How to Make Easy Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, onions, parsnips, rutabaga, etc is a common dish for us from fall to spring. It’s an easy way to enjoy all those tasty, affordable winter veggies. If you haven’t tried preparing them this way, I think you’re going to love it!

roasted root vegetables ready to serve
Perfect for a beautiful side dish for a special dinner and easy enough for any night of the week.

Also Read: Sausage & Root Veggie Sheet Pan Dinner, Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Beets

Roasting root vegetables brings out their natural sweetness thanks to all that caramelization. This method is easy to do and offers endless variety if you choose a different combination of veggies and seasoning every time.

finished root veggies on roasting pan
This batch was mixed baby potatoes, parsnip, rutabaga, beets and carrots with rosemary and Cajun seasoning.

My Favourite Root Vegetables for Roasting

Root vegetables are hardy, long storing, affordable and tasty. They’re high in nutrients and carbohydrates (starch and sugar) making them ideal for roasting and replacing potatoes, rice or pasta for dinner.

Here’s the root veggies I like to use. You can roast these veggies on their own or in any combination you wish, this recipe, works for either.

  • potatoes
  • sweet potatoes
  • beets
  • parsnips
  • carrots
  • onions
  • rutabaga
  • turnips
  • celery root or celeriac
  • yams
chart of roasting times for common veggies

PRO TIP: Because squash have a similar cooking time and starch content, they can easily be added to the pan when roasting root veggies. Butternut squash, kabocha, buttercup, hubbard, acorn squash or delicata would all be great additions.

raw roasted root veggies on tray
This batch included butternut squash, red onions, potatoes, carrots and parsnips.

Of course, you can roast just about any vegetable (see below for recipe links). But other veggies need less roasting time and often, higher heat. If you want to add beans, broccoli or sweet peppers to your roasted roots – just add them towards the end of the roasting time to prevent them from burning or becoming overcooked.

Frequently Asked Questions about Roasting Root Vegetables

collection of raw root vegetables
Some of my favourite root veggies.
  • Use 425°F or 218°C for root veggies.
  • Perfect for them to caramelize over a long period.
  • Want less caramelizing/browning? Turn down the temps to 375°-400°F.
  • Side Dish – use to replace potatoes, pasta or rice at meal time
  • Sheet Pan Dinner – use as part of a sheet pan dinner, just add a favourite protein eg. Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner
  • Breakfast or Breakfast Dinner – top roasted veggies with a fried or poached egg and add some arugula or other greens
  • Salad Topper – add to a salad to turn it into full meal just replace the butternut squash in this Whole Grain Salad with Kale

Blanching (boiling veggies for a short time) is not necessary, but does have some benefits:

  • veggies will roast faster
  • veggies will shrivel and shrink less
  • less likely to char before they’re done cooking on the inside

Blanching will remove some of the starch and tenderizes the veggies before roasting.

To prevent soggy roasted vegetables:

  • Use a high oven temp 425°F/218°C
  • Leave space between pieces so they roast instead of steam. Use 2 pans if needed.
  • Use just enough oil to coat veggies, but no more than that. 1 Tbsp per pan should be enough.

Peeling depends on the vegetable and what shape it’s in. Peel rutabaga, sweet potatoes, celery roots, beets, onions and winter squash (not a root, but pairs nicely with the roots).

Potatoes, carrots and parsnips don’t need to be peeled – your choice.

You can, but there’s an important step to take. To prevent your prepared root vegetables from turning brown (oxidizing) place them in a container and completely cover with water. Fun fact, rutabagas won’t turn brown when cut, you can place them in a container without water.

  • To Store: Cool completely and store in airtight container in fridge for 3-4 days.

No! It’s not recommended because the texture just won’t be the same.

  • Reheat in oven. Space out on pan, preheat oven and bake for 5 min at 425°F/218°C just til heated through.
  • Reheat in fry pan for 3-5 min til heated through.

Have a question that isn’t covered? Let me know in the comments below.

Fried egg, paprika, feta and cilantro on a bed of roasted root veggie with spinach and arugula.

