You will love these air fryer turnip fries. They turn out nice and crispy and they take just 15 minutes to make. Full of flavour and so easy to make this healthy side dish is a great alternative to French fries.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- These homemade turnip fries are quick and easy to make and only take 15 minutes to cook! It is so much faster to make turnip fries in an air fryer compared to baking them in an oven.
- Air fried turnip fries have the best flavour! They turn out nice and crispy and are perfectly seasoned.
- Turnip fries are a healthy side dish and a fun alternative to air fryer French fries or air fryer waffle fries. They are naturally gluten-free, keto, dairy-free, low carb, vegan, paleo and Whole30 compliant.
- The clean up is super simple and you don't need to worry about making a mess of your kitchen like when you use a deep frier. It's also healthier to air fry turnip fries rather than deep frying them which uses way more oil.
If you aren't sure which air fryers are the safest to use I have a whole review on non-toxic air fryers.
Ingredients and substitutions:
- Turnips - turnips are one of my favourite root vegetables. The fresher the turnips you use the better your fries will turn out.
- Avocado Oil - one of my favourite cooking oils. You only need a small amount to make the perfect turnip fries. You could swap this for olive oil too.
- Tapioca starch - this is key to help get the crispiest turnip fries possible. You could also use cornstarch instead.
- Spices - I use salt, paprika and black pepper but you could easily swap these for other spices to give them a different flavour.
How to make (step-by-step):
Step one:
First, pre-heat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and while the air fryer is preheating, peel and then cut your turnips into strips, about 0.5 inches thick.
Step two:
Now place the turnip strips in a large bowl and add the tapioca starch and spices. Toss the turnips until they are evenly coated.
Step three:
Lastly, place the turnip fries in your air fryer and cook for 15-17 minutes, until they are nice and crisp.
Top tips:
- Every model of air fryer is different, so you may have to adjust the cooking time if you are using a different model than I do.
- Don't overlap the turnip fries when they are in the air fryer or they won’t cook properly.
- Depending on the size you cut your fries, you may have to adjust the cooking time (for thinner fries, decrease it, for thicker fries, increase it).
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, and the size you cut your turnip fries, you may have to air fry the turnips in batches.
- For the crispiest turnip fries, be sure to leave some space around the fries so the air can circulate around the fries.
- Don't skip the tapioca starch. If you don't use this and coat the fries with it they will turn out soggy rather than crispy.
Recipe variations and add ins:
- Feel free to change up the spices to give these turnip fries a different flavour. Other great additions are garlic powder and onion powder.
- Instead of tapioca starch you can use corn starch (just not if you are on a grain free or paleo diet).
- Instead of avocado oil you can use olive oil.
How to serve:
Turnip fries are a great side dish for any meal. You can serve them the same way you would serve French fries or air fried sweet potato fries. These fries are delicious as they are but you can also serve them with a dipping sauce such as ketchup, sugar free bbq sauce, easy sriracha aioli, healthy honey mustard or dairy free buffalo sauce.
How to store:
Store any leftover turnip fries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
These turnip fries also freeze really well. To freeze them seal them in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
How to reheat:
To reheat any leftover turnip fries, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and then cook the fries for 1-3 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Frequently asked questions:
Yes you can but just note that the fries won't turn out as crispy. You can also substitute the tapioca starch or tapioca flour for cornstarch.
Adding a starch such as tapioca starch or cornstarch helps turnip fries get crispier, but note that they will never turn out as crispy as French fries do given the nature of the vegetable.
Depending on what type of turnips you buy you may not have to peel them. Baby turnips do not have to be peeled – just wash and slice off the root end, while winter turnips do need to be peeled before preparing them.
No you don't have to preheat your air fryer but I do recommend it for these air fried turnip fries. If you don't preheat your air fryer, you will need to add 3-5 minutes of cooking time.
If you don't cook your fries at a high enough temperature, or if you overcrowd the air fryer tray or basket your fries won't get crispy when you cook them in an air fryer. I recommend cooking fries at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for the best, crispiest fries.
Yes! Turnips are a great vegetable to eat if you are on a keto or low carb diet. A medium turnip has 8 grams of carbs and 2.2 grams of fiber, making one whole turnip just 5.8 net carbs.
Other air fryer recipes you will love:
- Crispy Onion Rings in an Air Fryer
- Cubed potatoes in an Air Fryer (aka hash browns)
- Crispy Broccoli in an Air Fryer
- The best diced potatoes in an air fryer
Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star review before you go!
Recipe
Air Fryer Turnip Fries
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs turnips
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400 F. While the air fryer is pre-heating, wash, dry, and peel the turnips and cut them into strips about 1/2 inch thick.
- In a bowl combine the cut turnips, tapioca starch, oil, and spices.
- Transfer the turnip strips onto the rack of your air fryer and cook for 15-17 minutes at 400F, rotating the racks half way through (or tossing the basket).
Notes
- For a different flavour feel free to change up the spices on these fries.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients you use and your serving size.
- If you have a smaller air fryer you will need to cook these turnip fries in batches.
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