Air fryer parsnips recipe (honey glazed)

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In our home a roast dinner is a real feast. Made all the more special by trimmings, such as these honey glazed air fryer parsnips.

I don't always make extra special vegetables, and sometimes just serve what we've got in, but parsnips have to be one of my favourite ever air fryer vegetable recipes to enjoy with a roast dinner.

When cooking a roast dinner I've often got the oven full and so I like to use my air fryer for a few trimmings.

Sometimes I make an entire air fryer roast dinner but usually I stick to things like air fryer roast potatoes, or Ninja Foodi roast potatoes, air fryer frozen yorkshire puddings and if I don't want to make these I'll make air fryer carrots and parsnips instead.

I love to make these parsnips, either plain, or with a honey glaze, and I'm sure you'll find these a welcome addition to your roast dinner.

If you're looking for some cooking tips, and some serving suggestions, then read further along in this post as I've got those covered too. I love to cook parsnips, especially honey roasted ones, as they are so sweet, alongside the naturally sweet flavour that parsnips already have, plus they are tasty and even my fussy little ones will eat them too.

Ingredients for air fryer parsnips

500g parsnips

15ml olive oil (1 tablespoon of olive oil) 

3 crushed or chopped garlic cloves

Fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme 

Salt and pepper to season

30ml honey

Salt & pepper to taste

Method for making parsnips in the air fryer

Scrub your parsnips, peel if you prefer though you can skip this.

Heat a pan of water on the hob, with a little salt.

Place the parsnips in the boiling water and boil for 5-6 minutes. Drain well, leave in the colander to steam and then shake them to fluff them up a little.

Slice them lengthways into 4 or 6 pieces, depending on the size and length of parsnips.

Dress the parsnips with the oil, crushed garlic and thyme. I place them into a bowl so I can shake them around and fix well.

Air fry at 160C (320F approx) for 10 minutes, shaking halfway.

Shake well after this cook time.

Air fry at 200C (390F approx) for 10 minutes, shaking halfway.

Season with salt and pepper - I typically use ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper.

If you're adding the honey then drizzle over 15ml of honey, shake well, and air fry at 200C (390F approx) for another 2 minutes.

If you like these extra crispy then add two more minutes of cook time.

Do I need to parboil parsnips before air frying?

Personally I do like to parboil mine, and just help to fluff them up a little, but you can skip this step and increase the air frying time too. I find that these are fluffy on the inside, and crispy on the outside, when I parboil them.

For air frying I would suggest adding 3-4 minutes to each of the 10 minute cooking time sections if you're going to skip the parboiling.

Do you remove the core of parsnips before air frying?

I usually skip this step, unless the core is particularly thick or fibrous. The main reason for removing the core is just that the thicker core can have a bit of a firmer bite. If you like your vegetables to have a really soft inner bite then you'll want to take the time to cut this out.

Which other vegetables go well with parsnips?

Roasted parsnip, or air fryer parsnips in this case, go very well with sweet potatoes, butternut squash and carrots too. I love to make air fryer carrots and parsnips together, at the same time, as they cook well in the same air fryer basket.

I love to make air fryer butternut squash, though the cooking time is a little different. Air fryer asparagus is always nice if you're looking for something a little different.

Are parsnips healthier than potatoes?

If you're comparing calories they are very similar, nutritionally they both have their place in a healthy and varied diet.

With parsnips you'll be getting lots of great nutrients, such as lots of fibre, vitamin C, magnesium and more.

For me I love to have parsnips and potatoes on my plate. I tend to make a batch of rosemary and garlic roast potatoes and serve these with a tasty meat, such as slow cooker roast beef or slow cooker gammon.

Do you need to peel parsnips?

Again, like coring or parboiling, I think this is an optional step. If you don't have particularly large parsnips they won't have a thick skin.

I like to scrub them really well, with a vegetable brush, and then just use them as they come. Not only does this help to save time and effort it also helps to cut down on food waste which is great.

What dressings go well with parsnips?

I love to make these honey glazed roasted parsnips, which I then serve with either onion gravy or gravy from beef drippings.

Maple syrup and brown sugar makes a lovely glaze.

Nutmeg is a lovely spice to sprinkle over the top of the parsnips when you serve to bring some extra flavour.

Garlic and rosemary works well, as does garlic and thyme or garlic and sage. Any classic roast potato or roast dinner type herbs and seasonings will go great over the top of your parsnips. I like to add some spray oil, and the seasonings, to a bowl and then I will toss the parsnips well within the oil and give them a nice coating, before cooking for another 2-3 minutes.

Why not try some of my other air fryer vegetable dishes while you're here?

• Air fryer green beans
• Tenderstem broccoli in the air fryer
• Roasted tomatoes in the air fryer
• Air fryer roasted tomato soup
• Carrot fries in the air fryer
• Air fryer cauliflower cheese
• Grilled onions in the air fryer
• Air fryer corn on the cob
• Air fryer hasselback potatoes
• Diced potatoes in the air fryer
• Air fryer canned potatoes
• Mashed potatoes in the air fryer

These are some of my favourite air fryer accessories:

Something to note about air fryer recipes is that all air fryers have different sizes, depths and as such the cooking times can vary. All air fryer recipes on this website are intended as a guide, and not a guarantee that the timings will be perfect. Enjoy!

How to make air fryer honey glazed parsnips:

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