Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potato fries are harder to get crispy than regular ones. There’s more sugar and more moisture in them, so they tend to go soft and bendy in the oven, and I pulled a lot of limp trays out before I figured out why. Two things fixed it. A light coat of cornstarch, and enough room on the pan that no fry touches another. Crowd them and they steam.
Cut them thin, about a quarter inch, and as even as you can manage. The skinny ones at the end will char a little. I don’t mind that. Salt them again the second they come out of the oven, and serve them with a cold sour cream and chive dip, because hot, sweet and salty next to something cool and tangy is hard to beat.
Crispy baked sweet potato fries with a thin cornstarch coating, roasted at 425°F instead of deep-fried. They take about 45 minutes, most of it hands-off. Smoked paprika gives them a little warmth, and the dip only takes two minutes to stir together while they bake.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scrub the sweet potatoes; peeling is optional. Cut them into sticks about 1/4 inch thick and 3 to 4 inches long, keeping them as even as possible so they cook at the same rate. Pat them completely dry with a clean towel.1 1/2 lb sweet potatoes
- Toss the fries with the olive oil in a large bowl until every piece is shiny. Stir the cornstarch, smoked paprika, garlic powder, half the salt and the pepper together, sprinkle it over the fries and toss again until no white powder is visible.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Divide the fries between the two baking sheets in a single layer, leaving a little space around each one. If they touch, they steam instead of crisping.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the fries with a thin spatula, swap the pans between racks and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are browned and crisp. Keep an eye on the thinnest pieces near the end.
- While the fries bake, stir the sour cream, chives and lemon juice together in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Keep it in the fridge until serving.1/2 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons fresh chives, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Sprinkle the remaining salt over the fries as soon as they come out of the oven. Let them sit on the pans for 2 to 3 minutes, which helps them firm up, then serve hot with the chive dip.
Nutrition
Notes
If you have time, soak the cut fries in cold water for 30 minutes, then dry them very well before coating. Leftovers crisp back up in a 425°F oven in about 5 minutes.
You might also like our Cheesy Zucchini Bites.
finally sweet potato fries that werent soggy!! the cornstarch really works. i needed the full 15 min on the second side
good flavor, some of my thin ones burned a bit bc i didnt cut them even. the chive dip is great, made a double batch
made these with burgers on friday, kids ate every single one. going in the regular rotation