Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ultra Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries are going to soon become your new favorite side dish!  Learn how easy it is to cut sweet potatoes into fries and then bake them in the oven instead of deep-frying.  You can then serve this healthy, vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free roasted vegetable with a side of homemade sriracha mayo for a show-stopping recipe the whole family will love!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Roasted sweet potatoes have a special place in my heart.

Whether they’re cut into cubes or sliced into fries…

They bring back fond memories of when my husband and I met.  (He cooked up a batch of these sweet potato cubes on our first date!)

Since then we have made those roasted sweet potato cubes for SO many busy weeknight dinners that I’ve lost count.

But it wasn’t until recently that I decided to turn those cute little cubes into longer, and crispier fries.

After a bit of testing and tweaking with different oils, starches, flours, and seasonings, I’ve now got the absolute BEST way to make sweet potatoes fries for you.  With this recipe you’ll get the most crisp and crunchy exterior and soft, tender, and perfectly cooked through interior.

They’re naturally gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and can even be made Paleo and Whole30-approved – so everyone in your household will get to enjoy this simple side dish.

But the best part?  You don’t need a deep-fryer, air fryer, or any other fancy kitchen gadget to get those crispy edges you know and love.  Your oven will do the magic for you!

Ingredients

One of the best things about this recipe is how simple the ingredients are to find.  Chances are you probably have all of them already in your pantry!

• Sweet Potatoes – When selecting your sweet potatoes at the grocery store, try to find medium-sized potatoes that are all about 4-6 inches in length.  This will ensure your fries are about the same size after cutting them.
• Starch – Starch is the secret ingredient that helps the fries to crisp up when baking in the oven.  While cornstarch was originally used when testing this recipe, tapioca starch and arrowroot starch may also be used if on a grain-free diet.
• Oil – A mildly flavored oil with a relatively high smoke point is the best to use.  Avocado oil is our go-to, but olive oil may also be used if that’s what you have available.
• Salt and Pepper – Add as much or as little as you prefer.  You can also get creative and add a bit of paprika, garlic powder, or even cayenne pepper to your fries.

Cutting into Fries

Before you can start baking the sweet potatoes, you will first need to prepare them by cutting them into fries.

This step is super important because if you cut them too thick, they will not get those crisp edges you desire.  Cut some of them too thin and they will burn more quickly than the other fries.

To cut sweet potatoes into fries:

1. Peel the skin from the potatoes using a vegetable peeler.  (This step is optional and you can leave the skin on if you prefer a bit more fiber and antioxidants.)

2. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. (step 1 & 2 above)

3. Place one of the halves flat-side down on the cutting board and make cuts about ¼-inch apart.

4. Put these pieces flat-side down and finish cutting potatoes into long, thin strips about ¼-½ inch in width.  Repeat with remaining sweet potatoes. (step 3 & 4 above)

Your fries should end up being about 4-6 inches in length, ¼-½-inch wide and ¼ inch thick.   This is important since the baking temperature and cook time depends on these measurements.

How to Make

When you first start preparing your ingredients, you’ll want to make sure and preheat the oven to 425 °F.  This temperature is hot enough that it will enable the fries to cook quickly but still low enough that the oil will not burn.

Once your sweet potatoes are cut into fries, you’ll want to follow the steps below to prepare them to be baked in the oven.

1. Add potato slices to a large baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper.  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of starch over all of the potatoes.  Toss until well coated. (step 1 above)

2. Drizzle oil all over the potatoes and sprinkle with salt.  Toss to combine. (step 2 above)

3. Lay potato fries out in a single layer on the baking sheet, making sure they do not overlap.  Bake sweet potato fries in preheated oven for 20 minutes. (step 3 above)

4. Flip all fries over and return to oven for an additional 12-15 minutes. (step 4 above)

You’ll know the fries are done baking when the edges begin to brown and crisp up.

Serving and Storing

Baked sweet potato fries are best when served immediately.  The longer they sit out and cool to room temperature the soggier they will get.

You can serve them with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or cilantro and with a side of ketchup, mayonnaise, Homemade Remoulade Sauce or even Sriracha Mayo.

If you have some leftover, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

When ready to reheat, add them back to a baking sheet and return to a 325°F oven for 10-12 minutes.  Microwaving leftover fries will make them extremely mushy.

Seasonings to Try

This recipe is a great base to get a little creative.  There are a TON of different seasonings you can throw onto your potatoes after they’re done baking to add a lot of flavor:

• Add a bit of Taco Seasoning for a little Mexican flair.
• Sprinkle on some Blackened Seasoning for a spicy kick.
• Make them warm and cozy with some Chili Seasoning.
• Eat them for dessert by tossing in some sugar and either cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie spice.

Tips for Crispy Fries

There are a few very important steps that I want to recap to make sure you get the best and most crisp fries possible.

• Cut the sweet potatoes into the correct size.  You want your fries to end up being about 4-6 inches in length, ¼-½-inch wide and ¼ inch thick. 
• Starch goes on BEFORE the oil.  This may initially seem counter-intuitive.  But if you add the starch AFTER the oil it tends to clump up where there’s more oil instead of evenly dispersing over the potatoes.
• Use JUST enough oil.  Too much oil will end up making your fries soggy instead of crispy.
• Parchment paper and NOT aluminum foil.  Foil tends to stick to the fries whereas parchment paper allows them to slide right off.

5 from 1 vote

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Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ultra Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries are going to soon become your new favorite side dish!  Learn how easy it is to cut sweet potatoes into fries and then bake them in the oven instead of deep-frying. 

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword baked, easy, fries, homemade

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 183 kcal

Author London

Ingredients

• 2 lb. sweet potatoes medium-sized
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch or tapioca starch
• 1 tsp. salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp. oil avocado or olive
• ¼-½ tsp. black pepper optional
• Fresh parsley or cilantro finely chopped, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cutting the Potatoes:

1. Peel the skin from the potatoes using a vegetable peeler.

2. Cut each potato in half lengthwise.
3. Place one of the halves flat-side down on the cutting board and make cuts about ¼-inch apart.
4. Place these pieces flat-side down and finish cutting potatoes into long, thin strips about ¼-½ inch in thickness. Repeat with remaining sweet potatoes.

Baking the Fries:

1. Add potato slices to a large baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper.

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of starch over all of the potatoes. Toss until well coated.
3. Drizzle oil all over the potatoes and sprinkle with salt. Toss to combine.
4. Lay potato fries out in a single layer on the baking sheet, making sure they do not overlap. Bake sweet potato fries in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
5. Flip all fries over and return to oven for an additional 12-15 minutes. You’ll know the fries are done baking when the edges begin to brown and crisp up.

6. Serve sweet potato fries with a Homemade Remoulade Sauce or Sriracha Mayo and enjoy!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• Use tapioca or arrowroot starch to make this recipe Paleo and Whole30 friendly.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Amount Per Serving

Calories 183 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 402mg17%

Potassium 510mg15%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 21450IU429%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 45mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.