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.
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.
How To Make Crispy Sweet Potato Fries In The Oven
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.
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.
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.
Serve! With ketchup, mayo, and — if you want — our smoky chipotle mayo for dipping.
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.
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.
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:
More Homemade Fries To Try
All Fried Up!
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