These Oven Roasted Leeks and Potatoes are a super healthy and budget-friendly one-pan recipe that can be paired with all your favorite meals! Whip them up in minutes for a vegan side dish perfect for every occasion. Whole30 friendly.
Why We Love Leeks
A hugely underrated vegetable, leeks are a member of the onion family and taste like a combination of onions and garlic. As a result, they’re excellent flavor enhancers for soups, casseroles, starchy foods like potatoes, and bitter items like greens. They’re also full of vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, C, K, iron, and more! The trick to getting the most bang for your buck is to thinly slice the bulbs of your leeks, and sauté or roast them to release all their natural flavors.
Did You Know?! Leeks have two seasons! That’s right, they’re in season from October through January and again throughout the summer.
Tips for Cutting Roasted Leeks
Cutting roasted leeks is easier than you think, promise! Just follow my tried and tested tips below.
- Clean the leeks.
- Cut off the root end.
- Next, cut the leeks where the dark green portion meets the light green stem, and remove the leaves.
- Remove any wilted leaves from the stalks, and rinse them underwater.
- Finally, cut the leeks into thin round slices, starting at one end.
Alternative Cutting Method
This is my go-to preparation method for roasting leeks by themselves! It’s super easy and delicious. Plus, it makes a great single side dish.
- If you’re roasting the leeks by themselves in either the oven or air fryer, cut off the root end along with the last couple inches of the dark green leaves, and discard them.
- Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, and rinse them well. Then, proceed to season and roast or air fry.
How to Make Oven Roasted Leeks and Potatoes
Okay, now that you know how to prepare your leeks, let’s put it all together to create this complete side dish!
- Prepare the Veggies. Slice the potatoes into quarters, and peel and slice the onions into thin strips.
- Combine and Toss. Add all of your veggies to a large bowl, and toss them with garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and a dash of lemon juice.
- Roast. Arrange your onions, potatoes, and leeks on a baking sheet in an even layer, and roast in the oven at 425° F for 30-35 minutes.
Baking Tip: To ensure your veggies cook evenly and make clean up a breeze, wrap your seasoned onions and leeks in tin foil, and add them to a baking sheet along with the potatoes. (See recipe below for cooking times)
Air Fryer Option
Looking for an easy way to save some time? Bust out the air fryer! It’s just as easy and takes half the time. We love air frying potatoes, but did you know you can add leeks, too? Just be sure to follow our tips below!
- Preheat the Air Fryer. Allowing enough time for your air fryer to heat before adding your veggies ensures that they begin cooking right away and prevents them from burning.
- Start with the Potatoes. Unlike the sheet pan version where you add everything to the oven all at once, you’ll want to start by making air fryer roasted potatoes. Otherwise, your leeks will burn.
- Shake the Basket. To guarantee your potatoes roast evenly, shake the basket halfway through cooking.
- Add the Leeks. With 8 minutes of cooking time remaining, add the leeks and onions to the air fryer basket, and cook as normal!
More of Our Favorite
Easy side dish Recipes
Common Questions
I haven’t tried to roast frozen leeks, but I think it would work. Just be sure to thaw them first, and let me know how it goes if you give it a try!
Roasted leeks have a slightly more mild flavor than onions and garlic with a slightly sweet twist that I love!
Yes! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or, keep them in the freezer for up to 6 months. Just be sure to thaw your veggies completely before reheating.
Oven Roasted Leeks and Potatoes (Air Fryer Option)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 –5 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The perfect addition to any meal, these Oven Roasted Leeks and Potatoes are a healthy side dish that can be whipped up in no time! Air Fryer Option, Whole30 Friendly.
Ingredients
- 2 leeks (stem only), sliced
- 1 pound red potatoes or gold potatoes – sweet potato or yam may be substituted
- ⅓ to ½ cup sliced red onion or shallot
- 1 large garlic clove (½ to 1 teaspoon, minced)
- ¼ cup to ⅓ cup olive oil or refined avocado oil, adjust as desired.
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ground pepper each (divide)
- Optional – ½ cup to 1 cup leafy greens (ex: spinach leaves).
- Lemon to garnish (sliced and juice)
- Herbs to garnish – Chopped fresh parsley, thyme, or oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Wash the vegetables.
- Cut off the green tops of the leeks. Trim the root off the leeks. Starting at one end, cut the leek into thin round slices (½ inch to 1 inch). See notes for alternative cutting options. Place into a bowl of water to help remove sediment.
- While the leeks are sitting, slice the potatoes into quarters. Then, peel and slice the red onion into thin strips.
- Remove the leeks from the water, and place all vegetables into a clean mixing bowl.
- Add 1 minced garlic clove, ⅓ cup olive oil (adjust as desired), 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ¼ teaspoon of sea salt, ¼ teaspoon or more of the black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Toss all of the ingredients together until the vegetables are well-coated. Arrange the vegetables on a sheet pan in a single layer.
- Roast at 425° F in the oven for 30-35 minutes. TIP – Halfway through roasting, flip over the potatoes and check the leeks/onion for doneness. If the leeks/onion are fully cooked, remove them from the oven, and place them on a serving plate/bowl. (See notes for alternative cooking tips). Continue to cook the potatoes for the full amount of time.
- Once the potatoes are done, remove from the oven, and combine them with leeks/onion. Season with extra salt/pepper, if desired.
