Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
Published February 26, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This easy-to-make sweet potato fries recipe is oven-baked until crisp outside and tender and delicious in the middle. These have become a family favorite in my house.
Sweet potatoes are loaded with nutrients and complex carbohydrates making them an excellent side dish. If you don’t have much experience cooking with them, try my Sweet Potato Pie or Sweet Potato Casserole.
Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potato fries are sweet potatoes that have been cut and baked or fried until crisp and browned. They can be harder to crisp due to their higher moisture content. When cooked properly in an oven or fryer, you can still achieve a crisp outside texture. I personally have done both with great results.
The trick to ensure sweet potatoes are crisp when baking is that they are in a single layer and spread as far apart from one another as possible so that they sear instead of steaming. In addition, using parchment paper can also help in the browning process.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sweet Potatoes – Any breed of sweet potato will work for this recipe. I used red sweet potatoes.
- Corn Starch – This is used to help crisp up the outside of the potato as it cooks.
- Oil – Any high smoke point neutral-flavored oil will work. I used avocado oil.
- Seasonings – I only used coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper. However, you can also sprinkle on additional seasonings like garlic or onion powder, or paprika.
How to Make Sweet Potato Fries
Start by slicing the potatoes into long ¼” to ½” thick batonnet cuts.
Next, submerge them in water and let them sit for 30 minutes. This will help wash off any starch so that they brown.
Drain the sweet potatoes and thoroughly dry them using a towel or paper towels.
Add the potatoes to a large bowl and coat them in the oil on all sides.
Next, sprinkle in the corn starch and toss them until they are coated on all sides. You will notice a hint of breading on the potatoes from the cornstarch mixing with the oil to cream a slurry.
Evenly spread the sweet potatoes on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper in a single layer. It’s important that they are only one layer so that they can brown properly. If the tray is too crowded, divide them between two.
Place on a middle rack in the oven and cook at 450° for 12 to 15 minutes or until they start to turn light brown. Flip the sweet potatoes over and cook for a further 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked. If they are not browning, turn the broiler on high after the 6 to 8 minutes mark and broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned.
Remove the sweet potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
Try serving them with a sriracha mayo for the perfect sweet and spicy combination.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: These are meant to be eaten right away. You could keep them warm in the oven on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper at 175° for 10-20 minutes before serving.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. Once they are cooked, they will not freeze that well.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of sweet potato fries to a cooked sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 350° for 3-6 minutes or until hot and crispy. You can re-fry in oil at 350° for 1 to 2 minutes or until hot.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Feel free to cut them thinner or thicker to your liking.
- Cook the fries for 1 to 2 minutes longer if you like them to be crisper and more browned.
- These would go incredible with aioli or comeback sauce.
- You can also deep fry these sweet potatoes. Once the sweet potatoes are dried after rinsing, coat them in the corn starch and add them to a deep fryer or a pot with oil at 350° and fry for 4 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through.
- Change it up by seasoning with a ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of sugar instead of salt and pepper to make these sweet potatoes even sweater.
More Potato Recipes
Crispy Sweet Potato Fries Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°.
- Start by slicing the potatoes into long ¼” to ½” thick batonnet cuts.
- Next, submerge them in water and let them sit for 30 minutes. This will help wash off any starch so that they brown.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and thoroughly dry them using a towel or paper towels.
- Add the potatoes to a large bowl and coat them in the oil on all sides.
- Next, sprinkle in the corn starch and toss them until they are coated on all sides. You will notice a hint of breading on the potatoes from the cornstarch mixing with the oil to cream a slurry.
- Evenly spread the sweet potatoes on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper in a single layer. It’s important that they are only one layer so that they can brown properly. If the tray is too crowded, divide them between two.
- Place on a middle rack in the oven and cook at 450° for 12 to 15 minutes or until they start to turn light brown.
- Flip the sweet potatoes over and cook for a further 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked. If they are not browning, turn the broiler on high after the 6 to 8 minutes mark and broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned.
- Remove the sweet potatoes and season with salt and pepper.