Name: Spicy Turnip Chips
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 3 medium turnips (about 18 oz total); salt and pepper; cayenne

These spicy turnip chips are baked to crisp perfection! Low carb, gluten free, and keto friendly recipe.

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These turnip chips are seasoned with cayenne, salt, and pepper! They are perfect for low carb snacks or for dipping!

This post may contain affiliate links.

OK, I get it. Turnips are NOT a trendy vegetable. But they are so much lower in carbohydrates than potatoes that they really are worth considering. And the bonus is that because they're not trendy, they're also not very expensive!

I have used turnip in all kinds of ways, from fries to a soup to a gratin: check out all my low carb turnip recipes!

So let's look at the statistics:

One medium turnip (approximately 4 oz) contains 6g net carbs in total - let's compare that to the same weight of potatoes, which contains a whopping 21.5g net carbs! So although turnips may not be the lowest carb vegetable, they certainly make a fantastic alternative to potato that is MUCH lower in carbohydrates.

Oh, and turnips are loaded with fiber, vitamins K, A, C, E, B1, B3, B5, B6, B2 and folate, as well as minerals like manganese, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and copper. They are also a good source of phosphorus, omega-3 fatty acids and protein. And did I mention this already - they are really inexpensive!

I have chosen to bake these chips because I don't like deep frying anything! But if you have an air fryer I think these would work really well!

How to Make Spicy Turnip Chips

Just so that we're clear: they don't *have* to be spicy. In fact my husband LOVES turnips, but hates spice, so as you'll see, I made the batch that is photographed below half and half. One pan had just salt and pepper, the other had salt and pepper plus cayenne. But the non-spicy side could have paprika or similar to add a little flavor without the heat.

Peel the turnips (it always seems like a bit of a shame to remove that gorgeous pinky-purple exterior!), and slice them thinly. For these chips you really will need a mandoline - there is no way around that. The chips have to be thin, and uniform. Unless you have amazing knife skills, invest in a mandoline and you can use it for all kind of vegetable chips (like zucchini chips!) and many mandolines come with a julienne attachment: perfect for making zoodles!

Make sure you use the guard to prevent catching your fingers on the blade. Once the turnips are peeled than you'll get into an easy rhythm of making super thin slices.

I normally hate wastage but I will say that for making chips, any slices that are super thin, very small, or incomplete will burn a LOT faster than the other slices.

You'll need a couple of baking sheets lined with silicone mats or parchment paper. Try to ensure that the slices don't overlap. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne, ensuring that every slice gets covered. (although in this photo, both have salt and pepper, only one pan has cayenne. My husband loves turnip but hates spice, so I made allowances!) I haven't given measurements for the cayenne because all I did was just shake some over the turnips! If you use cayenne regularly then you'll have a feel for how much to use. You could also use chipotle powder or paprika!

Roast for 20 minutes at 300F. After multiple testings with different parameters, the one thing that I learned is that these chips can burn super quickly. So this isn't one of those recipes that you can shove in the oven and walk away from. The thickness of the chips and your individual oven can make a huge difference.

As an idea, the recipe that inspired me to make these chips suggested an hour in the oven at the same heat I tried here. But after 30 minutes they were all pretty burnt so I had to start again.

Once they start to darken at the edges (and in my convection oven the lower pan darkened well before the upper), turn off the oven but leave the turnip chips inside. Keep an eye on them as they will continue to cook. As soon as any start to burn, remove them from the oven. This took about 15 minutes for me.

Let cool and any remaining less-cooked chips will start to harden. This recipe makes about 32 chips which is about four servings. But they are best eaten freshly roasted for the best taste and crispness. Store in an airtight container.

📖 Recipe

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