- If adding greens, lightly steam the greens in microwave or stovetop until softened.
- Mix the steamed greens together with the potato, leeks, and onions.
- Toss with fresh lemon juice and herbs to garnish. Serve immediately.
- Storage: To store, let the potato and leek roast cool. Then, pace it in an airtight container. Best kept in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat from the fridge, place the leek and potato roast in an oven-safe dish. Warm in the oven at 350° F for 5-10 minutes or until the desired temperature is reached.
Air Fryer Option:
- Preheat the air fryer to 400° F.
- Spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil spray. Place seasoned diced potatoes in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. Shake basket and stir potatoes.
- If adding leeks and onions, add them to the air fryer basket with the potatoes and proceed to cook an additional 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are golden and tender.
Notes
Optional: For more even cooking times, slice the leeks in half instead of rounds. (See blog post for photos.)
For easy clean-up and even cooking, you may place seasoned leeks and onions in foil and then on a sheet pan with the potatoes. Remove the leeks in the foil once they are golden and crispy, around halfway through cooking. Toss the potatoes and continue to cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 233
- Sugar: 2.9
- Sodium: 25.7
- Fat: 13.8
- Saturated Fat: 1.9
- Carbohydrates: 25.7
- Fiber: 3.5
- Protein: 3.3
- Cholesterol: 0
That must have been a typo. We meant multiple benefits. 🙂 thanks for catching that Joanne!
Hi Lindsay,
I am so happy you shared this recipe! Leeks are my favorite, and I feel like they are often overlooked as a key ingredient in many dishes. This will be the perfect side to make for my family this weekend, and I can’t wait to try it!
I am so happy to hear from a fellow leek lover, Kim! Please let me know what you think of the recipe!
I loved this recipe’s flavors! However with my oven, half an hour at 425 F really crisped my leeks. So in the future I will be roasting at 400 F and checking at 25 minutes, then checking at 30 minutes to avoid partially burning the leeks. Thank you Lindsay for sharing! This was my first time making anything with leeks so I appreciated the guidance on how to use them. 🙂
I’m so sorry that your leeks burned, Sarah. Oven temperatures can vary a lot. Sounds like your may cook a little “hot”, which isn’t always a bad thing. 😉 Hope you’ll try it again and have better results!
You mean the leeks?
Since when potatos became paleo? I have never seen them in paleo recipes before…
It depends on who you ask. I gave an paleo option with sweet potato but it looks like it wasn’t saved before. It’s updated now!
Also, this is an interesting read. https://blog.paleohacks.com/white-potatoes-permitted-paleo-diet/# I like to think of potatoes as real food, so if you can digest them and feel good eating them, then great! Ya know?
Looks good. But for those who are paleo, replace the potatoes with parsnips, cauliflower, japanese yams, Etc.
Those are great swaps!
I think I’m going to attempt tossing all of this in a grill pan and roasting over the grill. Fingerstie crossed it works!
oh definitely keep me posted! YUM!
Did this but with turnips instead of potatoes, topped with some Valentina and parmesan – soooooo good.
Oh I love the turnips idea! Thanks for sharing Becca
Wow – what an informative blog site – i need to spend more time here and intend to do so
Did you mean to say preheat to 450 but cook at 425?
Oh that should be 425F. I will fix that. Thanks
You know seasonal vegetables speak to my heart, not to mention what potatoes do to my loins. I love everything about this dish. Bravo, bravo.
I love leeks! I just used them last week in a sweet potato shepherd’s pie. Yum! These photos are beautiful, as always Lindsay!
I want one of each of these dishes, but I’m starting with those awesome potatoes, with a runny egg on top 🙂
Just gimme the pan. The whole one. Don’t need a fork, though it would be helpful. And yes, you can get your own pan.
I love leeks, and also FRESH spring peas and tomatoes
Everything you post – whether I like or not – looks amazing & I want to eat it anyway!! This is beautiful!!!!!
I’m right there with you on the seasonal veg giddiness. All I can think about right now is artichokes–my all-time favorite! I absolutely love leeks and potatoes together so this looks perfectly divine!
oh I love me some Artichokes! Agreed!
YUM!! Leeks are seriously underrated!!
totally! I think most people just don’t know how to cut them or use them, right?
What a lovely dish of yumminess! Roasting veggies is probably my favorite way to eat them and I need to incorporate leeks into our menu more often!
Roasted veggies are so delicious. Leeks and potatoes are a classic combination. Love the ease of this dish…and so crowd friendly too.
I love veg pan roasts, healthy and delicious. Next time I make one I will try and add leeks as you suggested
In South Florida we’re already experiencing summer so I guess there’s no in between with the wonky weather… This pan roast looks fantastic to me! The colors are so vibrant, it’s just beckoning me to take a bite! Great for springtime!
This is the prettiest potato roast I ever did see! I love potatoes, I love leeks, so I LOVE this!
you’re the prettiest. <3
Love the way you write out your recipes- super clean and easy to follow format! I havent had leeks in a very long time. I used to roast them all the time- need to get back on the leek train!
did you add anything else when you roasted them? would love your recipe Carrie!
Your leeks on are fleek #OhYesIDid
OMG i love you more for that comment.
Favorite spring vegetable? Wait what’s spring? It’s like summer here year round!!! Perfect side dish and I love the addition of leeks. Not used enough!
haha yes, AZ is summer all year. You know watermelon year round!