The Best Low-Carb Baked French Fries
Martina Slajerova- Ready in 45m
- 9.5 g net carbs
- 117 kcal
- Serves 4
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Never heard of swede (rutabaga)? Well, it's time you get to know this vegetable, it's low-carb friendly!
Swede (aka Rutabaga)Trusted sourceWikipediaWikipedia is written collaboratively by largely anonymous volunteers who write without pay.Open link is commonly used in paleo diet meals as a replacement for potatoes. Swede is high in potassium, which is a mineral often deficient in low-carb diets. Unlike sweet potatoes, it's relatively low in carbs.
Just for comparison, here is a quick overview of the average net carbs of similar vegetables (per 100 g):
- sweet potatoes: 17 g net carbs
- parsnip: 13 g net carbs
- potatoes: 10-17 g net carbs depending on type
- celery root: 7 g net carbs
- carrot: 6.8 g net carbs
- swede: 5.6 g net carbs
However, if you aim for even less carbs, try fries from these:
- turnip: 3.9 g net carbs
- kohlrabi: 2.6 g net carbs
- parsley root: 1.7 g net carbs
After a few (some failed) cooking experiments, I found that swede was the best alternative for potatoes. But don't expect the same taste and crispiness of potato fries, they won't be as crispy as starchy potatoes.
I also tried fries from other vegetables: Turnip and kohlrabi fries had more water content and the texture was a bit too soft and chewy for fries, but they are still good for those who want to save more carbs. Parsley root fries tasted great but they may not be easy to find (at least not in the UK). Just make sure you don't get parsnips - they look the same but the carbs content is a lot higher!
UPDATE: Based on your feedback, frying a rutabaga is not ideal. Stick with the oven method to make sure you don't burn it. Also, you may need to adjust the time depending on your oven.
Step-by-step
First, preheat the oven to 230 °C/ 445 °F (fan assisted), or 250 °C/ 465 °F (conventional). Wash and peel the swede.
Cut them into spears about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) wide (or even less for crisping them up). As I realised in my Keto Chili Cheese Fries Recipe, the wider you cut them, the more difficult it will be to make them crispy. Place the fries into a bowl and remove any excess water using a paper towel.
In a small bowl, mix the oil, paprika, salt, pepper and ground cloves (if used).
Pour the oil mixture over the fries evenly and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Make sure the tray is not overcrowded and use two of them if needed. Cook for 25-35 minutes (it depends on how thick you cut them). Check the fries regularly and turn the baking tray a couple of times to make sure they are evenly cooked.
Remove from the oven and serve with meat and quick sugar-free ketchup or mayonnaise (try my homemade mayo). Store i the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat and crisp up in the oven before serving as they will be soft and soggy.
Recipe
The Best Low-Carb Baked French Fries
★★★★☆4.3Oven-baked vegetable fries made with rutabaga instead of potatoes. These are the most authentic non-potato ...
- Hands on
- 10m
- Overall
- 45m
- Servings
- 4
- 9.5 g
- Net carbs
- 1.7 g
- Protein
- 7 g
- Fat
- 117
- kcal
Ingredients makes 4 servings
Instructions
First, preheat the oven to 230 °C/ 445 °F (fan assisted), or 250 °C/ 465 °F (conventional). Wash and peel the swede.
Cut them into spears about 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) wide (or even less for crisping them up). As I realised in my Keto Chili Cheese Fries Recipe, the wider you cut them, the more difficult it will be to make them crispy. Place the fries into a bowl and remove any excess water using a paper towel.
In a small bowl, mix the oil, paprika, salt, pepper and ground cloves (if used).
Pour the oil mixture over the fries evenly and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Make sure the tray is not overcrowded and use two of them if needed. Cook for 25-35 minutes (it depends on how thick you cut them). Check the fries regularly and turn the baking tray a couple of times to make sure they are evenly cooked.
Remove from the oven and serve with meat and quick sugar-free ketchup or mayonnaise (try my homemade mayo). Store i the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat and crisp up in the oven before serving as they will be soft and soggy.
