Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries are a perennial favourite here on Foodie with Family for a great reason. So many of you have made crispy, crunchy, delicious sweet potatoes at home with the recipe.
A quick word of advice: grab a cheap oven thermometer to see if your oven’s temperature is correctly calibrated. You can compensate by however many degrees it is off when you bake your fries!
Check out all of our fabulous Sweet Potato Recipes here!
I am passionate about sweet potato fries. Possibly, I qualify as being clinically obsessed with them. I can’t think of a single food I crave more consistently than the salty sweet perfection that is sweet potato fries.
If I go out to dinner and sweet potato fries are on the menu, I order them. It doesn’t matter if it goes with the entrée I’ve chosen, they’re mine.
While normally I will eat a sweet potato any which way, when I’m eating sweet potato fries, I’m picky about them.
They have to suit MY idea of what a perfect sweet potato fry is: ALL-CAPS LEVEL CRISPY with no added sweetener because WHY in heaven’s name would you add SUGAR or somesuch to a SWEET POTATO?
Seriously, people. I can sniff out sugar added to a sweet potato fry and it makes me cranky.
To me, the beauty of the sweet potato fry comes not in amplifying the already sweet tuber, but in playing off of it with salty and spicy. And friends, don’t even get me started on the disappointment that is a soggy sweet potato fry.
Ugh. It’s like deflating a balloon of happiness with a wet noodle… Torturous.
That usually ends up being the problem with homemade sweet potato fries. Sweet potatoes are a little trickier to get super crispy than the good old regular potato.
While I’m not one to shy away from deep-frying, I wanted to make crispy baked sweet potato fries. It was time for research.
Because there were so many brands of tasty bakeable sweet potato fries in the freezer section, it had to be possible to make them from scratch. I examined the backs of the bags of the brands I liked, used my previous experience as a professional slinger-of-pub-grub.
We made more than fifteen batches of sweet potato fries of varying degrees of success. But we finally dialed in on a recipe that I’m confident will turn out crispy sweet potato fries every time.
I’m about to dazzle you with a breathtaking display of absolutely insane nit-picking detail on how to guarantee yourself crispy baked sweet potato fries. *Cue the theme music from ‘The Anal-Retentive Chef”.
How to Make Perfect Crispy Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Take your time cutting your sweet potatoes to size. By size, I mean 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch by whatever length matchstick pieces.
Yes, you do need to be particular about cutting them to size. It’s better to err a little on the skinnier side than the fatter side if your knife work isn’t your strong point.
The best way to accomplish this is to cut a little piece off of one side of the peeled sweet potato so it can sit more securely on the cutting board. Cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick ‘cards’.
Then take each card and cut again into 1/4-inch thick matchsticks. I find it easier to do this -and far less frightening- by knife rather than by mandoline.
SOAK YOUR SWEET POTATOES. I’m not joking.
We soaked the regular potato fries in cold water in every restaurant where I worked. I applied the same technique to sweet potato fries and it worked beautifully.
It draws the excess starch out of the sweet potatoes (or regular potatoes) which helps them cook through better to be crispy on the outside, tender on the inside without burning. Don’t skip this step or you’ll be disappointed.
How to Cook Sweet Potato Fries
Line your sheet pans with heavy-duty foil (dull side up!) AND spritz them with non-stick cooking spray. I experimented with regular foil, heavy-duty foil, parchment paper, straight up nekkid pans, stoneware sheet pans, and silpat lined pans.
Garden variety heavy-duty foil yielded my best results Don’t skip THIS step or you’ll be attempting to chisel sweet potato fries off of foil. If THAT doesn’t deter you from skipping this step, I don’t know what will.
After draining, rinsing, and patting dry your soaked sweet potatoes, add two handfuls of them to a very large plastic bag along with 2 teaspoons of starch (*See Cook’s Notes). Shake vigorously.
You should keep as much air in the bag as you can so the fries move around like popcorn in an air popper. The idea is to get a whisper thin coating of the starch on the potatoes; not to COVER them in starch. In fact, when you dump them out into a bowl, you should have to look pretty closely to even see the starch on them.
Too much starch makes the fries taste like starch rather than sweet potatoes. Ick.
DO NOT ADD SALT BEFORE COOKING. In this particular case, adding salt before cooking yields limp, sad fries. You can get them plenty salty after baking them.
Let’s talk oil, shall we? Yes, I know we already spritzed the pans with non-stick cooking spray, but that’s an insurance policy… that’s not a crisping agent.
Don’t even think about olive oil here. While it’s super tasty, the temperature and duration of the cooking process will make olive oil billow smoke out of your oven before the sweet potatoes are even close to being done.
My favourite oil for the job is grapeseed, but if you cannot find it, canola or peanut should stand in well. The idea is to choose an oil that has a high smoke point and is neutral in flavour.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Even if you fail to heed my super detailed advice anywhere else, DO NOT CROWD THE PAN. If I could type it a million times and not be obnoxious, I would.
Science dictates that if you crowd a pan, your fries will automatically be soggy. How so?
When you’re ‘crisping’ these, you’re releasing the moisture from them. You release the moisture by applying heat and allowing air to circulate in your oven.
If you apply the heat but don’t allow the air to circulate around them, the moisture will have no where to go and will sit there steaming around those fries. You want steamed sweet potato fries?
Neither do I. Keep them spaced out, not touching as much as possible, and absolutely, positively only in a single layer.
By the same token, don’t crowd the oven. You don’t want too much moisture releasing from too many sweet potatoes at the same time or you’re essentially giving the pretty little things a nice sauna bath.
Halfway through the baking time, you’ll remove the pans from the oven to flip the fries. This is best accomplished by using a thin metal spatula or fish turner.
It will have enough backbone to get under the fries and enough flexibility not to mangle them. When you flip them, be sure they land in a single layer not touching.
You can adjust them with tongs if needed. Oh, and when you return the pans to the oven, rotate ’em from top to bottom AND front to back.
The pan that started in the top part of the oven should end the cooking process in the bottom of the oven facing the opposite direction from which it started. This helps compensate for any hotspots your oven may have.
Ready for something counter-intuitive? When your fries are done, prop the oven door open about halfway and let them cool on the pan for at least 10 minutes.
Believe or not, unlike regular potato fries, these bad boys crisp up even more as they cool slightly.
Troubleshooting
Even with all this advice, you may find the first batch doesn’t work out exactly the way you planned.
If your crispy baked sweet potato fries are darkening too quickly, but still not cooked through to your liking, you may have an oven that runs hot. Conversely, if you feel like you’re baking your fries FOREVER and they’re not crisping, your oven may run a little cool.
Get a $5 oven thermometer from Walmart and pop it in there to see how accurate your oven’s calibration is then compensate for it. It’s a cheap fix!
If your fries are soggy and you’ve followed all of my advice, you may have a smaller oven than the one I tested my fries in and may have to bake them one tray at a time.
Sadly, there are some bum sweet potatoes out there. It may be that you got one that was past its prime.
