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Sweet Potato Fries

November 18, 2024

Once you’ve figured out how to make sweet potato fries, you’ll make these healthier (but still delicious) baked treats all the time.

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sweet potato fries seasoned with brown sugar, garlic, chipotle chili powder, salt, & pepper served with chipotle mayo
Photography by Gayle McLeod

Crispy on the outside, and so tender and sweet on the inside, this sweet potato fries recipe is our weeknight side dish go-to, particularly if there are kids at the table. Who doesn’t love a perfect fry, and bonus points if it’s nutritious, too! They work well with ketchup for dipping (but a side of Chipotle Mayo takes them to the next level!). Sweet potato fries are so easy, and — if you bake them in the oven — they are way healthier than traditional fries. They’re even good leftover, and reheat beautifully in an air fryer. That said, we’ve also included instructions for deep-frying, if you’re a French fry purest and want that classic deep-fried sweet potato fry flavor.

sweet potatoes, olive oil, brown sugar, garlic, chipotle chili powder, salt, pepper and chipotle mayo in prep bowls

Ingredients For Sweet Potato Fries

  • Sweet potatoes: Sometimes, yams and sweet potatoes are labeled in confusing ways at the grocery store. Buy whichever tuber has the gorgeous orange color that you associate with sweet potato fries.

  • Extra-virgin olive oil: You could use regular olive oil instead of extra virgin, if you’d like to.

  • Brown sugar: We don’t shy away from the sweetness of these sweet potato fries! Rather, a hint of brown sugar plays up the sweet, crispy goodness.

  • Granulated garlic: Savory, delicious, a must!

  • Chili powder: Use chipotle chili powder (if you have it) instead of regular chili powder, for a smoky flavor.

  • Salt and pepper: Salt and pepper are always important, but for sweet potato fries, they’re key ingredients.

sweet potatoes tossed with olive oil on a parchment paper lined baking sheet
sweet potatoes fries being scooped off a parchment paper lined baking sheet

How To Make Crispy Sweet Potato Fries In The Oven

  1. Cut the sweet potatoes into fries. Peel the sweet potatoes, then grab your sharpest chef’s knife, and carefully slice the sweet potatoes into French fries. You’ll want to be sure to focus on getting the fries thin enough — more surface area-to-fry interior means more crispy sweet potato fries.

  2. Bake them until they’re crispy! Toss them with a little oil, and roast the fries until they’re just perfect. Turn the fries part way through the roasting process by carefully flipping them, section by section, with a metal spatula.

  3. Season the sweet potato fries with all of those lovely spices! Salt, pepper, sugar, garlic and chili powder. Seasoning them when they’re warm from the oven is like magic — all of those seasonings will cling to the warm sweet potato fries for a finger-licking experience.

  4. Serve! With ketchup, mayo, and — if you want — our smoky Chipotle Mayo for dipping.

  5. OR, you can deep fry your sweet potato fries in a large pot on the stove or in a countertop deep fryer. Find instructions for how to fry sweet potato fries in the full recipe below.

brown sugar, garlic, chipotle chili powder, salt, & pepper being stirred together in a bowl
sweet potato fries being seasoned with brown sugar, garlic, chipotle chili powder, salt, & pepper

How To Reheat Sweet Potato Fries

Leftover sweet potato fries are, thankfully, delicious! Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for 5 days, stored in an airtight container. You can easily reheat them in an air fryer if you have one, or even a countertop toaster oven. Just be sure to spread them out on a baking sheet, just as you did for the initial roast.

sweet potato fries seasoned with brown sugar, garlic, chipotle chili powder, salt, & pepper served with chipotle mayo

Serving Ideas

Sweet potato fries can be served as a simple, healthy side dish with almost anything, and particularly with any dinner you’d serve regular French fries with. We love to serve these with:

sweet potato fries on a red plate seasoned with brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper with chipotle mayo

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Sweet Potato Fries

  • Serves:  6
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  40 min
  • Calories:  137

Ingredients

  • 2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into ⅓-inch-thick sticks
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¾ teaspoon brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
  • ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder or chili powder
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • Chipotle mayonnaise, for serving (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.

    sweet potatoes, olive oil, brown sugar, garlic, chipotle chili powder, salt, pepper and chipotle mayo in prep bowls
  2. Divide the sweet potatoes between the prepared sheets. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss until coated. Spread out into a single layer and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the fries and rotate the pans. Return the sheet pans to the oven and bake until tender and golden, 12 to 15 minutes more.

    sweet potatoes fries being scooped off a parchment paper lined baking sheet
  3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated garlic, chipotle chili powder, salt, and pepper.

    brown sugar, garlic, chipotle chili powder, salt, & pepper being stirred together in a bowl
  4. Toss the warm fries with as much seasoning as desired. Serve with the chipotle mayonnaise, if using.

    sweet potato fries seasoned with brown sugar, garlic, chipotle chili powder, salt, & pepper served with chipotle mayo

Notes

To Deep Fry:

  1. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to the side of a large, heavy pot. Add 40 ounces of vegetable oil to a 6 quart pot over medium high heat. Once the oil reaches 350°F, working in batches, carefully add the potatoes to the hot oil, and cook until softened and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining sweet potatoes, allowing the oil to return to 350°F between batches.

  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, chipotle chili powder, salt, and pepper.

  3. Toss the warm fries with as much seasoning as desired. Serve with the chipotle mayonnaise, if using.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 137
  • Protein 2 g
  • Carbohydrates 18 g
  • Total Fat 7 g
  • Dietary Fiber 3 g
  • Cholesterol 0 mg
  • sodium 344 mg
  • Total Sugars 5 g

Sweet Potato Fries

Questions & Reviews

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  • Jennifer

    We really enjoyed these fries, like really. Love that they are baked and not frozen from the store with lots of other junk in them. They all gotten eaten up and my kid asked if we can have them tomorrow too!

    Thanks Jennifer, so happy to hear they were such a hit!