Nutrition per serving, about 85 g/ 3 oz fries
Carbs 35%Protein 6%Fat 59% of calories
- Net carbs
- 9.5 g
- Total carbs
- 13.1 g
- Fiber
- 3.6 g
- Sugars
- 6.7 g
- Protein
- 1.7 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Saturated fat
- 5.7 g
- Calories
- 117 kcal
- Sodium
- 309 mg · 13.4% RDA
- Magnesium
- 31 mg · 7.64% RDA
- Potassium
- 464 mg · 23.2% EMR
Nutrition by ingredient
| Per about 85 g/ 3 oz fries | Net carbs | Protein | Fat | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swede (rutabaga), fresh | 9.5 g | 1.6 g | 0.2 g | 56 |
| Coconut oil, extra virgin | 0 g | 0 g | 6.7 g | 61 |
| Spices, paprika | 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 |
| Pepper, black, spices | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Salt, sea salt | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 |
| Total | 9.5 g | 1.7 g | 7 g | 117 |
Serving size about 85 g/ 3 oz fries
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Pork free
- Avocado free
- Coconut free
- Fish free
- Shellfish free
- Beef free
- Pescatarian
- Low FODMAP
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
Serve it with
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Comments & ratings (55)
Also I wonder if you’ve created a keto recipe for ketchup, coz ketchup is often a sugar bomb?
I have indeed! 😊 Homemade Sugar-Free Ketchup
I love your recipes. They are the most direct, easy to understand clean and sensible recipes around. I completely agree with the way you eat. Just love it and for some reason I really trust it. Thank you for everything!
Thank you so much, that's so kind of you! ❤️
I agree with the person that posted they trust your recipes/YOU!! I look around at some of thee most popular keto sites. Doing SEO etc....and how interesting.....almost every single one of their recipes have 5 star reviews. Sorry, not buying it! Most people are new to keto, or have expectations that the keto recipes will be exactly the same as the off limit, dreadful way of eating that's been pushed in us. My point.....RARELY is a recipe going to average 5 star's for many user's!! I think most of their reviews are fake....and you can tell by reading them! Shame on them! I commend you for your honesty & integrity. Stay just as lovely as you are! Thank you & looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Thank you so much Michelle! You are right, many recipe sites (not just keto) tend to manipulate the rating. I can tell you with absolute certainty that when there's a full 5 star rating with hundreds or ratings, it is definitely fake. Sadly this is the case everywhere, even Amazon or app stores.
We actually had an issue with rating abuse in the past as some website scrapers were causing all new recipes to get downgraded. For that reason we had to block certain activities on all new content but that's about it. I also see negative ratings as a way to improve. When a recipe gets bad reviews or less than 4 stars on average, I know it needs improvements - either the recipe itself or the instructions.
I’m not a fan of rutabagas. Do these taste like rutabagas or does spicing them up and frying them make them taste better?
I think that if you don't like rutabagas you won't like these, they do still taste like them although you can "hide" the taste with spices. You could also try turnips and parsley roots (not parsnips).
I usually make low fat fries in the airfryer with potatoes.
As trying to eat healthier and going for lower carb options
tried with turnip as a alternative. If you have an airfryer cook
them in there instead of oven method. It uses less fat and they
cook more evenly giving better results. Put the uncooked fries
in the airfryer, add no more than a tablespoon of oil, sprinkle with
choice of seasoning then cook.
Thank you Mary! I've heard so many good things about air fryers, I might get one too!
These were very tasty but they didn't rest crisp up much, other than the tiniest strips, which were more burnt than crisp. We enjoyed them but they were a lot of effort for the return. If I'm honest I'm quite happy with swede as a side either mashed with cream, butter and cheese, or cut into large chunks and baked, but then again I've never been a huge fan of French fries, and I've never try missed potatoes on keto, so I'm probably not the best candidate for judging this recipe! Thank you so much for coming up with this recipe though, it's a useful one to have in the back pocket 😊
Thank you Anu! I see what you mean, they are not as crispy as french fries - I wish there was a way to make non-starchy veg as crispy as potatoes! It can be a good alternative if you really crave fries. I wonder if they'd be better from an air fryer or deep frier... I agree that oven-roasted, boiled or mashed veg is a lot easier and perfect for a low-carb diet 😊
These will exceed your expectations
Really nice alternative to potato and sweet potato with this recipe!