Cook’s Notes:
I didn’t mean to be vague when I said to toss the fries with starch, but I had a little explaining to do. In a perfect world, the best, crispiest baked sweet potato fries are made with a blend of three powdered starches: cornstarch, brown rice starch, and tapioca starch in a ratio of 2:1:1.
It’s a lot easier to find the more unusual tapioca and rice starches now that gluten-free baking is more prolific. If you can’t source them, have an allergy to one of them, or just don’t feel as compelled to get down and dirty with making the most perfect baked sweet potato fries ever, you can use all of one of kind of starch.
Cornstarch is the easiest to find, but health-food stores, well stocked grocers, and Amazon are great places to buy both tapioca starch and brown rice starch. If you are fortunate enough to be in possession of all three starches, whisk them together in a bowl or jar before adding to the fries.
I like my guaranteed crispy baked sweet potato fries with a hint of spice. To get this, I add about 1/4 teaspoon (or more, depending on how sassy I’m feeling) of ground chipotle powder when tossing the fries with oil before cooking.
This is, however, strictly optional. I’m convinced, though, that this is part of the reason that the three of my children who are vegetable-phobic love the fries.
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Use this to make Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Chef’s Knife or Mandoline
- bucket for soaking cut fries
- Brown Rice Starch/Flour
- Tapioca Starch/Flour
- Sunflower Oil
- Heavy Duty Foil
- Half Sheet Pan
- Flexible Spatula
Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Line two half-sheet pans with heavy-duty foil and spritz lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Add half of the sweet potato matchsticks to a very large plastic bag. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the starch over the potatoes, cinch the top (trapping as much air in the bag as you can when you cinch it) and shake vigorously to coat the fries.
Empty the bag into a mixing bowl and use your hands to toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the chipotle powder (if using). Arrange the fries on the prepared pan in a single layer, not touching. Repeat with the remaining fries, starch, and oil.
It is important to remember not to crowd the pans. If needed, you can always use another pan and bake another batch.
Arrange the pans in the oven so that one is in the top third of the oven and the other is in the bottom third of the oven. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, use a stiff metal spatula or fish turner to get under the fries and flip them over. Remember to keep them in a single layer after flipping.
Return the pans to the oven, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back. In other words, the one that started in the top third of the oven should end in the bottom third of the oven facing the other direction.
Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until they have browned and are cooked clean though.
Shut the oven off, prop the door open halfway, and let cool and crisp up further for 10 minutes before serving. Toss with salt to taste.
Guaranteed Crispy BAKED Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes about 3/4 pound, give or take
- 4 teaspoons starch corn starch, tapioca starch/flour, brown rice starch/flour, or a mixture of any or all of them
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed, sunflower, peanut, or canola oil
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
- non-stick cooking spray
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch matchsticks. Put them in a bowl and cover with cold, fresh water. Let them soak for 1 hour or up to overnight. Pour the water and sweet potato matchsticks into a colander, rinse with fresh water, then pat dry with paper towels. They should not be visibly wet, but they don’t have to be bone dry.
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Line two half-sheet pans with heavy-duty foil and spritz lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Add half of the sweet potato matchsticks to a very large plastic bag. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the starch over the potatoes, cinch the top (trapping as much air in the bag as you can when you cinch it) and shake vigorously to coat the fries. Empty the bag into a mixing bowl and use your hands to toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the chipotle powder (if using). Arrange the fries on the prepared pan in a single layer, not touching. Repeat with the remaining fries, starch, and oil.
It is important to remember not to crowd the pans. If needed, you can always use another pan and bake another batch.
- Arrange the pans in the oven so that one is in the top third of the oven and the other is in the bottom third of the oven. Set the timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, use a stiff metal spatula or fish turner to get under the fries and flip them over. Remember to keep them in a single layer after flipping. Return the pans to the oven, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back. In other words, the one that started in the top third of the oven should end in the bottom third of the oven facing the other direction. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until they have browned and are cooked clean though.
- Shut the oven off, prop the door open halfway, and let cool and crisp up further for 10 minutes before serving. Toss with salt to taste.
Nutrition
Do you love these Guaranteed Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries? Try these other sweet potato recipes!
- Slow Cooker Peach Salsa Pork Roast with Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Melting Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Croutons
- 1-Pot Roasted Turkey Breast Dinner with Sweet Potatoes
This post was originally published April 17, 2014, republished with improvements in April 2017, and again in January 2021.
Jenni says
I love how specific you are about these instructions. People (read: me) appreciate specificity! Next time I make sweet potato oven fries, I will soak them. Honest. =)
Jim Damon says
Thanks so much for a great Recipe!1 We’d been buying them at Trader Joes, but they are out of stock for the season.
My first try was GREAT; thanks so much ; now we can have them anytime.
Rachelle Lane says
Is it possible to freeze this recipe? Perhaps before the oil and spices?
Rebecca says
Hi Rachelle- I have not tested this recipe for freezing. If you give it a try, please let me know how it works out for you!
Delia says
I peeled, cut and then froze the sweet potatoes. Later I let them thaw in cold water and they still turned out crispy and delicious!
Rebecca says
That is AWESOME to know, Delia!!! I may give it a whirl myself.
Paula-bell'alimento says
Sweet Potatoes. I dig ’em and these!
Amy @Very Culinary says
The kids don’t like potatoes…still. BLERG. But, you know what they do like? Sweet potatoes and yams. And definitely sweet potato fries. Can I blame them? Sugar runs through all of our veins, I guess.
dave says
hey but guess what? They are lower carb than regular potatoes – even though they’re sweeter. \double win…
Susan says
Ah the fabled and delicious SP fries you tempted us with! Now we can all make our own! I knew the trick about soaking regular fries – although I never tried with with baking, will have to do that but nice to know it works with sweet potato too! Nothing worse than a soggy fry!
Amy says
Hey Rebecca, how hot did you heat the oven. I feel like I’m on glue, but I’m not seeing it. These look fantastic and I want to try your method.
Rebecca says
HAHAHA! On glue? Oh dear! 425 is the temp. Would you believe I left it off the recipe? Now who’s on glue?
Daina says
Oh what a happy morning to open your site and see a recipe for my favorite fries! I just so happen to have three fat and happy sweet potatoes on hand so I am definitely going to cook up a batch of these for lunch today!
Rebecca says
Hooray! Enjoy!!
Rose | The Clean Dish says
We eat sweet potato fries all the time and I know how hard it is to get them to come out crispy! I have had great results with white sweet potatoes but not with the regular kind so I will try this recipe for sure 🙂 They sure look super crispy! Yum!
cheri says
Hi Rebecca, I always soak my regular potatoes but never thought to on sweet potatoes make so much sense. Your instructions are very detailed and well written, will be making very soon. Thanks!
Meredith In Sock Monkey Slippers says
delish!
