh rosemary, but you can use any fresh herbs that you like.
- Salt and Black Pepper – To taste.
- Chopped Fresh Parsley – Used for garnish.
How To Cook Parsnips
Getting these roasted parsnips just right is all about simplicity with a touch of gourmet flair. Let me walk you through the easy steps to achieve those perfectly golden, flavor-packed parsnips that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
- Spread on a Baking Sheet. Preheat oven to 450˚F. Spread out the parsnips on a rimmed baking sheet. Set aside. Melt the butter in a skillet set over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in the rosemary.
- Coat with the Garlic Butter. Pour the garlic butter over the parsnips and season them with salt and black pepper. Toss to coat and spread the parsnips out in a single layer.
- Roast. Roast the parsnips in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Then, give the parsnips a stir, and continue to roast for 8 to 10 more minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly.
Recipe Tips
- Smaller is better: While larger parsnips can work, they are more likely to have tough, woody cores that have to be cut away and discarded. Smaller parsnips are more likely to have tender, edible cores.
- Peeling is optional: Most people peel their parsnips, but if you have found good small parsnips (preferably organic), you can simply scrub them as you would carrots or new potatoes and leave the peel intact. It’s up to you! I like to leave the peel on.
- How to cut: You can cut the parsnips however you like of course, but the following method is very simple: Once you’ve cleaned the parsnips, cut them down the center, longwise. Then cut each half into 3 to 4 batons. From there, cut away any tough, woody core. If you like, halve the remaining pieces crosswise, leaving you with parsnip “fries” that are about 3 inches long.
Serving Suggestions
I serve these buttered parsnips with something sweet and sticky, like my glazed broiled chicken thighs. You can also enjoy them with your Thanksgiving roast turkey or a holiday roasted beef tenderloin.
Parsnips are also lovely on a weeknight with a simple instant pot meatloaf or these quick and juicy boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Proper Storage
Place leftover parsnips in food storage bags or airtight containers and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
To reheat, arrange the parsnips on a baking sheet and bake at 450˚F for about 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through.
More Parsnip Recipes
Easy Roasted Vegetables Recipes
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Vegetables
- Maple Mustard Roasted Potatoes
- Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Turnips
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Roasted Parsnips
Ingredients
- 2 to 2½ pounds parsnips
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, or any other fresh herbs that you prefer/have on hand
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450˚F.
- Prepare the Parsnips: Wash and optionally peel the parsnips. Cut parsnips down the center, longwise. Then cut each half into 3 to 4 batons. From there, cut away any tough, woody core.
- Spread out the parsnips on a large rimmed baking sheet. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a skillet set over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook for 20 seconds or until fragrant. DO NOT burn the garlic. Remove from heat and stir in the rosemary.
- Pour the garlic butter over the parsnips. Season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
- Spread parsnips out in a single layer and roast for 10 minutes.
- Stir the parsnips and continue to roast for 8 to 10 more minutes, or until tender.
- Remove from oven. Taste the parsnips for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly.
- Garnish with parsley and pepper flakes. Serve.
Notes
- Choose Smaller Parsnips: Large parsnips can have tough cores. Smaller parsnips are more likely to be tender and require less prep.
- To Peel or Not to Peel: While many peel their parsnips, if you have small, preferably organic ones, a good scrub is enough. I prefer leaving the peel.
- Cutting: Clean and halve the parsnips lengthwise. Cut each half into 3-4 batons, and remove any tough core. Optionally, cut the pieces crosswise to get 3-inch long parsnip ‘fries’. Cut the parsnips in uniform thickness so they cook evenly.
- Arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheet, ensuring there’s a bit of room between each for even heat distribution.
- Don’t forget to flip them midway during roasting so you get a nice, golden-brown finish on both sides.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I used olive oil instead of butter. Turned out so delicious. Will definitely make again
Great swap with the olive oil! I’m glad to hear it turned out delicious. Looking forward to hearing how it goes next time you make it! Thank YOU! ๐
Simple, wholesome and flavourful!
I LOVE this recipe! It’s easy, roasting time is not as long as roasting other root vegetables, and they come out fork tender and so tasty! We never ate parsnips as I grew up. Now I’m kind of sad over how many years I missed out!
Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! ๐
It was super yummy