The Swede seems to carry so much flavour.
Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you Jon!
Soak your strips in ice water for 30 minutes, blot them well, and then bake. The resulting texture is crispier on the outside and render on the inside!
Thank you for the great tips!
What about jicama fries? Have you tried? How do they stack up?
I have not tried jicama as I can't find it in the UK but I've heard that t's a great alternative to potatoes!
I was so skeptical of this when I first cut into the rutabaga. It didn't smell all that great. When I cooked it and when it came out it was delicious! So excited! Been craving french fries on keto and this hit the spot. Thank you for the recipe!
So I'm not keto, but I'm currently on, what I call a journey, not to sound too cliche, to be more mindful about my eating, which has started with a three month medically supervised fast. I'm going to be weaned off the fast soon, and I'm researching healthier alternatives to some of my go-to junk foods, one being fries, which is how I found your blog, among others with similar recipes for fries.
And I'm noticing a common theme among a lot of them, talking about how they are typically a bit softer/wetter than potatoes, so they don't crisp up the same way. I was curious to know if you've tried disgorging the vegetables before cooking them, to draw out any excess moisture?
I'm gonna try doing it myself, but I'm just curious if anyone has tried it and what the results were, if they were better/worse.
How did you work out the net carbs for this recipe to be only 8.6g (for 600g swede) when earlier you mention that it has 5.6g for every 100g? According to my calculation it is more like 35g of net carbs.
Thanks
It's 5.6 g net carbs for every 100 grams (that's about 34 g net carbs per 600 g). This recipe makes 4 servings: 34/4 = 8.5 g net carbs (+ carbs from spices).
I had these last night.... so good! I also found the thinner that better they crisped and the better flavor. mmmmmm Thanks for sharing!
Awesome, I'm glad you liked them! 😊
I just tried making them and they didn't crisp up at all 😞 had them in for 30 minutes and they started blackening but remained soggy. Any advice?
I'm sorry to hear that. Please, keep in mind that rutabaga will not get as crispy as potato fries but you can achieve a good result. You may need to adjust temperature/timing - do you live at high altitude?
Perhaps they were not dried off or drained enough in the beginning of preparation?
What about using a convection oven? (I often use mine when roasting cauliflower to dry it out a bit.) Thanks!
Hi Thea, if using a conventional oven, the general rule is to add 10–20°C to the recommended temperature. I hope this helps!
Where can people in USA buy Kohirabi, turnip ,parsley root?Does Whole food Market sell these veggies
Hi Renee, I live in the UK so I'm not sure where to get them in the US. Turnips are similar to rutabaga and should be easier to find but I know it's not easy to find the other two - even here in the UK. I found them in Whole Foods Market but they are seasonal.
I got parsley root from Shop Rite. Not sure if you have that near you. It's a fall veggie and sometimes you have to ask produce to order.
In Michigan, kohlrabi, and turnips are hardy and easy to grow, so they are at every farmers market and included in most CSA farm share memberships. I would definitely recommend a farmers market to find some. Even if your state is different, the sellers there will be able to give you the proper information.
I made the parsley root fries, and they were amazing. However, I could not seem to find a reliable source for parsley root nutrition information anywhere on the internet. Some sites say as little as 1.7 grams net carbs in 100 grams and others say up to 8 grams of nets carbs in 100 grams. That's a huge difference! I feel like the fries tasted way too good to be that low carb. I was just wondering where you got the nutritional information for the parsley root?
Hi John, I think that the reason is that some resources may count total carbs as "net" - that might be the reason why some resources say it's 8 g net carbs per 100 g. It should be 1.7 g net carbs per 100 g. Make sure you use parsley roots - they look quite similar to parsnips which are much higher in carbs (parsnips are bigger and have a slightly different taste and colour).
I just made this one last night, and it turned pretty good. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Glad you liked it 😊
Parsley roots are a very popular food in Central Europe - I've had decent luck finding them in Polish shops.
They are amazing and so low in carbs 😊
Done these in an air fryer. Sloppily good
Great!