DAWN RENEE' says
You have answered why my fries are always soggy, the secret is soaking them. Question I have is how long to soak them? Would really appreciate knowing this for both the sweet potatoes and regular ones please. A sincere thank you for the very detailed instructions.
Rebecca says
At least 1 hour but up to overnight for the soak, Dawn! And a sincere ‘you’re welcome!’ along with a thank you of my own!
Maggie Unzueta @ Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
I always order sweet potato fries at restaurants because I can never make them crispy at home. Now I know what I’ve been doing wrong. Thank you!
Katrina @ WVS says
These freaking fries look so good! Gah! so perfect!
Liz says
Thanks for the excellent tutorial!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
Baked sweet potato fries are the best! I definitely need to try your tips the next time I make them!
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
Sweet potato fries are one of my favorite things on earth! Look so good!
Ginny McMeans says
I am making these immediately. Thanks!
Courtney @ Neighborfood says
I, for one, appreciate your meticulous attention to detail. I’ve been on the hunt for a crispy baked sweet potato fry forever and I have to say, I’m glad I don’t have to make 15 batches to find it now. 🙂
Stephanie @ Macaroni and Cheesecake says
THANK YOU for this post!! I’ve tried to make sweet potato fries a few times at home and can never get them crispy. I’m so excited to try your method!
Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector) says
I love sweet potato fries and love the tips. Thanks!
Amber says
Oh boy, you are my personal hero. I’m going to try this ASAP!!!
Claire Gallam says
These fries look simply perfect!!!
Maria | Pink Patisserie says
Love, love these and those awesome tips! I can eat my weight in sweet potato fries! I have a problem but I don’t care. 🙂
Rebecca says
Same here. I can’t stop eating them until they’re gone, usually!
Lauren @ Healthy Delicious says
wow – these really do look perfect!
Melissa @ Bless this Mess says
You are a NINJA! I’m making these now!
Rebecca says
WOOHOO! Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Sommer @ASpicyPerspective says
I am crushing on these fries! Pinning
Jill says
So, what happens if you use ordinary instead of heavy-duty foil? Does it rip when you take them off?
Rebecca says
It does tear… dreadfully! 😀
Kathryn says
Could you explain what “Garden variety” heavy-duty foil means? I live in Europe and am not sure what you mean by that.
Can hardly wait to try this!
Rebecca says
You bet! In the US, you can find two common varieties of foil in most stores. There is standard foil which is thin and inexpensive, and there is also heavy-duty foil which is thicker and sturdier and slightly more expensive. When I said “garden-variety” heavy duty foil, I just meant it is commonly found in grocery stores and big box stores.
Karen Petersen says
so many specific and great tips! These sound super yummy 🙂
Nutmeg Nanny says
I want to eat these fries with a giant bowl of garlic mayo….nom nom.
Christiane ~ Taking On Magazines says
Wow. I love how complete and explanatory your directions were. I ALWAYS want to know the ‘why’ of doing something, so thank you for providing that. The sweet potato fries look like they’re definitely worth all the work!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
I think we might make these tonight to so with our subs!
Joelen says
I need to try this out – mine tend to come out soggy!
Lily (A Rhubarb Rhapsody) says
These look awesome! I’ve never successfully made crispy sweet potato fries (they always go soggy really quickly) but I’ve been using flour to make crispy roast potatoes for ages, I never even thought to try that method with sweet potatoes. Yum! Clever thinking!
Daina says
By the way, I made these using regular foil because I didn’t have any heavy duty foil on hand, and no sticking. 🙂 I just sprayed it well with cooking spray beforehand. (and I used it shiny side up!)
Kathryn says
Helpful to know – thanks for sharing!
Renee @ Awesome on $20 says
Thanks for doing all that hard work for us. I can’t wait to use up some of my sriracha mayo on these.
margaret says
Just made these tonight. I did not have heavy duty foil so I used parchment. And used cayenne. They were yummy!
Arianna says
I hd been discouraged from making sweet potatoe fries due to failing to achieve the crispy status.
I followed the instructions except for SIZE!
I’ve been craving matchstick style, so I used the julliene setting on my mandoline.
*ding! Baking time is up! I was a little disappointed that they were still floppy…..
BUT! I continued to “turn off oven and leave door ajar” and BAM!! CRISPY CITY!!
Thank you for sharing your sweet potatoe expertise =)
Rebecca says
It feels counterintuitive to let ’em sit there to crisp up, doesn’t it?
Alex says
Hi! Interesting note about the oils. Would sesame oil work?
Rebecca says
I’m inclined to think the smoke point in sesame oil might be too low…
Alex says
Thanks! I am going to give peanut oil a try in that case. I’m making sweet potato “croutons” today so want to be sure they’re especially crispy.
Gaëlle says
sesame oil is one of the oils that can stand the highest temperatures, so don’t hesitate to use it!
Marzie McCoy says
This could be THE sweet potato fry recipe I’ve long been looking for. Tonight, at the last minute, I was asked to host a spur-of-the-moment – and thus I’m shooting for casual but tastefully gourmet – dinner, in 24 hours, for 14 people, and I’m thinking a delicious sweet potato ‘summer’ side like this would be perfect. Can you tell me how many servings your recipe yields? Thank you in advance for really-super-speedy response!
Rebecca says
Hooray for last minute parties! They’re the most fun because you don’t have time to fret the details. As to your questions, I don’t actually determine serving sizes on this blog, Marzie, for a couple of reasons. First, because everyone has a different idea of a serving size, and second, because I think serving sizes are usually wildly unrealistic. Generally, each person in my family can eat a potato’s worth (or slightly more) so that’s my loose guideline. It really all depends on how much you’re serving with it and how hungry the people are you are serving!
Samantha says
Have you ever frozen these and at what step if you have. I’m thinking after soaking and tossing in the starch? Then flash freezing them on a cookie sheet prior to bagging them… I’d love to know as I belong to a freezer swap group and these would pair with my dish perfectly! Thanks
Rebecca says
Hi Samantha- I have not tried freezing these. Usually, you have to at least partially cook a vegetable with such strong cell walls before freezing it or it turns to mush. I’d recommend a small batch trial to see how it goes. I’d love to hear whether it works out for you!
Tracy Jacks says
Hi Rebecca!
I’m going to try making these for the first time…..
Just a couple of questions:
Can we use sunflower oil?
Have you tried soaking them overnight then leaving them to dry out in the fridge whilst at work , cooking them the following evening?
Thanx for the recipe Xx
Rebecca says
I can’t imagine sunflower oil being bad here, but that being said, I haven’t tried it. Please let me know how it works out for you if you try it! Ditto on the leaving them out to dry in the fridge question!
Rainey says
Hi! I’m looking everywhere for brown rice starch. I couldn’t find it at Whole Foods, and I don’t see it on Amazon, nor anywhere on the internet for that matter. Googling “brown rice starch” didn’t even help me. Any ideas??
Rebecca says
Hi Rainey-
You can definitely use brown rice flour in this recipe and that is readily available on Amazon!
