Roasted Turnips ~ Easy and Quick Turnips Recipe

This roasted turnips recipe is easy to make and tasty. Whether you grow turnips in your home garden or buy them at the grocery store or farmers market, roasting turnips is simple.

Here, I focus on preparing and roasting turnips. In a separate recipe, I’ll explain how easy it is to sauté turnip greens. You can prepare them separately, and mix them together if you choose. I prefer to serve them separately.

Whether you have one turnip or a large harvest, this recipe is forgiving. If you don’t have olive oil, you can use avocado oil or vegetable oil. I use fresh rosemary because I have three large plants, and it’s easy to access. However, you can use dried rosemary or other herbs such as oregano, basil, or sage.

I use garlic powder instead of sautéing garlic cloves to make this quick. You can substitute with onion powder, real onions, or combine garlic and onion.  

All these herbs and spices work well together, and the turnips taste terrific whichever combination you use. So use what you have and experiment with what flavors you like. They will help bring out the flavor of the turnips. Keep reading to learn how to make roasted turnips. Below I explain how to ensure the turnips won’t be bitter.

Roasted Turnips Recipe

As long as you coat the chopped turnips with oil, you can add your own combination of herbs and spices along with some salt and pepper. I grew one large turnip, so the pictures you see is a roasted turnips recipe for 1 – 2 servings. Use a larger oven-safe pan or dish the more turnips you have.

Also, feel free to add carrots, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or beets with turnips. They all go well together and will taste delicious. Simply cut them roughly the same size so they will cook at the same rate and will be tender and “done” together.

Prep time is 5 – 7 minutes. I approximate one small turnip per person when we sit down for family dinner. If you have several turnips, make them all. Leftovers are great too, especially because the flavors meld together nicely overnight. 

Ingredients

• 5 – 6 turnips – Use more or less, whatever you have
• Olive oil to coat turnips
• 1 – 2 yellow or white onions
• 2 – 3 tablespoons dried rosemary or 3 – 6 springs fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• Salt & pepper
• Pinch of granulated sugar if you find turnips bitter (optional)

How to Make Roasted Turnips

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. Cut off roots and greens, and wash turnips. Peel if desired.
3. Chop turnips into similarly-sized pieces. Put in casserole dish.
4. Toss turnips and olive oil together until they are coated.
5. Wash and chop onions. Combine with chopped turnips.
6. Add fresh or dried rosemary.
7. Add garlic powder and salt and pepper. Add sugar if desired (optional).
8. If you are adding potatoes, parsnips, and/or carrots, chop and add them. Add more olive oil if necessary to coat.
9. Place in preheated oven. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes. The more turnips you make, the longer it will take.
10. Remove from oven, and check for doneness with a fork. Pierce a few of the larger turnip pieces to see if they are done. 
11. Serve. 

Notes

Use a smaller oven-safe dish or pan to make roast turnips. The more turnips you have, the larger the size dish you will need. You will also need to add more garlic powder and olive oil. 

This is a forgiving recipe. Add whatever herbs you have, and it will taste great. 

Serving Suggestions

Serve roasted turnips as a side dish for lunch or dinner. You can also roast them with other vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, turnip greens from the tops of turnips, and potatoes (such as au gratin potatoes or scalloped potatoes). Turnips go well with savory meats, such as leg of lamb with rosemary and beef dishes. You can also serve turnips with chicken and duck. They also make for a nice light dinner with soup, salad, and rolls. 

For some, turnips are an acquired taste. If you find your family doesn’t love eating roasted turnips — if you have picky eaters — you can always toss the roasted turnips in a vegetable soup. Freeze them until you are ready to make it.

Storing

If you make them in advance, cool them in their baking dish for 30 – 45 minutes, then cover and set in refrigerator to store. Store leftover turnips in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days.

You can also freeze already-cooked roasted turnips. Wait until they cool completely, and place in a freezer safe container or freezer storage bag. Be sure to get all the air out before sealing the bag. They will be good for up to 3 months. (I put them in vegetable soup after 5 months, and they were also great.) Be sure to label the bag so you know what it is when you pull them out.

