Parsnip chips are a great snack for folks who miss potato chips or are just in the mood for some CRUNCH! Whether you're sensitive to nightshades or cutting back on carbs, you may be missing potatoes. This snack is paleo, low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, and Whole30.
I know I miss them every now and then. Actually, who am I kidding? I LOVE potatoes and miss them dearly!
I've tried nearly every potato replacement out there. I've fried radishes in place of home fries; I've mashed cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes; I've made celery root fries in place of French fries. I've tried them all, and I've learned there is no good replacement for the almighty potato. So stop torturing yourself and grieve the loss of your potatoes. Enjoy these other foods for what they are, and don't compare them to the potato version.
That being said, I wanted something salty and crunchy, and my normal romaine lettuce salad or celery stick just wasn't going to cut it. So I decided to slice and fry a parsnip. I'm glad I did; this turned out amazing!
If you are actively working to recover your health, I'd probably skip these, and I wouldn't eat them every day or in large quantities, but they're a really great occasional treat.
QUICK REFERENCE
📋 WHY THIS PARSNIP CHIPS RECIPE WORKS
- Three ingredients and one pan - that's it.
- Ready in 20 minutes - total.
- Fits nearly every plate - paleo, low carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, and Whole30.
- Satisfies a potato chip craving - without the nightshade or the carbs.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
- Parsnip: I definitely recommend experimenting with spices and seasoning your parsnip chips. I have tried them with Redmond's Real Salt, Paleo Powder seasoned salt, just salt, and lots of other spice combinations. Shop spice blends on Amazon!
- Salt: Salt to taste once the chips come out of the oil, while they're still hot.
- Bacon Grease: I use bacon grease for frying, but any oil of choice will work.
📋 SUBSTITUTIONS
This recipe is already paleo, low-carb, gluten-free, and Whole30 as written. Here's the swap for other dietary needs:
- Vegan or Vegetarian: Use coconut oil for frying instead of bacon grease.
If you need help with different dietary accommodations, let me know in the comments, and I'll try to help!
📖 VARIATIONS
If you'd rather not fry these on the stovetop, you can also bake parsnip chips or make them in an air fryer. For baking, slice thin and bake at around 375 to 400 degrees until crisp, checking often since thickness will affect timing. For an air fryer, cook in a single layer, shaking the basket every few minutes until crispy.
You can also mix in other root vegetables cut the same way, like beets, turnips, or celeriac, for a colorful mixed chip batch.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Peel parsnip and slice with a mandolin.
Step 2: Continue slicing until all parsnip rounds are cut and ready to fry.
Step 3: Add parsnip slices to hot oil of your choice (I use bacon grease) in small batches.
Step 4: Fry until brown and crispy. Depending on the thickness of the chips, this could take 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 5: Remove from oil, place on a paper towel, and salt to taste.
🍽 EQUIPMENT
A mandolin is really important here for getting thin, even slices. Even slices cook at the same rate, which helps you avoid some chips burning while others are still soft.
🍴 How to Serve
These are also strong enough to scoop. I have eaten them with salsa for a pretty delicious substitute for chips and salsa, and they did great. If you can tolerate dairy, I'm sure these would be great with a homemade French onion or ranch dip too. You could also use a typical tartar sauce or flavor up some homemade mayo or guacamole for an on-the-fly aioli!
🥣 Storage
Store leftover parsnip chips in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They're at their crispiest fresh, so keep in mind the texture will soften a bit the longer they sit.
💭 TOP TIP
Keep the oil at a steady temperature while frying. If the oil cools down too much between batches, the chips can turn soggy instead of crisp, so give it a minute to come back up to temperature before adding the next round.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Not always. Young, smooth-skinned parsnips often don't need peeling, while older ones with rougher or damaged skin are usually better peeled first for a cleaner texture and appearance.
Salting before frying draws moisture out of the parsnip, which can prevent the chips from getting crispy and cause oil to sputter. Salting immediately after frying, while the chips are still hot, helps the salt stick and keeps the texture crisp.
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Did you try this recipe? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know what you thought in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Parsnip Chips
Ingredients
- 1 Large Parsnip
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- Bacon Grease for frying
Instructions
- Peel parsnip and slice with a mandolin.
- Fry sliced parsnip in oil of your choice (I use bacon grease) until brown and crispy. Depending on the thickness of the chips, this could take 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from oil, place on a paper towel, and salt to taste.
Heather Cooan, MBA, ONC, FDNP, NTP says
So good. I need to use parsnips more often.