Addy says
Try Trader Joe’s gluten free all purpose flour. It’s already a mix of wholegrain brown rice, potato starch, rice flour and tapioca flour. I’m going to try using that
Joelle says
Thank you!! These are amazing. No more soggy sweet potato fries in this house. I didn’t have the heavy duty foil so I used a textured sheet pan and was happy with the results.
Diane says
This was a perfect recipe! Thank you so much! I have never had any luck with sweet potato fries, something my son and I love. I had a bunch of sweet potatoes from my CSA that my son asked me to transform into fries. This recipe was just what I needed. The fries turned out better than restaurant ones.
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know you loved it, Diane! That made my night!
Sarah says
Sooo many great tips and your trial and errors are appreciated! Going to make these tonight. On a side note: I also love making sweet potato chips (baked) and have a whole other set of difficulties there. I’m thinking of soaking the sliced up potatoes in water like you do with the fries. Any thoughts?
Rebecca says
Hmmmm. It’s worth a try, right?
Dennis says
Thank you so much for this recipe! My fries are soaking as I write this.
Now, maybe this is dumb, but would it aid in crispiness, if I bake them on a wire rack instead of on heavy duty foil? I have regular foil, but not sure it’ll do the job like you said. So I’m planning on baking them on a greased wire rack. This way the hot air can circulate all around the fries. I’m a total noob, so maybe I’m taking a stupid risk here, but I hope it’ll work anyhow 😉
Thanks for the recipe! My last batch was lovely, but not crispy. I didn’t soak, and didn’t use starch that time, which I will be using this time! Keeping my fingers crossed 🙂
Hugs from Germany!
Gaëlle says
The problem with grilling is that they tend to shrink and fall through the grill… the ones that dont fall are odd shaped also…
kind of messy, but it might leave you with a few excellent fries.
Heather says
I tried these w a combo of sweet potato, parsnip, and russet potatoes. Kiddos loved the parsnip. All of it was AMAZING! Thank you.
Luanne says
I am going to try this method for my grandkids for our Christmas dinner. Could I soak the SPs for longer than overnight? I cut them up tonight before I found this method and was going to bake them and then reheat them on Sunday or possible freeze them after baking for only 10 minutes. Have you tried either of these ideas and what did you think?
Thanks for the great tips!
Luanne
Rebecca says
Hi Luanne, I have not tested letting them soak longer than overnight, reheating, or freezing after par-baking. I’m sorry I don’t have more feedback for you on that, but I’d love to hear how it works out if you try any of those things!
krysti says
How do I prepare these for my freezer?! my girls LOVE sweet potato fries but they are usually soggy… I want to do these for a quick freeze and bake for school nights!
Rebecca says
Hi Krysti! I have not experimented with freezing them so, unfortunately, I don’t have advice for you on this front. I would LOVE to hear your results if you play with it!
Tonje says
Partway through, and still stuck horribly. Not sure what I did wrong. Followed all your tips.
Rebecca says
Did you use a silpat or foil? If foil, did you have it dull side up?
Tonje says
I did use heavy duty foil, dull side up. Maybe I went tool ight on the oil. Will give it another shot 🙂
ck says
Followed exactly, and they never crisped, even w door ajar.
Stephanie Smith says
I made these tonight! The instructions were perfect, thank you! I got delicious and crispy sweet potato fries! Thank you so much!
Ruth says
I make sweet potato fries fairly often but am usually disappointed in the final result – never crispy enough, or black on the outside. THESE were the crispiest baked fries I’ve made. They really were delicious. I only used corn starch, I only had veg oil, but they came out very good – thank you for the tips to soak and let sit in oven! I always serve these with raspberry vinegar for dipping. To die for and very nutritious! Can eat all I want of these babies!
Janice says
I eat sweet potatoes every time they are on a menu and raise my own. Baked, fried in a cast iron pan with a little oil and sugar sprinkled on top. Add some butter about 1/3 through cooking. Add hot homemade biscuits and enjoy. My kids say when I die they are going to bury me with sweet potato in my casket.
Donna says
Just curious how you baked and fried them? Did you bake partially and then fry? Thanks!
Ookami says
Hey, I just made a batch before having read this awesome, lovely and meticulous recipe, and guess what, it was soggy…
But I was wondering about using a wire rack, would this be beneficial in any way, (like not needing to turn them, or use nonstick spray)
And about oil, what is the best way to spread it evenly? And I have never experienced this smoke problem you speak of regarding olive oil(even at these temps, ) is it fine for me to use it?
Oh and before I forget… I forgot…
Well anyway fantastic recipe, if only others where as good this world would be an easier place.
ShinOokami
Neha says
Thank you Thank you Thank you !!!! My Bries (baked fries) used to be super limp and my hubby didn’t like them. I love sweet potato and wanted to make crispier fries. I thought I should look it up! and your step by step process REALLYYY worked! 🙂 🙂
Brian says
Quick question, why do you soak them in water to remove starch, then put them in a bag and coat them in starch?
Rebecca says
Excellent question, Brian. Not all starches are created equal. In soaking the fries, we are removing as much of the naturally occurring starch from the potatoes as we can. The starch is drawn out of the potatoes by the soaking process. The reason we toss it in a little starch after trying to draw it out is because the starch on the outside forms a kind of gluey layer that becomes crispy when fried or coated lightly in oil and baked.
lisa says
how long do they need to soak and can I prep
them a day in advance?
Rebecca says
I think you could soak them for up to 24 hours. I specified the minimum soaking time in the recipe. 😀
Biddy says
I did everything the recipe said to a t. Took so long but came out soggy anyways, Why was so time consuming and tasted like crap . Not even given an oven temp in this crap recipe really
Rebecca says
Well, I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest maybe you didn’t follow the recipe to a T since instruction point number 2 in the printable recipe is the oven temperature.
Manuel Maestrini says
Is 450F with fan or without?
Rebecca says
Hi Manuel- Most folks don’t have a convection oven so my recipes are all geared toward baking without a fan.
Alyson says
Whoopsie, I didn’t feel them before chopping them into matchsticks…. will leaving the skin of the potato on mess up the crispness?
Alyson says
*peel
amanda says
While I wish I could attain this level of perfection every time, I just don’t have the drive for so much work! I like my sweet potato fries easy.
Reva says
Can these be made in advance for a crowd.. how do you keep them crisp if you make serveral trays..
Rebecca says
Hi Reva- I have not tested making them in advance in larger amounts. I would LOVE to know if you play around with it, though! Please do check in if you try it.
Reva says
Can you make several trays of these in advance and how do you keep them crisp..
LJ says
sorry if this was already covered in the comments somewhere but if I wanted to make a big batch of fries (for a future fry emergency!) and blanch-freeze some, would this recipe still work? Like perhaps coat the frozen fries with starch and bake as directed?
Rebecca says
Hi LJ-
It was mentioned in the comments above, but there are quite a few of them, so I figured I’d mention it here, too 😀 I have not tested these for the freezer, but I would love to know the results if someone else does! Please check in if you try it!
