Go Back
Sheet Pan Roasted Root Vegetables with Thyme, easy thanksgiving dinner recipes classic
Brittany Stage

Sheet Pan Roasted Root Vegetables with Thyme

Carrots, parsnips, turnips, and red onion roasted at high heat until caramelized and tender, finished with fresh thyme. A simple, hands-off Thanksgiving side that feeds a crowd from two sheet pans.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 145
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces on a diagonal
  • 1 lb parsnips peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3/4 lb turnips peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges or cubes
  • 2 medium red onions cut into 1-inch wedges through the root end
  • 3 tbsp olive oil divided between two pans
  • 1 1/4 tsp fine salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme stems left whole for roasting, leaves stripped off for finishing
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves stripped from stems, for tossing in at the end

Equipment

  • 2 large rimmed sheet pans
  • sharp chef's knife
  • cutting board
  • large mixing bowl
  • clean kitchen towels or paper towels

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. If you soaked the cut vegetables in cold water overnight, drain them now and spread them on clean kitchen towels. Pat everything as dry as you can get it. Wet vegetables will steam instead of roast and you will miss out on those caramelized edges entirely.
  2. Add all the cut vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, then sprinkle on the salt and pepper. Toss well until every piece is coated. Add the thyme sprigs and toss again briefly so they are distributed throughout.
  3. Divide the vegetables evenly between the two sheet pans. Spread them out in a single layer with a little space between pieces. If the vegetables are crowded or piled on top of each other, they will steam. Give them room. Place one pan on each oven rack.
  4. Roast for 15 minutes, then swap the pans between racks and rotate them front to back. This helps everything color evenly since oven heat is not perfectly consistent. Continue roasting for another 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are deeply golden on the cut sides and a fork slides through a carrot piece without resistance.
  5. Pull both pans out and discard the woody thyme sprigs. Transfer all the vegetables to one large serving platter or bowl. Scatter the fresh thyme leaves over the top and taste for salt, adding a pinch more if the vegetables taste flat. Serve right away while the edges are still crisp.

Notes

Cutting all the vegetables to a similar size is the most important step for even roasting. If the parsnips are thicker than the carrots, halve them lengthwise before cutting into pieces so everything finishes cooking at the same time.