How To Cook Sweet Potato Fries: A step-by-Step Recipe

Sweet potato fries are changing how people enjoy their side dishes and snacks. They add flavor in many creative ways, with their bright orange presentation. However, when baked, sweet potato fries maintain their crispiest texture with little oil, making them far healthier than deep-fried russet potato fries. This guide walks you through some of the best methods for consistently achieving wonderfully crispy fries, from temperature to slicing. Along with these wonderful ways to top your fries that truly enhance their flavor, you’ll learn many nutritional benefits associated with sweet potatoes. Get ready, and let’s learn how to cook sweet potato fries.

When preparing to cook sweet potato fries, having the proper tools in your kitchen will undoubtedly help. This is what you need:

• Sharp Chef’s Knife: You can use it to cut your sweet potato fries into consistent shapes and very thin slices.
• Vegetable Peeler: If you want your fries without skin, it can assist in removing the skin.
• Half-Sheet Pans: These big-rimmed baking sheets provide plenty of surface space so you can arrange the fries in a single layer and bake them until they are crisp.
• Parchment Paper: Parchment paper on baking sheets prevents fries from sticking, keeping the applied coat crispy.

Prepare the sweet potatoes first. You should choose sweet potatoes which are free of blemishes and they should have smooth skin.

Despite the sweet potatoes being nutritious and flavorful, some people opt to peel them when frying to achieve a smoother texture.  Either way, the secret to creating flawless fries lies in the slice. This is how you do it:

The consistency in the thinness of the sweet potato pieces is undoubtedly the key to excellent crispiness in your fries. Again, thicker fries just appear to stay soft on the inside rather than crisp up, even with the 1/4-inch-wide slice. Start by laying the sweet potato on its side, on a solid cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, make a small slice from one side to form a flat base. That way, when you slice the potato, it won’t sway around. The potato should be cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slabs. Slice your slabs into thin fries by turning them on their sides. For even cooking, try to have your fries all the same size.

How to Add Extra Crispiness to Your Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potatoes have more moisture compared to regular potatoes hence making it difficult to achieve crispiness. However, we have some tips to help you achieve fries that are crispy and tasty.

Cornstarch coating your fries in cornstarch before baking them is another little-known tip that is crucial to getting incredibly crispy sweet potato fries. Fries should be combined in a large mixing basin with roughly 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for every pound of fries. Fry until well coated, tossing occasionally. Arrowroot starch can be used in place of cornstarch if you don’t have any; however, cornstarch seems to function slightly better. After you’ve dusted them with cornstarch, pour one to two tablespoons of olive oil over each pound. Its oil contributes to crispiness and browning. To ensure that the fries have a good coating of oil, toss them one more.

Arranging your fries on your baking pan is key to making them crispy. They won’t be as crispy if they are too near to one another since they will steam rather than bake. Additionally, ensure to arrange your sweet potatoes in a single layer, not overlapping, across two sizable baking sheets. This way, the surface area of each fry is brought into touch with a heated surface. This helps to develop crispy edges.

Half-sheet pans are what you’ll need because they allow the fries to spread out slightly. It has raised edges to prevent the fries from sticking while shaking or flipping.

Lining the pans using parchment paper will easily help you achieve crispy sweet potatoes since they will not be sticking.

Having prepared your fries, it’s time to bake them until they turn golden brown. 425°F is the magic temperature for baking sweet potato fries. They will crisp up nicely without burning thanks to this high heat. Your fries may become a little soggy if you go any lower.

Note: When cooking the sweet potato fries, ensure the oil temperature does not rise too much because it could cause smoke, and make your fries burn before they are thoroughly cooked.

Bake the fries for about fifteen minutes after placing your baking sheets in the oven.

After this first bake, flip the fries using a spatula to switch the trays’ positions. In this manner, the fries bake uniformly on both trays. Fries should be golden and crispy on the edges after baking for a further 10 to 15 minutes. They can easily transition from perfectly crispy to burnt, so give them some attention at the end of the cooking period.

Seasoning the Sweet Potato Fries

Seasoning will help you elevate the taste of your sweet potato fries. While you can salt the fries before baking, it’s preferable to wait until after the fries are taken out of the oven to add the remaining spices.

For optimal results, sprinkle the remaining spices on after baking, as they may burn if added too early. Once taken out of the oven, sprinkle your preferred seasonings over the fries. The most widely used ones are freshly ground black pepper for dimension, cayenne pepper for spice, and garlic powder for an incredibly subtle burst of added flavor.  You can taste it again and adjust the seasoning to your liking. This ensures that you never overpower the natural sweetness of the fries.

The Soaking Debate

When making fries at home, Katie acknowledges that one of the most frequent queries is whether it’s worth the time to soak them in water before baking. Soaking potatoes indeed helps the fries retain their crispness during baking by removing excess starch. But does the same technique apply to sweet potatoes?

Many people have tested with and without soaking the sweet potato fries in hot and cold water. the results were clear: soaking sweet potatoes did not provide major benefits. The hot water-soaked ones appeared to have less crispiness. It turned out that the better way was to just sprinkle the fries in cornstarch before baking. Therefore, save yourself the extra effort—soaking isn’t necessary to achieve a deliciously crispy sweet potato fry.

Some Nutritional Values of Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are packed with numerous health benefits. For example, Healthline highlights that sweet potatoes have beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A, a nutrient that is crucial for the immune system, skin, and eyesight. They are also high in fiber; thus helping regulate blood glucose levels and improving digestion.

High on antioxidants—these colorful tubers guard against free radicals and provide essential nutrients such as copper, manganese, and Vitamin C as well as B vitamins including B6. Therefore sweet potato fries serve as a better option compared to regular French fries. There are many dishes with which they match perfectly. Here are some suggestions:

• With a Burger: You can’t go wrong with crispy fried sweet potatoes served alongside any kind of meat patty regardless of whether it’s classic beef or modern vegetarian.
• In Tacos: Tacos with sweet potato fries add a unique touch of sweetness that complements chicken, black beans, or grilled vegetables.
• Serve with Soups: Additionally, sweet potato fries go nicely with thick soups like tortilla, chili, or black bean soup. They provide a great contrast to the soup’s tastes and provide a sensory component to the meal.
• Dip Options:  You can serve them with fish and chips-style vinegar or malt vinegar for dipping, just like those served with fish and chips.

Sweet potato fries are a homemade and healthier alternative to the deep-fried fries you get from a fast-food restaurant. All you need to do to create crispy skin and delicate insides is to produce thin fry slices, mix with a little cornstarch, and bake at the proper temperature. Furthermore, this is a dish that is as beneficial to the body as it is to the taste senses when taking into account the health advantages that come with sweet potatoes. And now you know how to cook sweet potato fries at home!