Gina says
Damnit, you’re a genius! We love sweet potato fries but I could never get them to come out crispy or evenly cooked. I was looking for a better recipe and found your blog. I used all your tips and mine look just like your picture, plus they’re delicious!!! Thank you for posting this! So glad I found you! 🙂
Rebecca says
And I’m glad you found me, too. I like being called a genius. 😀
John Grotting says
I am wondering, too, if they will stay crisp over a longer period. I am cooking for 50 people and would love to offer this as finger food at the start of the evening. Ideally, I could prep several batches the day before and then pop them in the oven on the day of the event. Even still, doing 5 batches will mean that some of the fries will be sitting out for a couple of hours before the guests arrive. Will they stay crispy?
Rebecca says
Hi John- I have not tested holding them for long periods of time. I simply don’t have the willpower when faced with a giant tray of fresh sweet potato fries. I would recommend doing a single batch trial run and sampling it as you go. 😀 I would love to hear your results if you play with it a bit!
Careen says
Thanks for your amazing tips. I know this is an old thread and I’m so grateful that you are still replying. I’d like to make these using arrowroot starch/flour and coconut oil. I have some inflammation issues so I have to steer clear of gluten and can only use specific oils. Any reasons why not to use these items? I may also cut the potatoes into cubes instead of sticks for more of a breakfast hash to serve with asparagus and eggs. Thanks in advance!!
Rebecca says
Hi Careen- I might not try the coconut oil because the smoke point is around 177. If you’re looking for an oil that shouldn’t agitate inflammation that has a higher smoke point, you might try grapeseed oil! I imagine arrowroot might work pretty well, but haven’t tried it. If you do, please let me know how it works for you! I would also love to know how your cubes work out.
Gaëlle says
refined coconut oil has a smoke point of 232 °C = 449.6 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s one of the safest oils to fry with!
Susan says
I have been looking for a crispy sweet potato fries recipe and this is it! I did use arrowroot starch/flour to keep it Paleo and also used olive oil to coat them. I baked at 400 F for the time you specified and they were crispy and awesome!! Only a few were dark, but those were the smaller pieces. Thank you for this recipe!
David H. Smith says
How long do you soak them in water ?
Rebecca says
Hi David- The instructions state that you should soak for at least an hour, but up to overnight! Enjoy!
sp lover says
Thanks for the details! But… I followed them to the T but the only crispy ones were the ones that burned a little. Also, I love Chipotle seasoning but I didn’t think it was a good choice on sp fries. Sorry, I just thought they were ok. I’ll try cookes kitchen sp frys next time.
Michele says
What would happen if you didn’t use any oil at al when you bake them? I’m trying to see if it’s necessary or if it only makes them taste better. Thank you!
Rebecca says
Oil will certainly make them taste better, but it also helps with texture. I wouldn’t skip the oil. There’s not very much in total.
Jo says
Thank you for a brilliant tutorial….my first ever batch are in the oven as we speak. Let’s hope they are as good as yours. Wishful thinking from London, England.
Juliana says
Thanks so much! Made these tonight and they were perfect. I used refined coconut oil and olive oil spray on parchment and it worked out fine. So crispy and delish.
Rebecca says
That’s fantastic, Juliana! Thanks for sharing your success with me!
Aurora says
I’d like to make these in bulk, in batches, to freeze and have on hand the same way one would buy a bag of frozen sweet potato fries. I’ve seen some recipes for freezing suggest blanching in boiling water, is this step necessary? Any advice on the best way to pull this off and then how to reheat when ready to serve? The truth is, I’ve already cut and soaked them but my day didn’t go as planned, I ate something else for dinner and now I’m too tired to do anything with them besides prepare them for the freezer. Any advice would be mighty appreciated, thanks!
Rebecca says
Hi Aurora-
I honestly have not prepared these for the freezer. I have only made them fresh. I can tell you that when recipes suggest you blanch before freezing it is for a reason, though. Freezing breaks the cell walls which breaks down texture. Blanching does the same thing, but in a controlled way. It allows you to cook them to a stable state where the freezing won’t leave you with an unpredictable texture. That being said, I’ll reiterate that I haven’t tried freezing them. I would love to know the results if someone else does, though.
Aurora says
Thanks Rebecca! I went ahead and blanched then shocked them in ice water, then they seemed a bit floppy so after towel drying them as best I could I actually put them on trays in the dehydrator for about 30 minutes, then on trays and into the freezer (I have a full sized spare freezer!). About 2 hours later I tossed them in the chipotle seasoned fat and put them back on trays into the freezer overnight …they are currently bagged up in the freezer, ready to go into a preheated 450 oven as soon as I’m ready to eat them!…which will probably be this weekend, I’ll keep you posted!
Aurora says
Well, they certainly were crispy as promised! Next time I think I’ll bake them for 10 minutes on the second side because some of them blackened a little. The burnt ones were still good with ketchup to counteract the bitterness though. I will definitely be making these again! Thanks for the thorough technique!
Rebecca says
You’re very welcome! Thanks for weighing in with your success!
Luz says
I cannot tell you how happy I am to have found your website. I LOVE detailed instructions… really, you dont even understand how much.
But i have a query – I am hosting a house warming party this friday, and now plan to serve these in individual paper cups, will they remain crispy thru the evening? Also, what are some good easy to make dipping sauces to go with them?
Sincere thanks,
An Angolan, married to a Pole, living in Denmark trying to make your sweet potato fries 🙂
luz says
I served these at our housewarming party in individual paper cups and they were PERFECT!
Of course no way to keep them warm, but they did not become soggy which was important.
Great recipe!
Rebecca says
That is wonderful to know, Luz! Thank you so much!
Julie Stivers says
OK, these stuck to the tin foil terribly. I followed all instructions to the letter.
James Nichols says
Dude….
My girlfriend and I have been trying to make these for awhile now, and each time we failed; so I was DETERMINED to make these damn things. So, I took upon myself to find the most trusted “sounding” recipe and stumbled upon yours. It sounded so fanatical as you claimed and it worked!!!!! They turned out beautifully! My girlfriend was impressed and I was to! 1) cause I can actually cook something and 2) because sweet potato fries are makable!
Cheers and beers!
Jimmy
Rebecca says
I absolutely, 100% get it, Jimmy. Sweet potato fries were my ultimate goal until I finally ironed out all the little tricks. I’m a big fan of why something works, so I figured other folks might like the scientific (read: OCD) breakdown of the recipe. I’m so glad you and your girlfriend liked it. (And I’m glad I helped you impress her. 🙂 )
Janet Miller says
Hi. I too am very happy to find this recipe. I’ve seen many saying to use corn starch, but this may be the first to suggest soaking. And your reason for doing it makes a lot of sense. I think I saw this question asked a few times. I don’t know if it wasn’t answered or if I just missed the answer. I’ve had good luck doing my regular steak fries and zucchini fries (as well as chicken parm, and ‘fried chicken) on a wire rack set in a baking sheet. Everything comes out crispy. Will this work with sweet potato fries? I will def. be using the corn starch. Thank you.