FAQs

What temperature do you roast turnips?

Roast turnips at either 400ºF or 425ºF for 30 minutes. Check for doneness after 30 minutes. If you are cooking a larger amount (i.e. a 10″x15″ casserole dish vs an 8″x10″ casserole dish), it will take longer.

What is the best way to eat turnips?

The best way to eat turnips is a personal preference. Some people enjoy them raw in salads. However, to cut down on the bitterness of eating turnips raw, you can boil, roast, or bake them. My preference is roasting turnips for a tasty and healthy side dish.

Can you overcook turnip?

Yes, like with most all root vegetables, it’s possible to overcook turnips. Remove them from heat source and test their tenderness with a fork. Like with potatoes, if some of the ends are overdone, it’s okay; however, you don’t want to overcook the entire dish or they will become hard and tough to chew.

Should turnips be peeled before cooking?

You don’t have to peel turnips before cooking. They have a relatively thin peel. Chop off the roots and greens, and wash; peeling is optional.

Do you have to wash turnips?

You should wash turnips to remove any soil and pesticides.

Is a rutabaga the same as a turnip?

Rutabaga is not the same as a turnip. They are both root vegetables (grow underground) and have a bit of a bitter taste. 

Do turnips count as vegetables?

Yes, turnips count as vegetables. They are root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, and beets. 

What can I cook with turnips?

You can cook many root vegetables with turnips. Consider cooking turnips with potatoes, parsnips, carrots, beets, and/or sweet potatoes. Add in chopped onion and garlic for additional flavor. 

Roasted Turnips Recipe 

I plant a winter garden every year, and grow carrots, potatoes, turnips, radishes, onions, garlic, beets, and more. I like being able to cook homegrown turnips for my family. It’s something my kids will actually eat because they harvest them and think it’s fun to eat what we’ve grown. Learn how to grow turnips for your own harvest-to-table meal!

While many people enjoy raw turnips in salads, I find them too bitter. You can sprinkle a pinch of sugar over the turnips before baking them to cut down on their sharp flavor.

However, when you bake or roast turnips with carrots, onions and salt, it cuts down on the sharp flavor. You can use a sweet onion too. Try roasting turnips with sweet potatoes to offset their bitterness. If you roast turnips with beets, they may become tinged pink or red, depending on the turnip-to-beet ratio.

If you make this roasted turnips recipe, please let me know how it went in the comments. I’d love to hear from you. What did you serve them with? 

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Roasted Turnips

Roasted turnips are easy to make. As a slightly bitter root vegetable, roasting with olive oil (or other oil) is a delicious and forgiving recipe. You can roast with carrots, parsnips, potatoes, or on their own. Enjoy as a healthy side dish.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword easy roasted turnips, recipe for roasted turnips, roasted turnips, roasted turnips recipe

Prep Time 8 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 cups

Ingredients

• 5 - 6 turnips - Use however many you have
• Olive oil to coat turnips
• 1 - 2 yellow or white onions
• 2 - 3 tablespoons dried rosemary or 3+ springs fresh rosemary or other herb
• 1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• Salt & pepper
• Pinch of granulated sugar if you find turnips bitter optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400ºF.
• Cut off roots and greens. Wash; peeling is optional.
• Chop turnips into roughly the same-size pieces. Put in casserole dish.
• Add olive oil and toss with turnips.
• Add garlic powder, rosemary (or sage, thyme, etc.), salt & pepper.
• Wash and chop onions. Combine with chopped turnips.
• Optional: Add sugar to cut down on bitterness if desired.
• Place in preheated oven. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes. The more turnips you make, the longer it will take.
• Remove, and check for doneness with a fork.

Notes

• Roasted turnips go well with chopped potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, and parsnips. Add more olive oil if necessary to coat.
• Add whatever herbs and/or root vegetables you have, and it will taste great. Add more onions and garlic as you wish.
• Store leftover turnips in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days.