Healthy oven-baked rutabaga fries with a great crunchy exterior, and a fluffy interior. Making these fries is a great way to incorporate more veg in your diet, and they’re keto-friendly too!
Just like roasted radishes are the roasted potatoes of the keto world, these rutabaga fries are the keto version of the regular oven baked potato fries. They contain way less carbs, but look and taste quite similar to potato fries.
Of course, I’m not saying that rutabaga fries can replace potatoes fries (nothing can!), but it’s definitely a great alternative if you’re watching your carb intake or just want to experiment with new veg.
What Is Rutabaga/Swede
Rutabaga in the US, and swede in the UK is a root vegetable that is a cross between cabbage and turnip. In the US, this root vegetable is also known as Swedish turnip or yellow turnip but in England, it’s known as Swede or just turnip, in Scotland, they call it “neep”. In Russian, it’s Bryukva (брюква).
It’s a winter vegetable that can be widely found in the UK and the US supermarkets, and honestly, this vegetable is very underrated. It’s usually either roasted, steamed, boiled, or mashed. And I have a feeling that not many know what to do with it.
I usually either roast it and serve it as a side, make a roasted swede soup with it, and I recently started making these delicious rutabaga fries.
How to Make Rutabaga Fries
The trickiest part is peeling and slicing the rutabaga. Rutabagas are quite hard, so cutting through them is not as easy as slicing a potato.
You can either peel the rutabaga using a potato peeler or a paring knife. Once that is done, slice the rutabaga in half and then in 1/4-inch disks. Then take each disk and slice it into fries as shown in step 2 below.
Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
Scatter the rutabaga fries on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with paprika, herbs, salt, and pepper. Toss so that everything is well coated, and arrange in a single layer.
Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and fluffy from the inside.
Seasoning Ideas
If I’m roasting the rutabaga fries with just salt and pepper, I like to season the roasted fries with this homemade french fries seasoning. It’s made with dried spices and herbs, and adds a great flavor to all fries (I always keep a jar of it in my pantry!).
Otherwise, you can season the rutabaga before roasting with something like fajita seasoning, or simple Italian seasoning, or just salt and pepper.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Rutabaga Fries
Ingredients
- 1 rutabaga/swede
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
- You can either peel the rutabaga using a potato peeler or a paring knife. Once that is done, slice the rutabaga in half and then in ¼-inch disks. Then take each disk and slice it into fries as shown in step 2 below.
- Scatter the rutabaga fries on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss so that everything is well coated, and arrange in a single layer.
- Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and fluffy from the inside.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Vicki says
These were really good. We were given 4 rutabagas and I was looking for recipes to try with them. Came across this one. We really like it. We would like to try freezing them for a later use. Have you ever precut, preseasoned then and then froze them for a later use?
Diana says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the fries! As for your question, I haven’t tried freezing them pre-cut and pre-seasoned, but I think I would blanch them first just like I would if I was freezing potatoes. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes.
Lozza says
I have made these several times and love the taste, but whatever I try I cannot get them to go crispy on the outside, I’ve tried in the oven and air fryer, have even tried triple cooking them (Belgium style) but they just won’t crisp up – Any ideas where I’m going wrong?
Chris says
Hi, I blanch mine in hot water first then put in oven and go lovely
Mary Warren says
I would like to make these in an air fryer. Same temp and time?
Diana says
Hi Mary, the Air Fryer usually takes less time so I would probably start checking at 20-25 minutes and be sure to shake the basket every 10 minutes.
Jean says
I just tried rutabaga fries – thank you! Only problem is that I chose a spicy fajita seasoning that left the fries too hot, rendering the rutabaga fries not edible 😪 Do you have any ideas how I can greatly decrease the hot spice flavor? I really want to eat the rutabaga but can’t now 😪
Diana says
Hi Jean, sorry to hear that! The only thing that I can suggest is to serve it with mayo or ranch to help cool off the heat.
meme says
they are Great! like them better then reg fries! my whole family enjoyed them i will make them again that is for sure.