M. says
I just made these and HOLY MOLY are they amazing. My fries always turn out soft, burnt, and 90% stuck to the pan. These are the best instructions I’ve ever found and they came out looking like restaurant fries. THANK YOU!!
Rebecca says
So awesome, M! Thanks for the great feedback!
Jessica Karlsson says
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! I finally found what I was looking for! The best recipe for crispy baked sweet potatis fries EVER!
Jessica Karlsson says
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! I finally found what I was looking for! The best recipe for crispy baked sweet potatis fries EVER!
Rebecca says
I’m so glad you like them, Jessica! Thanks for letting me know!
Beth says
Transplanted native Southerner longing for buttermilk that’s real and tasty. I admit that’s what got me to your blog via Google. Yum, thanks, I’ve hope. Here, with these lovely sweet taters, have you ever tried rice bran oil? I’m quite partial to it and had never heard of it until I arrived here. It’s high temp, adds no flavor, has yummy good for us stuff and is usually sustainably farmed. I mean it was cheaper than canola by volume at one point, a thought for a fellow cooking enthusiast. Keep it up.
Rebecca says
Huh! That’s kind of a fun fact. I’ve never seen rice bran oil before but I will try it if I see it!
Rhea says
I made these last night… three different batches trying them all in different ways i.e. time/temp, seasonings and cooking surfaces. I have a very large and very sharp knife so slicing the potatoes to size was a breeze. I soaked all sliced potatoes for about 3 hours. First batch… followed directions to a tee (using a cajun seasoning), leaving plenty of space between potatoes for even cooking and hoping for a nice crisp turn out. I noticed that after 15 min, when it was time to flip them, they were already burning on the bottom. I continued to follow directions and ended up with burnt fries. Second batch… (using the same seasonings), Instead of using a pan, I used a steel cooling rack and lowered the temp to 415. Fries were soggy. Third batch… I omitted the cajun seasoning and instead, added garlic powder, chili powder, sweet paprika and for a bit of spice, some black pepper and cayenne pepper. I used the cooling rack, oven temp at 425 with convection turned on. Fries did not burn. They cooked evenly and turned out as crisp as sweet potato fries can turn out without burning. I highly suggest using the cooling racks and convection for sweet potato fries. They still need to be fipped after 15 min but rather then the bottoms being burnt, they were a nice dark orange. Loved the recipe and will make again! Thank you!
Renee says
I put smoked paprika on my fries with the starch. So delectable, You’re welcome!!
Rebecca says
Well, THAT sounds FANTASTIC! 😀
Page says
That’s it, I’m giving up on oven baked sweet potato fries! This must be the 5th recipe I’ve tried. I followed the recipe to.the.letter, and they were floppy and barely worth the time to remove from the foil.. I (sadly) even used a legitimate tape measure to get the size exact. The only thing I changed is I used ghee, which has a very high smoking point (425). I do not use heavily refined oils, including canola/peanut. Could just really be the one reason they didn’t turn out well?
Rebecca says
That very well may be it, Page. Are you willing to try refined coconut oil? This is one of those times where it really matters. You may also want to check the temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer. The other thing a few people have reported liking was using a baking rack in addition to those things. I prefer them sans rack, but some folks swear by it.
plasterer bristol says
Great recipe. Ours turned out great. Thanks for sharing. Simon
Bry Jaimea says
I made two trays – one was perfect and crispy, the other soggy. Damn my Scottish oven!! Great advice though and the crispy ones were definately the best I have made so far!
Foodie Pradipta says
Yummy, can’t wait to have this with evening tea. Excellent potato fries, feeling hungry now.
Jon B says
HOW LONG do these need to soak in the COLD water? Doesn’t say….? :/ (MAKING THESE TOMORROW!)
Rebecca says
Hey Jon- In the printable recipe I specify that it needs to be at least one hour, but up to overnight. 🙂 Happy fry making!
Candace @ Cabot says
You are really helping me up my sweet potato game lately, and for that I am forever in your debt. I, too, adore sweet potato fries. And now I know how to make them perfectly perfect…AT HOME!
You are a goddess.
(There are only five stars on your recipe rating. This one needs a few extra. ***)
Rebecca says
You are the best, Candace! Check this out! I’ve added a whole new Sweet Potato recipe landing page as a place to refer to for all your sweet potato needs. Okay, my sweet potato needs. I’m a sweet potato addict.
Rachael @ Rachael's Foodie Life says
I have been searching for a recipe for crispy sweet potato fries for years!! And as your recipes never fail for me i’m sure this is it. I can’t wait to try these!!
Rebecca says
I’m so glad!!
Anita says
Dear Rebecca. You may not want to print this comment, and that’s fine with me. But just to give you some reader feedback: I will try this recipe based on the overthetop reviews and the absence of sugar . . . and DESPITE the obnoxious advertising throughout the instructions and in the right- hand column and the manipulated screen-flipping (just happened again as I typed this), which combined struck me as by far the most annoying ever and guaranteed-to-turn readers off. Just thought you might want to know.
Rebecca says
Hi Anita- While I appreciate feedback, I feel obliged to point out that I provide these recipes free of charge and use advertisements to support the cost of ingredients for recipe development, equipment for photography and videography, cost of web hosting, and other various costs associated with running a business. I’m not sure what you mean by screen flipping. I’ve sent a note asking the company who runs ads on my site to try to help me suss out what that means. They’re a great company, so I expect they’ll get back to me soon.
I hope you enjoy the fries as much as my many happy reviewers.
Regards,
Rebecca
Dana says
I seriously thought it was impossible to end up with a crispy oven baked sweet potato fry!!! I absolutely love that you shared directions and I cannot wait to try this!
Rebecca says
Hooray, Dana! I hope you love them!
LB says
One of the better fry recipes I’ve seen. Thanks for details on crisping ,which seems to be the hardest thing to accomplish in fry baking.
Andrea Ribeiro says
Thank you soooooooo much for all the tips. I was never able to get crispy sweet potato fries. I made them as you said this evening with roast chicken. They were just amazing!! Like seriously scrummy yummy!
Heidi says
These are good but TOTALLY NOT worth the effort. I made 3 lbs of sweet potatoes following this recipe and I spent at least 3 hrs, but probably more, preparing these. Then there was the bake time and some ended up burned. I made them for myself, my husband, and three kids ages 4, 2, and 9 mo. We are healthy weight people. We ate at least half of these in one meal along with meat and veggie filled empanadas and a fruit salad. I love the sweet potato fries at our local cafe and wanted to replicate them at home. I am EXTREMELY disappointed in how long this process is. I literally counted over 100 fries in 1 lb of sweet potato. Cutting that many slices took FOREVER. And I could NOT flip them over without them falling all over on top of each other so I ended up flipping each one by hand. TEDIOUS!!!!! I could have made 3 whole dinners in the time I spent on this ONE side dish. NEVER again.
