How To Make Parsnips In An Air Fryer

Parsnips are a great side dish to serve with many different meals, but if you don’t want to go through the process of roasting them, which can take some time, then you could cook them in the air fryer!

How do you make parsnips in an air fryer? Making parsnips in an air fryer is fairly easy. You prepare the parsnips how you would if you were roasting them, you heat up the air fryer, and you place the parsnips into the air fryer for the amount of time recommended, using a lot less oil.

If cooking parsnips in the air fryer sounds great, then keep reading to find out exactly how you can do so, and some tips and tricks to help them turn out amazing!

Why You Should Cook Parsnips In The Air Fryer

You might have a great recipe you use for roasted parsnips, so switching over to an air fryer recipe might take a little convincing.

There are a multitude of reasons why you should choose to cook parsnips in an air fryer, but we will go over the two best reasons why this should be your go-to method.

Quick Cooking Time

Roasting parsnips in the oven can take quite some time. You need to leave the oven to warm up for a bit, and then the parsnips will need at least 30 minutes to cook through.

When using an air fryer, you need only a few minutes for the air fryer to heat up, and then only 10-15 minutes for the parsnips to cook.

This cuts usual cooking time down by at least half, so you get to spend less time in the kitchen, and you get to enjoy your parsnips sooner!

Healthier Cooking

An air fryer is a great tool to keep in the kitchen when you want to start cooking healthier. Air fryers work by circulating hot air in the basket, cooking food without the need for much else.

You use next to no oil when cooking parsnips in an air fryer, which makes them a much healthier side to enjoy than when roasting parsnips in the oven.

Roasting parsnips in the oven requires quite a bit of oil, so simply switching appliances can help you eat healthier at home.

How To Make Parsnips In The Air Fryer

Now that you understand why you should cook parsnips in the air fryer from now on, it would help to know how to do so. 

Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can make delicious parsnips in the air fryer:

Prepare The Parsnips

The first step in cooking the parsnips in the air fryer is to prepare the parsnips. Exactly how you prepare them will come down to personal preference, so keep in mind how you enjoy eating your parsnips.

Start by giving the parsnips a quick wash under running water. This helps to remove any dirt or debris left behind.

Once washed, you can then peel the parsnips. Some people prefer to leave the peel on, but this is up to you.

After peeling the parsnips, or just washing them, cut the parsnips into pieces around 2-3 inches long. Alternatively, you can cut them into quarters. 

Season The Parsnip

It is a good idea to season the parsnips quickly before placing them in the air fryer. Some simple salt and pepper will really bring out the flavor of the parsnips.

You can also give the parsnips a quick spray of oil before putting them in the air fryer.

If you do not have oil spray, you can place the parsnip into a bowl, drizzle a small amount of oil over them along with some salt and pepper, and then toss them together.

Heat The Air Fryer

When the parsnips are prepared and ready to go, you need to then heat up the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 390°F and leave it for a few minutes to heat fully.

Cook The Parsnips

Once the air fryer has heated up fully, place the parsnips into the air fryer basket, and leave them to cook for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove the basket from the air fryer and check the parsnips. If they need longer to cook, give the basket a bit of a shake and place the parsnips back to cook for another 5 minutes.

The parsnips are ready when they are golden brown and tender.

Air Fryer Parsnip Variations

You can create different variations of the above simple air fryer parsnip recipe, depending on the flavors that you love!

Here are some flavor variations you can try with parsnips in the air fryer:

Honey Parsnips

Honey parsnips are a great side to serve, and preparing them in the air fryer is really easy. When preparing the parsnips to be placed in the air fryer, you simply need to sprinkle some salt and drizzle some honey over them.

You can then place the honey parsnips into the air fryer, and as the parsnips cook, the honey creates a beautiful sweet glaze that tastes great with the added salt.

Garlic And Herb Parsnips

If you are not in the mood for sweet honey parsnips, then you could opt for garlic and herb seasoning instead.

After you have washed and cut your parsnips, place them in a bowl. Make a mix of seasoning using ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp of dried parsley.

Coat the parsnips with 1 tsp of oil and the seasoning mix, and toss to combine.

You can then go ahead and cook the parsnips in the air fryer as normal. For an extra herby flavor, you can top the cooked parsnips with 1 tsp of fresh chopped parsley.

Parsnips And Carrots

Making a vegetable mix of parsnips and carrots is a great way to use up leftover vegetables in your fridge, and it just so happens that carrots and parsnips taste great together.

To cook these two together in the air fryer, you would prepare them as normal, peeling and chopping them to size. 

Season the parsnips and carrots with some salt and pepper, and give them a few sprays of olive oil, and a sprinkle of thyme if you have any.

The parsnips and carrots will be cooked in around 12 minutes in the air fryer and will be tender when cooked through.

Parsnip Chips

You can also make parsnip chips in the air fryer if you do not feel like roasting chunks of parsnip.

To do this, you need to peel the parsnips and slice them into your desired chip size. Spray these chips with some olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and then place them in an air fryer that has been left to preheat to 400°F.

Leave the parsnip chips to cook for up to 15 minutes, checking them after 10 minutes. Once done, serve the parsnip chips with a garlic mayo dip.

Cooking Frozen Parsnips In The Air Fryer

If you have some frozen parsnips at home, then you can definitely cook them in the air fryer. Frozen parsnips cooked in the air fryer still turn out crispy on the outside and nice and tender on the inside, and wonderfully flavorsome too.

You can place the parsnips still frozen in a preheated air fryer set to 390°F, and allow them to cook for 20 minutes.

You should check the parsnips after 15 minutes to see if they need more time or not. They will be ready when they are golden brown and tender.

How To Make Parsnips In An Air Fryer

Making parsnips in an air fryer will give you delicious, tender parsnips that are golden brown on the outside, and full of flavor.

Using the air fryer to cook parsnips means cutting down on cooking time, as well as how much oil you need to use when making the parsnips.

This means less time in the kitchen and healthier vegetables that still taste amazing! Follow the above steps on how to cook parsnips in the air fryer, and try out some of the variations we have listed above.

Related Questions

Now that we’ve gone over how to make parsnips in an air fryer, let’s take a look at a few related questions on the subject!

Do you need to peel parsnips?

You don’t always need to peel parsnips. Young parsnips which are still small do not need to be peeled, but you should still scrub them clean to remove any dirt from the skin.

Older, bigger parsnips should be peeled and then chopped down into size. Sometimes, older parsnips have a fibrous core, and you might want to cut this away before cooking the parsnips.

Do I need to boil parsnips before roasting?

Some people prefer to parboil parsnips before roasting them, as this cuts down roasting time and it prevents the parsnips from turning chewy and dry when roasted.

However, if you are cooking parsnips in the air fryer, then there is no need to parboil them first and you can cook them from scratch in the air fryer in just a few minutes.

Up Next: Pie Pan Sizes – The Ultimate Guide