Seasoning Ideas for Roasted Vegetables

Here are some of my favourite ways to season roasted vegetables. I rarely make them the same way twice, so there’s always instant varieties. Let me know your favourite seasoning in the comments below.

Simple Dry Seasoning & Oil

Choose your favourite seasoning blend or just stick to salt and pepper. Usually 1-2 tsp of seasoning and 1-2 Tbsp of oil.

If the seasoning blend has lots of dried, flaky herbs like Italian Seasoning or Lemon Herb Seasoning, I’ll add it at the end of the roasting to prevent it from burning. We like Cajun Seasoning, Lemon Pepper Finishing Salt, Rosemary Finishing Salt, Season Salt, etc.

Sweet & Tangy Glaze

Make a simple vinaigrette for your veggies. Try 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup, honey or jam with 1/2 Tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar and a little salt and pepper.

Mustard Glaze

Use 1Tbsp of your favourite style of mustard (Dijon, grainy, horseradish flavoured, etc.) and combine it with 1 Tbsp of honey and 1 Tbsp of oil and a little salt and pepper.

Sweet & Spicy

I love using my homemade hot pepper jelly with roasted veggies. Mix 2 Tbsp hot pepper jelly with 1Tbsp oil and a little slat and pepper.

Recipe for Easy Roasted Root Vegetables

close up of roasted root vegetables
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Easy Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted root vegetables are an ideal side dish. Roasting brings out their natural sweet flavour, is easy to do and can be varied by changing the combination of vegetables and type of seasoning. Use a combination of root vegetables and/or winter squash.
Prep : 15 minutes
Cook : 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2-3 pounds mixed root vegetables and winter squash 6-8 cups cut carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, potatoes, parsnip, turnip, butternut, kabocha, delicata or hubbard squashes, etc.
  • 1 medium red or yellow onion
  • 3-5 sprigs hardy herbs like thyme, oregano, rosemary or sage
  • 1-2 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425°F/218°C.
  • Wash and peel veggies (optional for potatoes, carrots or parsnips). Cut into similar sized chunks about 1 inch in size (smaller pieces will take less cooking time and shrink more, larger pieces will take longer to cook).
  • Cut onion into 1 inch pieces – do not separate rings, leave in chunks.
  • Toss vegetables and herbs with oil and seasoning. (See alternative seasoning ideas in blog post).
  • Arrange on large rimmed baking sheet leaving space between pieces to ensure roasting instead of steaming.
  • Bake for 30-50 minutes depending on how thick your veggies are and how tender/caramelized you like them. Stir and rotate pan in oven at least twice for even cooking. To test for doneness, pierce two or three pieces with a fork, the fork should move through to the center of the veggie without force.
  • Remove from oven and serve. Garnish with crumbled feta or fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley or basil.

Notes

If using beets, they will turn the other veggies pink when tossed together, place them on the pan last to keep colours separate. 
Garlic cloves will char and turn bitter if roasted this long. If you want to add garlic, add it halfway during the roasting time.
You can use frozen root vegetables (carrots, beets, rutabaga or squash) as well. If they have been properly blanched before freezing the bake time will be a little less. Add them with about 15-20 minutes bake time remaining. Do not thaw, use frozen.
 
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Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 158mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Iron: 1mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: carrots, oven roasted, root vegetables, winter vegetables
close up of roasted root vegetables
You get to choose how caramelized you want your veggies.

Other Roasted Vegetable Recipes

Here are some of my other roasted vegetable recipes for you to enjoy. Many of the seasoning and finishing ideas are easily transferred from one veggie to another. For example the feta on the roasted carrots would be great with roasted beets. Or try the red pepper jelly finish used on the roasted carrot slices with sweet potatoes. You get the idea – mix it up, have some fun!

Ready to give these easy roasted root vegetables a try? Let me know what your favourite combination is and your preferred seasoning in the comments below or on Instagram @GetGettyS or on Facebook @GettyStewart.HomeEconomist.

Getty Stewart is a Professional Home Economist, speaker, frequent media guest and writer sharing tips and recipes to build confidence and teach skills on how to use whole seasonal foods. She is the author of several recipe books, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener. Sign up to get articles by Getty delivered to your inbox. You’ll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this.

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