Rebecca says
That’s a shame you had such a bad experience with this. It seems to be an exception as many folks have weighed in saying the recipe worked really well for them. I wish you the best.
Sinead says
Yum! I made these last night and followed your recipe down to T! It was amazing and delicious. Thank you x
Laurie says
This works beautifully! I do however see your point about the mandolin. It’s only a tiny little cut, but it scared me for a while, because when you have a cut on your finger it bleeds a lot. I’m okay though, so I learned my lesson cheap; The fries were so yummy! They were perfect! I can’t wait to make more. Would this work with squash?
Rebecca says
Eek, Laurie! I’m glad you’re alright.
Laurie says
I ran the finished sweet potato fries through the MyFitnessPal food calculator, and the recipe says a portion like yours, about two handfuls (3.2 ounces finished baked weight) has 76 calories. 3.2 ounces of Burger King (deep fried potato) fries have 246 calories, so before the ketchup this food has 69.6% FEWER calories!
Rebecca says
Well, that is great news, eh? 😀
Bryan V Tapia says
What would be the best approach to have to these fresh to order? I have a 5-7 minute time frame, but sweet potatoes obviously take much longer roast in the oven. Can i bake them ahead of time? I’m not getting them at the consistency like need to be. please help
Marieamelie Bernon says
Hi Rebecca, just a couple questions while my fries are soaking. Can i use arrowroot starch instead of corn and can i use high heat cooking coconut oil? Thanks for your feedback and can’t wait to try out your very precise recipe thank you again
Rebecca says
I imagine arrowroot starch and high heat coconut oil would work well, but I haven’t tried them. Please check back in and let me know how it worked out for you if you tried it!
Ron Hilmes says
This is the only recipe I have tried for crispy sweet potato fries that produces crispy sweet potato fries!
Something I did pick up from one of the other recipes though was to bake on a cooling rack instead of a pan. No flipping required. Just thought I would pass it on.
Chris says
Try sweet chili sauce for a dip with these!
Lia says
Omg….. Theses are delicious!!!!!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
Setu says
Thank you for this awesome recipe!! I love your technique!!
Notes:
-IMHO parchment paper was better than aluminum foil (less sticking and no oil spray required)
-I did this for wedge shaped fries, worked well!
-I used an air fryer (convection oven)… it worked better than traditional oven! (very fast and crispy!)
Rebecca says
I’m so glad to get your feedback, Setu! Thanks for letting me know what worked for you and getting specific about your equipment! That will help others, I am sure!!
Alex says
GREAT recipe! Excellent, easy to follow directions. Follow the directions exactly as noted. Will definitely use this recipe in the future. Thanks!
Karen says
Followed this step by step recipe to the T…..stood over the oven watching the process….Massive FAIL ! Even worse than what I’ve attempted on my own in the past
Convinced there is NO way to get crispy sweet potato fries!
Rebecca says
You may have gotten bum potatoes, Karen. Sometimes they’re a little sketchy this time of year after sitting in storage all winter! Have you checked your oven’s calibration lately? Those might be two culprits of sad fries. Don’t give up!
Isadora says
Hi Rebecca, I want to say thank you for your wonderfully detailed instructions. I always try to find out why a certain step is required so I loved your explanations. It made sense and helped me follow without any second thoughts. It felt safe.
And i am happy to report that i made my first batch yesterday and despite me using too little oil on the foil so some stuck and my oven was mad and fluctuated between hot and cold, The fries still turned out crispy and delicious.
I foresee this being a staple in my recipe repertoire. I loved them so much, I made too much and finished them.
I do have one question. why use the dull side of the foil instead of the shiny side?
gregory anderson says
It is not the seasoning that makes the dish, as we learn from the ARChef, but the exact sizing of the pieces. Thanks for the detailed data, since I’m not in a position to try to figure out how to utilize soggy, limp, sad fries in another dish. Well, I’m tired of dry-frying them with beans and eggs for Bfast burritos actually.
Crispy is best, just like we like our battered fish. So now we are guaranteed crispy fish-n-chips. Thank you so very much. Truly. I could tell from your description of the process that I’ve done none of those things in my prior disasters.
Rebecca says
I agree 100%. Team Crispy all the way!
Sadie says
These fries were delicious, but unfortunately they weren’t crispy, crunchy as described. They weren’t soggy either, but the only true crispness/crunch was the Kosher salt I dusted them with after they came out of the oven. I appreciate the detailed directions and followed them precisely. The only change I made was to use smoked paprika instead of chipotle powder. I’d make them again because they tasted great despite the less than crisp texture.
Sarah says
So I did this and when either pan was on the bottom rack the side on the bottom burned. It was not the very bottom setting but the one up from that. When rotating pans I saw the bottom burned I moved it up a level and checked at 8 minutes and those ones burned too. Any advise?
Stacey says
I love your soaking tips. You reveal all the top secrets for us! Thank you so muchhhhh!
Mary LaPlante says
Can I substitue arrow root powder for corn starch / brown rice starch / tapioca starch?
Rebecca says
I think that would work quite well!
Siobhan says
Sadly, although [1] my oven is quite spacious and [2] my sweet potatoes were unassailably fresh [3] all steps in the recipe were followed with scrupulous attention, my end result was wretched: fries sticking to the foil and falling to mush. For a decade I have been making SP oven fries that at least managed to maintain their bodily integrity but lacked the crispness of Irish potato oven fries…and I came across this recipe as I wanted to attain that elusive quality without deep frying. Alas, failure 🙁
Rebecca says
Hi Siobhan- As I’m not in your kitchen, I’m unable to help you isolate what may have gone wrong. I wish you had the great results so many have had. Do you have an oven thermometer in place? I wonder if yours is calibrated differently. Some folks who have trouble with their ovens (or their foil, for whatever reason) have had better luck using a greased cooling rack over a rimmed sheet pan as a baking surface in place of the foil. I wish you the best of luck!
Lena says
This was such a good recipe. Mine were almost restaurant quality!
Amani says
Wow, fantastic. Detailed and thorough, even mentioning the number of test batches you did before you got the perfect fry AND the technique from restaurant kitchens, this post is the stuff of dreams. Thank you.
As I sit here eating my dry-starch-coated air fried sweet potato fries, I wish I’d read this before I made mine according to others’ pointers. (Yes, too much “cornstarch” [arrowroot in my case] to coat.)
For air frying, I’ll drop the temp 25 degrees, and the time probably by about 10 minutes. If you have a moment to say and you were doing these in an air fryer… would you change anything else?
VeggieTater says
Stupid question… I have some sweet potato starch, would that work for coating?
Rebecca says
That’s not a stupid question at all, but I’d probably take a pass on using sweet potato starch. I think that the combo of starches I recommended is best for texture.
Diana says
Soak the to remove starch then sprinkle them with starch???!!!
