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This easy recipe for Roasted Fennel brings out it’s natural sweetness, making it the perfect side dish for mild meats like chicken, fish, and shellfish. Try my blend of garlic and thyme or switch out the spices you prefer.
Fennel is an underrated vegetable that enhances any meal. I love it shaved thin and served raw in a salad, I love it braised with fatty meats to soak up the flavors, and I love it roasted alone with simple spices to let it’s mild anise flavor shine through.
And all of the parts of the fennel plant are tasty. While the bulbs taste like licorice, the crunchy fennel seeds taste like sausage in vegetable form, enhancing Italian dishes left and right. The fronds elevate your presentation if you save them during prep. There is much to love about the humble fennel bulb.
In this roasted variation, I used a simple blend of garlic and thyme with salt and pepper. I also love fennel roasted with tomatoes and basil, with apples and parsley, or with prosciutto and red onions (like in this Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin recipe).
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Fennel bulbs: Also known as anise, fresh fennel bulbs reach peak season in the fall and winter. They taste subtly licorice-like, and as the fennel roasts, the flavor mellows out and complements savory dishes like pork beautifully. Look for 1-pound bulbs, each of which yields about 8 ounces after trimming.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up. In a medium bowl, combine the fennel wedges, olive oil, garlic powder, thyme, and salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Arrange the fennel on the prepared baking sheet, spaced out as much as possible.
- Roast until fennel is tender and starting to brown on edges, about 30 to 35 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh fennel fronds.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: 2 fennel bulbs (about 1 pound total) yields about 2 cups roasted fennel.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Fennel bulbs can be trimmed and chopped up to 8 hours before roasting.
- Garlic Butter Roast Chicken: Substitute slices of fennel for the carrots and roast with fingerling potatoes under a garlic bread spread-rubbed roasted chicken.
- Apple Walnut Salad with fennel: For a light lunch, roast apple slices with the fennel and enjoy on a salad with crunchy toasted walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette.
- Fennel Orange Salad: For a crisp, refreshing, and perfect winter salad, try Fennel Orange Salad. It’s made with crunchy fennel, juicy oranges, soft butter lettuce leaves, and fresh mint all drizzled with a delicious balsamic vinaigrette.
- Roasted Asparagus with Fennel: Add slices of fennel to a sheet pan of asparagus, sprinkle with fennel seeds and fresh garlic and drizzle with olive oil.
Recipe FAQs
Fennel bulbs have a mild anise flavor similar to black licorice. When they cook down, the sweetness becomes more pronounced. Fennel seeds taste a lot like sausage in vegetable form and enhance Italian recipes.
While the entire plant is technically edible, the bulb is the most common part consumed and can be enjoyed raw or cooked. The fronds make a pretty garnish, and the dried seeds are tasty in sauces, soups, and stews. The stalks are quite fibrous and typically discarded.
Favorite mains for fennel
Pork, Ham, and Lamb Recipes
Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Baked Salmon
Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Garlic Butter Roast Chicken
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
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Roasted Fennel
Ingredients
- 2 fennel bulbs cut into wedges (about 1 pound), fronds reserved for garnish (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- In a medium bowl, combine the fennel wedges, olive oil, garlic powder, thyme, and salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Toss to combine.
- Arrange the fennel on the prepared baking sheet, spaced out as much as possible. Roast until fennel is tender and starting to brown on edges, about 30 to 35 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh fennel fronds.
Notes
- Fennel bulbs: Also known as anise, fresh fennel bulbs reach peak season in the fall and winter. They taste subtly licorice-like, and as the fennel roasts, the flavor mellows out and complements savory dishes like pork beautifully. Look for 1-pound bulbs, each of which yields about 8 ounces after trimming.
- Yield: 2 fennel bulbs (about 1 pound total) yields about 2 cups roasted fennel.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Fennel bulbs can be trimmed and chopped up to 8 hours before roasting.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.