The BEST crispy homemade Sweet Potato Fries are made with a secret ingredient and a perfect spice blend, then baked to crisp perfection.
I love sweet potatoes and I love fries. So why not mix the two? Sweet potato fries are one of my all-time favorite side dishes and I’ve spent a lot of years researching and figuring out how to make them crispy and perfect. I have made and eaten far too many sweet potato fries that were burnt on one end and soggy in the middle so I took it upon myself to figure out the tips and tricks to make the best sweet potato fries on the block.
There’s a lot that goes into making a great sweet potato fry, but I’m here to tell you that going through the steps is worth the effort because you end up with perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked, deliciously crispy sweet potatoes that are better than any you’ve had (even at a restaurant – you don’t find a better fry than these!).
How do you make sweet potato fries crispy?
Here are a few tips:
1. Soak the potatoes prior to cooking to help remove extra starch
2. Cut them very evenly so that they can cook evenly
3. Use the secret ingredient (cornstarch!) in your seasoning mix to add additional crunch when cooked
4. Don’t add salt until after cooking (the salt draws out moisture and that won’t help them crisp)
5. Flip the fries once during cooking so that they can brown on two sides
6. Let the fries cool for just 5 minutes before eating.
I know that it looks like a long list, but it’s worth it to get the perfect sweet potato fry!
Tips and Tricks for Making Sweet Potato Fries
- Don’t skip any of the steps. You’ll want evenly cut taters to soak, coat, flip, and rest before eating if you want perfect sweet potato fries.
- Feel free to change up the seasonings to meet your liking! There are so many great options that you can add. Want a little heat? Try adding some chipotle chili powder to your seasoning and cornstarch mix.
- These are perfect with some dipping sauce! I love to use equal parts ketchup, mayo, BBQ, hot sauce, and mustard for a great sweet potato fry dipping sauce.
- You can add the sweet potato fries to a big zipper-topped bag and use the bag to toss the fries in the oil and cornstarch mix easier (do the oil first and then add the dry mix).
Can you freeze sweet potato fries?
I have not had great luck with freezing this recipe. They sure don’t freeze before baking and they only froze ok after baking but I couldn’t get them to crisp back up when it came time to reheat and serve them. I would not freeze this recipe. These sweet potato fries actually don’t store well at all. I’d suggest making as many as you are going to eat and not more so that you don’t have leftovers. They just aren’t very good reheated.
What do you serve sweet potato fries with?
- The Ultimate Pulled Pork Sandwich
- Peperoncini Beef Sandwiches
- 5 Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken Legs
- Healthy Homemade Frozen Chicken Nuggets from America’s Test Kitchen
- The BEST Baked Chicken Breast
The BEST Crispy Homemade Sweet Potato Fries
- Prep Time: 40 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 1x
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The BEST crispy homemade Sweet Potato Fries are made with a secret ingredient and a perfect spice blend, then baked to crisp perfection.
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (olive, vegetable, canola, etc. all work)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- table salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cut your sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch square fry-shaped pieces. Consistency in the thickness of the potato is key for evenly and properly cooked potatoes.
- Place the cut sweet potatoes in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours (they can soak overnight without issue).
- After the sweet potatoes soak, remove from the water and pat dry with a clean dish towel or paper towels.
- Add the dry sweet potatoes to a large bowl or zipper-top bag and drizzle with the oil. Toss well to coat evenly.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Sprinkle over the oiled sweet potatoes and toss again to evenly coat.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Spread the sweet potatoes in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and use a spatula to flip every fry over, one by one.
- Return the oven and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt.
- Let the fries rest for 5 minutes before serving warm.
Notes
- Don’t skip any of the steps. You’ll want evenly cut taters, to soak, coat, flip, and rest before eating if you want perfect sweet potato fries.
- Feel free to change up the seasonings to meet your liking! There are so many great options that you can add. Want a little heat? Try adding some chipotle chili powder to your seasoning and corn starch mix.
- These are perfect with some dipping sauce! I love to use equal parts ketchup, mayo, BBQ, hot sauce, and mustard for a great sweet potato fry dipping sauce.
- I’m 90% sure that arrow root powder would work in place of the cornstarch just FYI.
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sweet potatoes, vegetable, healthy, how to make sweet potato fries, the best sweet potato fries, how to make crispy fries, homemade sweet potato fries
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This sweet potato fry recipe is inspired and heavily influenced by America’s Test Kitchen and Gimme Some Oven.
I can’t wait for you to make these a regular part of your meals because they are so very good. Don’t forget that dipping sauce – it’s a game changer.
This recipes is one of my favorites and was originally published in February 2010 and has been updated, rephotographed, and republished in January 2019.
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My favourite way of prepping fries. Soaking, oil and the cornstarch with seasonings are what make this recipe good. I do use an air fry tray in the oven instead of a sheet pan and I think it works even better.
★★★★★
Ohhh I love that idea, I bet it works great. I’ll have to find one of those trays!
Okay, these were AMAZING.
I do have one question though—how can I make them crunchier? Mine were very very soft. Almost mushy in some cases (didn’t stop my fiancé and I from eating the entire thing lol). Wondering if I should put the broiler on it maybe? Or more cornstarch? Hotter for longer? Thinner cut?
Any tips appreciated.
Thank you 🙂
★★★★★
Cutting them to a smaller size helps!
If the planets all align correctly, then maybe this recipe will work. I saw all the great reviews and expected a better outcome. The cornstarch was a disaster. I probably didn’t do everything as instructed but I will not be trying this recipe again.
★★
I’ve made these a few times and they’re amazing- but I was wondering if there is a way to make them in bulk and freeze them for later, so we don’t have to cut and prep every time. Do you think that would work? Thanks!
★★★★★
I think the reheat is the issue. Do you have an air fryer? I feel like if you prepped, baked, froze in a single layer, bagged them up and frozen them and THEN did something like an air fryer, they just might reheat nicely (I swear my air fryer is magical for this kind of frozen potato product). I’m going to try this! If you do too, will you report back and let us know. It’s a fabulous idea.