Turnips “fried” up into a nice healthy snack that feels naughty, but they’re healthy, quick, kid friendly and super fun to make! Served with a creamy, dreamy avocado ranch dip, how could you resist?
I couldn’t … I ate the whole plate. By myself. Yep. And while I was waiting for the fries to get done, I may have grabbed some other dippers and started munching on the dip. Seriously, this dip is SO good! It’s totally worth making all on its own. But why not use it for dipping your fries? Unless you’re into ketchup with your fries. Then by all means, serve these turnip fries with ketchup. Me, I prefer something savory like ranch for my french fries. But hey, you do what makes YOU happy.
Turnip fries simply aren’t as crunchy as fried potatoes, but still, they make some tasty good fries!
Why Turnip Fries?
As luck would have it, turnips are much lower in carbs and calories than potatoes. In fact, one cup of turnips boasts just 36 calories vs. 1 cup of potatoes weighing in at 116 calories. That’s a big difference!
A member of the cruciferous family, turnips have a hint of sweetness when you cook them. Turnips are loaded with fiber and vitamins including K, A, C, E, B1, B3, B5, B6, B2 and folate. This hearty root vegetable also provide essential minerals like manganese, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and copper. And they’re a good source of phosphorus, omega-3 fatty acids and protein. All this adds up to lot! Turnips help reduce cancer risk, aid in digestion, and reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.
Have you ever eaten a turnip?
I know, turnips are not something the average American has in their veggie drawer. I’m with you. It’s my dad’s fault I had turnips hanging out in my fridge. When he asked if I wanted some last fall, I actually told him I didn’t want any and stated that I don’t like turnips. But he brought me some anyway. I had no choice but to stick them in my veggie drawer. Then I conveniently “forgot” they were there. Until yesterday when I cleaned out my fridge. It was definitely time to DO something with those turnips.
I went searching for recipes and most people cook them, although you can eat turnips raw. There were several recipes for turnip fries, along with turnip salads, roasted turnips and mashed turnips. Fries seemed like the perfect choice because it’s Super Bowl Sunday.
Anyway, now I can say I’ve tried turnips. And I was surprised to find I actually do like them, thanks to my dad. At least in “fried” form.
I hope you give these turnip fries a try. Maybe you’ll discover you like them too.
Print
Easy Air Fryer Turnip Fries w/Avocado Ranch Dip
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 20 min
- Yield: 1 – 2 servings 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Air fryer
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the fries:
- 1 large or 2 medium turnips
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- For spicy fries: add a sprinkle of cayenne or chipotle powder
- Salt
For the creamy avocado ranch dip:
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 F.
- Peel the turnip(s) and slice into 1/3 inch sticks. Set on a clean absorbent towel (or paper towels) and roll to squeeze out any excess moisture. You want your turnips as dry as possible. Moisture will make them soggy.
- Toss the dried turnips in the oil and seasonings. Sprinkle with salt. Air fry in a single layer for about 8 minutes, shake and cook 2 – 5 more minutes or until the fries are golden brown. Taste and add seasonings as desired.
- While the fries are cooking, put the ingredients for the dip into a mini food processor or small blender cup and blend until smooth. Pour into a small bowl.
- Serve the fries hot with the dipping sauce and enjoy!
Notes
You will have extra dip. Use it for dipping veggies or even as a sauce over chicken, beef or fish, thin with milk to use as a salad dressing … or save it for your next batch of fries!
RECIPE SOURCE: Sumptuous Spoonfuls – https://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/ © Copyright 2022, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
The VeryWell embed link isn’t working for me anymore, so I’m posting screenshots of the calculated nutrition analysis.
Nutrition analysis for the turnip fries is on the left and the avocado ranch dip is on the right.
Looking for more healthy recipes for fries?
While I try to eat healthy, I really do love my fries! Try one of my other healthy fry recipes:
Baked Parmesan Tarragon Zucchini Fries 
- Easy Curly Zucchini Fries
- Easy Baked Green Bean Fries
- Baked Parmesan Tarragon Zucchini Fries
- Sriracha Ranch Asparagus Fries
- Perfect Baked Steak Fries
6 comments
I want some of those fries and one of the raw turnips in the corner to munch on too! Love it!
I love the fact that turnips are lower in carbs, so I’m definitely going to make this! And the dip sounds wonderful too… What a great combo!
Thanks Michele! It’s really awesome to get your fry fix in without feeling all bloated and guilty. 🙂
[…] You can roast the turnips to mellow out the spice and bring out the sweetness, but the raw, crunchy form is what you want for this salad. (Oh and if you like roasted turnips, they make delicious fries!) […]
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