How to roast parsnips

Parsnips are the perfect winter root vegetable to add sweetness to your Sunday roast or Christmas dinner.

Find out how to prepare and roast your parsnips, as well as chef's tips, what you can do with leftovers, and alternatives ways to serve parsnips.

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How to roast parsnips

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/Gas 5.
2. Line a roasting pan with foil and add the recommended amount of fat (around 2 tbsp per four parsnips), then place in the hot oven.
3. Toss the prepared parsnips in the roasting pan and fully coat in the hot fat. 
4. Ensure to spread the vegetable chunks evenly in the roasting pan, so they all have a chance to go crispy. 
5. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until golden and soft in the middle, regularly basting them in the hot fat throughout.

Adding fat, such as olive oil, vegetable oil or beef dripping, will stop parsnips from going dry while roasting. 

For a really thick crispy layer, goose and duck fat works well (or you can place the parsnips in the same pan with a turkey and use the turkey fat).

You'll also want to factor in what your oven is like, especially if it doesn't reliably stay at the same temperature when it's on. When we've tested ovens we've found that some overheat by up to 30ºC more than the set temperature, which is enough to throw off your dinner timings. 

If you're looking to replace your cooker, find one that will cook accurately and evenly with our built-in oven, freestanding cooker and range cooker reviews.

See our best food and drink guide for the inside scoop on the best champagne, sparkling wine, red wine and much more

How to save time cooking parsnips

Parsnips can be boiled or half-roasted the day before and kept in the fridge – or you can prepare them further in advance and freeze them. If you don’t have space in the fridge, you can prepare them the night before and leave them in cold water, ideally in a cooler part of the house such as a garage.

You can also roast the parsnips in one roasting tray with similar root vegetables, such as carrots.

Do parsnips need to be parboiled before roasting?

You don't have to, but this is what you should do:

• Place the parsnips in a saucepan with cold water (most chefs recommend adding a pinch of salt) and bring to the boil. 
• Once the water is boiling, the parsnips need less than five minutes to parboil, or between 5 and 10 minutes until cooked through.

You can also put them straight in a roasting tin with oil and roast for 35 minutes.

Do you peel parsnips?

Young/baby parsnips generally don’t need peeling – just scrub them clean in the same way as potatoes. 

Older parsnips with a softer skin, and those with a waxy coating, should be peeled thinly. Some can have a tough, fibrous core which is chewy to eat, so it's best to cut this out and discard.

Once the parsnips are washed, cut off the tops, slice in half lengthways and cut the strips in half. 

For extra crunchy roasted parsnips, Mary Berry’s preparation tips suggest cutting each one into eighths rather than quarters so there are more corners to pick up the fat.

Parsnip recipes and cooking tips from top chefs 

Parsnip soup recipe for leftovers

Any leftovers can be blended with other vegetables into a quick and easy soup –simply add some extra flavour with onion, garlic and a stock cube. Deliciously Ella combines a variety of spices in her recipe, with subtle hints of tangy apple cider vinegar.

Discover our best soup makers

How many parsnips do I need?

Supermarket parsnips often come in a bag of about 500g, Jamie Oliver recommends 2kg (around 4.4lb) of parsnips to serve 10 people. For reference, 1lb is equivalent to about four medium parsnips. 

So you don’t end up with some burnt roasted ones, it’s best to pick those with an even thickness, rather than ones with a particularly skinny end.

Fresh parsnips are pale and evenly coloured, those with dark spots could mean that they are starting to rot.

Parsnips with splits and long thin roots (measuring millimetres in width) can have a tough woody texture with pithy centres. 

How long do parsnips keep for?

Parsnips wrapped in a paper towel or in a plastic bag can last up to two weeks in the fridge. 

Cooked parsnips can be kept in the fridge drawer and used within three days. Parsnips can also be frozen once they’ve been cooked and cooled down.

For more storage tips, read our expert guide on how to make your food stay fresher for longer.