Roasted Root Vegetables

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This roasted root vegetables recipe just screams, fall is here! I used this dish to introduce my 6-year-old to beets, and she preferred them over the sweet potatoes she already loves. Combine them both with other hearty root veggies, like carrots, parsnips, and onions, for a healthy side dish packed with autumn flavor.

Roasting root vegetables recipes brings out their natural sweetness and earthy flavor, setting them apart from other roasted vegetables, such as roasted broccoli or roasted eggplant. You can serve them anytime of year, but fall and winter are the best times of all.

Why You’ll Love This Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe

Tastes sweet, savory, and caramelized
Beautiful blend of colors
Tender inside, lightly crisp outside
Simple, common ingredients
Fast 10 minute prep
Naturally gluten-free, vegan, and healthy
Nutritious, versatile side dish for a weeknight dinner

Roasted root vegetables in a bowl with fresh herbs.

What Are Root Vegetables?

Root vegetables are edible veggies that grow underground and are typically starchy. These include taproots (like carrots and beets), tubers and tuberous roots (like potatoes and sweet potatoes), corms (like celery root and water chestnut), and bulbs (like onions and garlic). Root vegetable recipes can be cooked in a variety of ways, but roasting is one of the best ways to prepare them!

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for oven roasted root vegetables, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Root Vegetables – I used carrots, parsnips, red beets, onions, and a sweet potato. You can roast root vegetables of other kinds too, like turnips, rutabaga, golden beets, radishes, potatoes (of various types like red, gold, purple), other types of onions (like white, yellow, or sweet Vidalia), fennel, celery root, and jicama. You could even add whole garlic cloves to make roasted garlic!
Oil – Adds flavor, promotes browning and caramelization, and helps the seasonings stick. You can use regular olive oil (I used this kind), extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, or melted coconut oil as a substitute. Don’t use butter, which will burn at the high temp required for roasting root vegetables.
Fresh Herbs – Fresh rosemary and fresh thyme add an earthy flavor to root vegetables, and they can stand up to heat. You can also try adding fresh sage, parsley, or oregano. If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you can use dried instead (1/3 the amount, because dried herbs are more concentrated), or just keep it simple by using 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
Seasonings – Including garlic powder, sea salt (or kosher salt), and black pepper. Other seasonings that work well with root veggies include smoked paprika or cumin.

Roasted root vegetable recipe ingredients.

How To Roast Root Vegetables

This section shows how to make roasted root vegetables, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

Chop. Cut the vegetables into pieces and combine in a large bowl.
Season. Toss the veggies with olive oil. Add rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and stir to coat evenly.
Arrange. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a large baking sheet (this one is the perfect size).

Seasoned veggies in a bowl with a spoon.

Raw root vegetables arranged on a baking sheet.

Bake. Roast root vegetables in the oven until soft and caramelized.
Optional step: Place the pan with roasted root vegetables 6 inches away from the broiler and broil until browned. I liked to garnish with extra thyme leaves and rosemary sprigs.

Roasted root vegetables on a baking sheet.

Tips For The Best Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasting root vegetables is very straightforward, but here are a few tips and notes to be aware of:

Cut the veggies into uniform-sized pieces. This will ensure that they cook at the same rate. One-inch cubes or 1/2-inch slices are a good size for even cooking.
The beets may “bleed” onto the other root vegetables when mixing. This is not a big deal and most of the color will cook away when roasting. If you prefer to avoid this, you can toss the beets with oil and seasonings separate from the other vegetables, or replace the beets with 1 cup of other root vegetables of your choice.
Don’t crowd the pan. Make sure to spread the root veggies in a single layer, with each piece touching the pan. This ensures even cooking and also promotes caramelization.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Meal prep: Portion the veggies into individual containers with a protein, like chicken or fish. Keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat: Warm up in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. You can also reheat in the air fryer (my fave method) to get crispier edges.
Freeze: Transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip lock bag and store in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.

Roasted root vegetables recipe in a bowl.

Ways To Serve Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted root vegetable recipes are very versatile. They go with just about anything! Here are some ideas to try:

Chicken – Cook root veggies together on the same pan with chicken leg quarters, a crispy spatchcock chicken, or chicken thighs for a sheet pan chicken dinner! You can also make juicy grilled chicken breasts or air fryer chicken legs while you have the root vegetables in the oven.
Pork – For a comfort food meal, make tender pan seared pork chops while the veggies roast, prep savory slow cooker pulled pork ahead of time, or make crispy pork belly right before.
Beef – Serve with a juicy sirloin steak or a tender prime rib roast for a large gathering.
Turkey – Root vegetables make a delicious side dish to a roasted turkey for the holidays. For a smaller gathering, make slow cooker turkey breast or turkey legs instead.
Fish – Try them with baked flounder, simple pan fried tilapia, or add them to a salmon bowl.
Salad – Toss the cooked veggies into a winter salad or kale salad, or swap the squash in butternut squash salad with mixed roasted root vegetables.

More Root Vegetable Recipes

If you love the fall flavors of this roasted root vegetable recipe and want to explore more ways to cook with these earthy gems, try these:

Roasted carrots and parsnips in a serving platter.

Recommended Tools

Large Baking Sheet – This one has a patented nonstick surface (so much better than most, it has lasted me for years!) and a large size to fit all the veggies.

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8 Comments

Betsy
0 September 14, 2023Reply

This recipe totally convinced me that I like parsnips. I was going to omit them, but they blend perfectly in with the rest of the vegetables. I especially love the thyme & rosemary combo – delish!
Sam
0 September 14, 2023Reply

LOVED IT!! We have this on repeat now!!! It’s perfect with fish and baked chicken – such easy dinners! Thank you!
Quinn
0 September 14, 2023Reply

This is one of my favorite fall recipes. I make this all the time! The roasted beets are my fav.
Phoebe
0 September 14, 2023Reply

My favorite side dish! I love all the color and the simple seasoning is great for adding the veggies to pasta the next day!
Faith
0 September 14, 2023Reply

It’s that time of year when I LOVE to make my favorite roasted veggies!! Beets are def my fave and I decided I wanted to make a big batch on a sheet pan. These turned out great- I added it to my buddha bowl and it was sooo good.
Sha
0 September 13, 2023Reply

These roasted root vegetables are a winner! Served it with porkchop, they were a great combo. So scrumptious and filling!
Jess
0 September 13, 2023Reply

This is the only way that I will eat beets and parsnips and I cannot thank you enough for sharing this amazing recipe!
Kristyn
0 September 13, 2023Reply

I’ll be making this to go with every meal!! It’s so colorful & the veggies are tender & tasty!!