Baked Parsnip Fries with Garlic Yogurt Sauce

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A wonderful alternative to French fries, these baked parsnip fries are crispy, delicious and HEALTHY! Served with the most incredible tangy, sweet and creamy yogurt and garlic dipping sauce, this is the perfect snack or side side dish!

After I made these roasted winter vegetables, I realized that I really liked parsnips. I hadn't really had the chance to try them before, and was pleasantly surprised.

So the first thing I decided to make as I began my journey to eat just a touch (don't worry, there will be plenty of the rich & decadent goodies you're used to) healthier this year, I decided to try my hand with parsnip fries (I also made these awesome Instant Pot beets that I'm just obsessed with now).

And they came out just great! Ultra easy to cook up crisp in the oven, we can have "french" fries and get our veggies all at the same time.

And I haven't even mentioned my personal favorite part of this recipe yet...the garlic yogurt dipping sauce. It's a offshoot of the sauce I used on this tandoori chicken pizza (this pizza was bomb guys). And you can even make it with your homemade sous vide yogurt!

And if this sauce isn't exactly what you're looking for, Cajun remoulade sauce or this Argentinian chimichurri sauce would also be just incredible!

You may also want to try these absolutely amazing honey roasted parsnips or these sous vide parsnips.

What is a Parsnip?

A parsnip is a root vegetable closely related to both carrots and parsley, with an earthier taste than you typically find in carrots. It has a cream colored flesh and a slightly sweet flavor, especially when roasted. 

I much prefer parsnips to carrots as I think the flavor is a bit more mild and it tends to stay crisper when roasted because of higher starch levels (perfect for fries). 

Ingredients

The parsnip fries themselves are incredible easy, with just a couple ingredients.

I choose to roast with avocado oil, but coconut oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, or any other high smoke content oil will work. Do not try to roast them in olive oil or butter as they can burn in the high heat oven and give your parsnip fries a bitter taste.

I like to make them slightly garlicky, so I add some garlic powder during the last 5 minutes of roasting (any earlier and it will burn).

For the yogurt sauce, you can substitute garlic powder for the roasted garlic if it's easier. I love to roast my own garlic because it has such a great flavor! You can also buy roasted garlic. 

Don't substitute regular yogurt for Greek yogurt! The Greek yogurt has that delicious thick, creamy tangy flavor to it that regular yogurt doesn't have.

The full list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

Step By Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.

Cut the parsnips in matchsticks using a sharp knife. Place them in a bowl and toss with the avocado oil and salt.

Pour the parsnips on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. **keeping them in a single layer will help them to crisp better.

Bake for 15 minutes, remove, flip and bake another 10 minutes.

Remove and sprinkle with garlic powder. Place back in the oven and bake another 5 minutes.

Remove and serve with the yogurt garlic dipping sauce.

How to Make Yogurt Garlic Sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine. 

**If using the roasted garlic, mash the cloves on the side of the bowl to incorporate them into the sauce. 

Expert Tips

1. Cut the parsnips into thin strips, similar to French fries, for the best evenly cooked results.
2. Don't add the garlic powder to the parsnip fries until the last 5 minutes of baking otherwise it will burn and become bitter. 
3. Substitute any high smoke point oil like coconut oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil for the avocado oil. DO NOT use olive oil or butter as it may burn in the high heat of the oven and give your fries a bitter taste. 
4. Substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic powder for the roasted garlic if desired.
5. I do NOT recommend using yogurt other than Greek yogurt. You results may be watered down and not have the same tangy flavor if you don't use Greek yogurt.

Did you make these parsnip fries? Leave a comment below and let me know how they turned out!

Don't forget to check out the parsnip fries story!