Rutabaga Fries will quickly become one of your favorite side dishes. They sound like a deep-fried bit of delicious goodness, right? This is roasted on a sheet pan and is super low calorie and low carb while being super high on the deliciousness scale all in 20 minutes!
Have you ever heard of making these fries? These are a hidden vegetable gem, for sure. These take just a few minutes to roast and taste divine. Those are two of my favorite things in a vegetable dish when I serve them with Instant Pot Pork Chops.
🍴Why this Recipe Works
Fast – This recipe only takes under 20 minutes to make so it is one to put in your back pocket for weeknights when you need a healthy side dish that everyone will love. Once you know how to peel and cut them (directions below) this goes so quick.
Healthy – These low carb fries are perfect when you want to trade a heavy starchy potato for something that is healthy and good for you.
🍽️ Ingredients
First and foremost, the rutabaga is part of the cabbage family along with turnips! That was a huge shock to me as I would have placed it as a generic “root vegetables” along with potatoes and carrots. If your rutabaga comes with leaves, no worries! These can be added to soups and stews!
Here is a photo of the rutabaga as you’ll find in the stores. The skin is really delicate, so it will almost always have a wax coating. Don’t eat that. Yuck!
These are easy to peel with a potato peeler, so spend a few minutes and remove the skin.
Rutabaga: The obvious main ingredient is rutabaga. If you’ve never had rutabaga before, you may not realize just how good it is for you. It is loaded with calcium, vitamin E, potassium, vitamin C, and more. Plus, they taste great too.
Olive Oil: Using olive oil is a great way to crisp up the fries. Coconut, grape seed, or avocado oils work as well.
Seasonings: We season our fries with pepper, salt, and garlic powder. I have a feeling you are going to love these fries so much the way they are.
🔪 How to Cut?
One: Peel the rutabaga’s outer skin off with a potato peeler. It’s waxy and might feel strange but just peel it all off, including the ends that are a little bit hard.
Two: Cut the rutabaga in half using a heavy knife.
Three: Cut ½ inch slices out of each half.
Four: Cut ½ inch fries from each slice.
That’s it. You’ll spend a few minutes peeling, but after that you’ll have these fries cut to size in no time.
📝 Instructions
Step One: After cutting the rutabaga, toss the pieces into a large mixing bowl and add a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Get your hands in there and mix it up to make sure the fries are coated very lightly.
Note: If you use too much oil, it may pool on your sheet pan. That will result in soggy (not crisp) fries. No one wants soggy fries, right? 😁
Step Two: Line your sheet pan with parchment paper and preheat your oven. This recipe is very sensitive to oven temperature. Too cool, and the fries won’t brown. Too warm, and they may burn. I use a separate oven thermometer just to make sure the temp is where I want it.
Step Three: Pour the fries on to the parchment-lined sheet pan and arrange them so they are spread evenly on a single layer. You don’t want overlapping veggies here.
Step Four: Place them in the oven to roast. Half way through, take the sheet pan out and turn them over to have another side brown.
❗ Expert Tips
I say this a lot but you need to cut the fries in uniform size so they cook evenly.
Don’t put too much oil on them or they will get soggy and won’t be crispy.
If you have parchment paper, line the sheet pan with it first so you have a non stick surface and the fries won’t be difficult to flip. Clean up is a breeze.
Check your oven temperature to make sure it is calibrated. If it is too hot, the fries will burn, if it is running too low the fries will not roast and get brown but will cook. Don’t assume your oven is perfect. My last oven ran 30 degrees cooler. My brand new oven runs 10 degrees hotter. When recipes don’t turn out, a lot of times it’s your heating element that is running off either way. You just need to know so you can adjust the temperature.
🥘 Recipe FAQ
If this is your first time trying a rutabaga, don’t worry. It has a slightly tangy flavor. This vegetable is a cross between a cabbage and a turnip and the flavor is rich and earthy. It is often paired with carrots and the tangy and sweet mix blends well together.
It is much less starchy that a potato, and is significantly more flavorful. While it is often served with a bit of butter or cream, it doesn’t need it. You’ll find this vegetable in many roasted root vegetable recipes with carrots, turnips, parsnips, and potatoes. It is also a staple in many soups and stews.
Absolutely. They can be frozen for 3-4 months. When you are ready to eat, simply remove from the freezer and then cook in the oven to make them crispy again or use a toaster oven. Check on the Freezer Tips and Storage Times everything you wanted to know about how long your food lasts in the freezer safely.
You can store in the refrigerator for three days. Reheat in toaster oven or oven to make crispy again.
Absolutely. These are the perfect veggies to meal prep on Sundays for the week ahead. You can peel and cut these early and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them. Store them in a sealed container for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator. When you are ready to use them, remove from the refrigerator and continue with the recipe.
🥕 Related Recipes
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Rutabaga Fries
Ingredients
- 1 large Rutabaga peeled, cut into fries
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel the rutabaga, cut in half and then cut into fries.
- Toss the fries lightly in olive oil and then sprinkle with garlic powder, pepper and sea salt.
- Roast for 15-20 minutes to get crispy, turning over at the half way point.
Notes
Nutrition
Can these be made in a toaster oven?
Paula, I don’t own a toaster oven and so I’ve never tried it. If you do, please let me know. My gut says it should work! 🙂