Rebecca says
I know it sounds crazy, but there’s a reason to the madness. You remove the potato starch that is released when you damage the cell walls by cutting them. You want to soak that off because potato starch is wickedly sticky. It causes the slices of potato to stick together and makes for an altogether squishier and less fabulous end product. THEN, you want that wee bit of crunch to the exterior, so you dust it with DRY starch, vs. the sticky, gloppy stuff which adheres to the outside of these already separate potato pieces and gives them a nice crunch. It is a process thing vs. a product thing. Does that make sense? 🙂
Ross Grekoff says
I admire your passion for sweet potato fries
Gary says
These are tasty and there is a sort of crispness to the skin of the fries, but the interiors were no very “potatoey”. The seemed more like they were dehydrated with slightly crisp exteriors.
Rebecca says
Hi Gary- The only variable we have trouble predicting is the actual potato itself. Since there are so many varieties of sweet potato, it’s hard to know how each of them will react to this process. And for what it’s worth, I think sweet potatoes are always a little different texturally than “regular” potatoes, so fries are necessarily different. That said, a baked fry will also be different slightly texturally than a fried one. There’s something the deep fat does for texture that no dry heat ever can. I still love these madly, but when I want that particular texture, I always go to the fry-o-lator. 🙂 Thank you for your feedback, though. It’s thoughtful and descriptive! 🙂
Curtis Jackson says
This looks *perfect*. I’ve got my 2:1:1 starches all mixed together in a jar in the freezer. I just have one question, which must be stupid because no one else has asked it:
When you say “2 large sweet potatoes about 3/4 pound, give or take”, do you mean two 3/4-lb potatoes, a total of 1.5 lbs, or two potatoes that together weigh 3/4 of a lb. in total?
If it were Russets, I’d know you meant 3/4 lb (12oz) total, as 6oz is a common size for a Russet. But the sweet potatoes in our grocery store are always ENORMOUS, in the 10-14oz range each. They’re seriously about double the size of Russets. So I’m really not sure which you meant.
Thanks in advance, and I’ll post a review once I make these.
Rebecca says
Hi Curtis- Good questions! Go for about 3/4 pound total. 🙂
Curtis Jackson says
Thank you! Just FYI, I went to the grocery store today, and here is what I found in the sweet potato bin:
• The smallest 2 sweet potatoes in the whole bin were each 7/8 lb.
• The average size was 1 1/8 – 1 1/4 lb.
• The largest one was nearly 1 3/4 lbs. !!
I’m making these tonight!
Rebecca says
Hi Curtis! Thanks for the update! You’re probably just fine going up to 1 1/4 pounds! I know there is so much variety in the wonderful world of sweet potatoes. 🙂
Michelle says
Thanks so much for sharing such a detailed recipe, I love it when folks do that! Now, I have what some will likely consider a stupid question. What was the next best result after the aluminum foil? You see I don’t use foil in my cooking for a few reasons, it is bad for humans to consume food that has been cooked on it (links to Alzheimer’s and other brain issues) and it is bad for the environment. Did the parchment do that much worse than the foil? And while I also won’t use the plastic ziplock bag to shake the starches onto my fries, I will use one of my large bowls with a lid or a paper bag (growing up we used paper bags to put regular fries into when we took the fries out of the oil, tossed in salt, folded the bag up, leaving lots of air in it, and shook it will to remove the excess oil and distribute the salt evenly. I can’t see why this wouldn’t work for distributing the starches). I am one of those folks coming late to the party, I have never tried a sweet potato fry, much less cooked my own, even though I love sweet potato. My fav way is baking them, serving with skin on, but chopping them up roughly, drizzling over some olive oil, adding a little feta cheese, chopped chilli, salt and pepper, and some roughly chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves). Yum! So I have high hopes for the sp fries! Thanks for your help!
Rebecca says
Hi Michelle- For me, the parchment was actually that much worse performance wise than the foil. If you’d prefer, you can lay them on a rack that is set down in your pan.
Freya says
is this temperature for a fan oven?
Rebecca says
Hi Freya- This recipe is designed for a standard oven, not a fan/convection oven.
vicky says
hi! i tried your recipe and it went really well! thank you 🙂
i wanna ask, since i snack a lot, i want to save it for like a week. can i do that? thanks! haha
Rebecca says
Hi Vicky- I have no idea whether it would work to hold, I rather suspect it might not… but it *might* if you crisp them back up in the oven!
Pat says
I use coconut oil & works fine
Nathan says
You shouldn’t say “prep time 20 minutes” when soaking the fries is part of the prep, with a minimum of 1 hour… this makes the prep actually an hour and 20 minutes.
Rebecca says
Hi Nathan- Actually, ACTIVE prep time is 20 minutes and that is what I’m referring to here. I don’t have a “rest time” field, so I stand by that assessment.
Dani says
I’m so confused… we soak them to remove starch then add starch? Why does removing starch help especially if the tip is then to add?
Rebecca says
Good question, Dani. When you soak the sweet potato, you’re doing a couple of things: pulling excess starch out that while IN the potato will cause the entire potato to brown faster than it cooks to perfect doneness in the center. This is a textural concern. The starch added to the outside is added to the surface only and is added in very small amounts. And second, it’s sort of like separating fat from stock when you then go add fat back in while making gravy. You remove a variable and add back a constant. Sweet potatoes have different amounts of natural starch… Does this help at all or does it confuse matters?
Lyds says
You are an angel. Literally the only sweet potato fry recipe that has ever been crispy for me. Nearly cried tears of actual joy; I have been deprived of decent sweet potato fries for far too long.
Rebecca says
That makes me VERY happy, Lyds! I’m so glad you love these. 🙂
Wendy says
So excited to try these! Just cut them and put in fresh cold water to soak. Do I need to cover them? And put in the fridge or just leave out on the counter? Thanks!!
Rebecca says
Hi Wendy! I’d say countertop for a couple of hours or the fridge for overnight!
Brian says
Did everything according to your recipe except for the non-stick spray. Used oil instead and it did not work. I’ll try again with a non stick spray like PAM
Rebecca says
That should do it for you, Brian!
Linda G says
FINALLY, a crisp sweet potato fry. I’ll use no recipe for sweet potato fries but this one. Have passed it on to my book club group as none of us had a good recipe for these. Thank you.
I used chili pepper as I had no chipotle.
Rebecca says
Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe and let me know you love it, Linda! I’m so glad you got great results with it, too.
Stephen says
I did find temperature variations in my oven. I found drying the sweet potatoes in my salad spinner worked quite well. This method yielded the most crisp vs. other recipes that I have tried.
Good Job
Rebecca says
Thanks so much for the salad spinner idea, Stephen! I’m glad you liked the fries!
Sally England says
Hopeless recipe. Followed it absolutely exactly to the letter and ended up with soggy chips stuck to the foil. Couldn’t peel them off. Had to throw it all away.
Rebecca says
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, Sally. I’m going to bet that maybe you had some older sweet potatoes.