If you’ve never tried turnips as a low carb substitute for potatoes this air fryer turnips recipe is the one to try. All that potato flavor with less carbs. Flavored with garlic, rosemary and parmesan to create a tasty keto side dish with just 5 ingredients. Only 5 grams net carbs per serving.
You might also like this diced sweet potato air fryer recipe.
Yes I am a fan of turnips ever since I learned they were a good low carb potato substitute on a low carb diet. I have also found they are great as a pasta substitute if you make them in veggie noodles. So this keto air fryer turnips recipe was a quick side dish I made the other day to go with our meaty main dish.
I found some beautiful fresh turnips at a farmers market and had to buy them. I wish I bought more to be honest because this dish was so easy and tasty I will definitely be making it again. Even my husband liked them and that was surprising to be honest. They taste so much like potatoes and air frying gives it a crispy texture.
Here is the calories and carbs you can save from substituting turnips for potatoes. One cup of turnips has 36 calories and 6 grams net carbs. While on cup of potato has 116 calories and 23 grams net carbs. (source USDA) So that is a savings of 80 calories and 17 net carbs per cup!
Recipe ingredients and substitutions.
The simple ingredients I used were fresh turnips, fresh garlic, fresh rosemary, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper. You can substitute avocado oil or your favorite oil for the olive oil if you want.
- Fresh Turnips – Turnips are root vegetables that are low in calories, fat and carbs but high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. They can have a bit of a bitter taste especially older, larger ones so when buying them look for firm, fresh and smaller turnips for the best taste. I used about 4-5 small ones but you can also use 2-3 medium turnips.
- Fresh Rosemary – I used fresh rosemary because my husband is growing some in the garden. You can easily substitute dried rosemary for the fresh. The rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary is equal to 1 teaspoon of dried. You can also substitute with thyme, basil, parsley or other seasonings.
- Parmesan Cheese – I like to buy a block of parmesan cheese and grate it myself as it tastes better to me. However you can easily substitute with already grated parmesan cheese. You can also try other cheeses like asiago, romano or even a sharp cheddar or gruyere. It’s best to use a hard cheese that is has a lot of flavor like these.
- Fresh Garlic – I always like to use fresh garlic as opposed to garlic powder but you can use that if you don’t have fresh. Again the rule of thumb is ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder is equal to 1 clove of fresh.
You can also try other herbs, spices and seasonings if you want. I sometimes like to sprinkle some hot pepper flakes for a bit of heat. I use garlic powder, onions powder, parmesan and paprika for my seasoned roasted potatoes and that would go great with these too.
How to make roasted keto air fryer turnips.
This is how to make air fryer turnips that are low carb and full of flavor. This dish only takes about 20 minutes start to finish and is a great substitute for a potato side dish.
Step 1: First cut off the ends an dice the turnips into uniform bite size pieces. If they have any bad spots I use a vegetable peeler to clean them up. Add them to a mixing bowl and then mix turnips with olive oil, crushed garlic, rosemary, salt and black pepper.
Step 2: Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon the cubed turnips into the basket and spread out into a uniform layer. The sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over top.
I like to buy the block or Parmesan cheese and use a microplane or fine grater to grate my own.
Step 3: Place the basket back in the air fryer and roast at 400°F for 12-15 minutes until the turnips are golden brown and the edges are crispy. They should also be fork tender. Note cooking time may vary depending on the sized of the cubes.
Take them out and spoon into a serving bowl and enjoy. You can garnish with fresh herbs or even chives or chopped green onions. This recipe made 3 servings for us as a side dish.
Store leftovers in an airtight container. You can reheat them in a microwave or for just a few minutes in the air fryer. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.
To make these in the oven.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Mix the turnips with the seasonings and olive oil. Spread in an even layer over the baking sheet and place in the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes, take out and mix around and sprinkle the parmesan and bake for 10-15 minutes more until golden brown and fork tender. Cooking times may vary.
Good low carb main dishes to try with this.
These are the perfect side dish for meat main dishes. These keto main dishes would go great and they don’t take too long to make either.
- keto glazed grilled pork chops (15 minutes to make)
- keto air fryer bacon wrapped chicken thighs (30 minutes to make)
- low carb baked tilapia (25 minutes)
- keto pork tenderloin with lemon butter (40 minutes)
- low carb salisbury steak burgers (25 minutes)
- keto burgers with creamy mushroom gravy (25 minutes)
More delicious low carb turnip dishes to try.
If you find you’re really like cooked turnips, try one of these low carb recipes where it is a substitute for potatoes or pasta. I highly recommend try the noodles as a substitute for pasta.
- keto scalloped potatoes casserole or individuals stacks (my favorite turnip recipe)
- keto pesto pasta
- keto spaghetti casserole or pasta bolognese
- low carb home fries or potato salad
- low carb garlic and lemon pasta or garlic and rosemary pasta
I really liked this keto air fryer turnips. They are the closest vegetable to a potato (that is also low carb) that I have found. So if you are on a low carb diet plan, or even if you want to try something new, I hope you give them a try. They really are an easy low carb side dish. Enjoy!
The nutritional information for 1 serving is 151 calories / 12g fat / 6.7g carbs / 1.7g fiber / 4.8g protein = 5g net carbs
Air Fryer Turnips Recipe (low carb)
This air fryer turnips recipe is easy and great for those that miss potatoes on a low carb diet. It's full of flavor with garlic, rosemary and parmesan cheese. An easy and delicious side dish you can make in less than 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 cups turnips (bite size pieces)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Spray the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Clean and cube the turnips and make sure they are uniform bite size pieces. I usually cut off the ends and if they have any bad spots I use a vegetable peeler to clean them up.
- Add the cubes to a mixing bowl and add the olive oil, crushed garlic, salt and black pepper and minced rosemary. Mix well and spread out in a single layer in the basket. Sprinkle the grated parmesan. I grated my parmesan but if you are using the kind that comes in a cannister you can mix it around in the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Roast at 400°F for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and the turnips are fork tender. Take out and serve. You can garnish with fresh herbs like parsley, chives or even green onions if you wish or even more cheese. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
The nutritional information for 1 serving is 151 calories / 12g fat / 6.7g carbs / 1.7g fiber / 4.8g protein = 5g net carbs
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 151
Rick says
I’m usually skeptical of low-carb “substitutes”, but these were quite good! Of course, my wife is a great cook!
Denise Wright says
I bet she is! So glad you liked them.