Pro tip: when life presents you with the option, ALWAYS upgrade to the Sweet Potato Fries. Thanks to one little trick, these healthy baked sweet potato fries are magically crispy on the outside, without the need for a deep fryer.
You can pair sweet potato fries with just about any of your favorite main dishes, or do what I do: polish ‘em off straight off the pan!
After years of my snitching fries off of Ben’s plate at restaurants, to his tremendous relief I have finally started ordering my own, especially when sweet potato fries are an option. I adore them.
When they are crunchy outside and tender inside, sweet potato fries are a top life comfort food.
I decided to see if I could come up with an easy way to make sweet potato fries crispy like the ones I’ve long loved in restaurants, without the mess or indulgence of a deep fryer.
As when I set out to unlock the secrets for crispy Baked French Fries, it was important to me that the sweet potato fries be as quick and easy to make as possible.
I don’t know about you, but by the time I’ve finished cutting sweet potatoes into sticks, I don’t have much additional energy left to finish preparing them.
I want to pop them into the oven at 400 degrees F and call it a day.
Popular Methods for Crispy Fries
When considering my options to make vegetable fries crispy, I considered two top popular methods.
- Panko Breadcrumbs. Coating veggies with panko to make them crispy is a trick I employed for these popular Zucchini Fries.
The problem with panko coating: I prefer it for vegetables that are naturally soft and have a high water content, like zucchini or eggplant; it’s not necessary for starchy vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes, which have the potential to crisp on their own.
- Cornstarch. This is the most common method I’ve seen for making crispy fries. I’ve tried the popular cornstarch trick to make sweet potato fries crispy, but (homemade fry fans, please do not hate me for this), I’m just not into it.
The problem with cornstarch: Cornstarch is messy. The fries never seem to coat evenly. It works (kind of) but not well enough to be worth the effort.
Did I mention I was looking for a sweet potato fry shortcut?
Crispy side note: I haven’t tried these as homemade sweet potato fries air fryer-style, but if you decide to experiment with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
How to Make Sweet Potato Fries Crispy
Are you tired of asking “why are my sweet potato fries NOT crispy?”
Here are my four best tips for crispy sweet potato fries without cornstarch:
- Egg White. Beaten egg white transforms in the oven and makes for amazingly crispy sweet potato fries! It’s a trick I use to make crunchy, homemade Gluten Free Granola, and when I saw the same idea in a recipe from Run Fast, Eat Slow, I knew I had to try it.
- Cut the Fries Thinly and Uniformly. More details below in “How to Cut Sweet Potato Fries”, but the main thing to know is that you want the fries to be thin. It takes some patience, but the thin slices will help them crisp and taste like true fries, versus sweet potato wedges. Wedges are delish, but not what we are going for here.
- Don’t Skimp on the Oil. While it’s tempting to cut out the oil to save a few calories, you need it for the sweet potatoes to roast properly without burning.
- Roast at 400 degrees F. After testing a few different oven temperatures, I found 400 degrees F to be the sweet spot to making fries that crisped nicely without burning.
How to Make Sweet Potato Fries from Scratch
Good sweet potato fries should be lightly crunchy and give way to a tender roasted interior.
Follow these steps for quick sweet potato fries that are better for you than a restaurant but don’t skimp on flavor!
The Ingredients
- Sweet Potato. A bright orange dream machine! Rather than the somewhat blank canvas that white potatoes create, sweet potatoes are slightly sweet and richly-flavored all on their own. Plus, they’re packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (see more health benefits here).
- Egg Whites + Olive Oil. Our easy, secret duo of ingredients that work together to make the most perfect, crispy fries.
- Seasonings. I used a combination of curry powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. It was the ideal mix of heat and sweet.
The Directions
- Whisk the egg whites until foamy.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into fries. Then, add them to the egg whites with the oil.
- Stir the spices together.
- Add the spices to the fries, and toss. Place the fries on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Flip the fries.
- Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy.
- Finish with added spices or toppings, and ENJOY!
Sweet Potato Fries Seasoning Options
You can use this method for oven roasted sweet potato fries with any of your favorite spice combos. Here are a few to try:
- Curry. My go-to and the version you’ll see in this sweet potato fries recipe. Curry’s warmth is delicious paired with the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes.
- Chipotle. Swap in ½ teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder for the curry powder and cayenne pepper called for in this recipe. Smoky and so addictive.
- Spicy. Turn things up a notch by increasing the amount of cayenne pepper to ¼ teaspoon.
- Italian. Omit the curry powder and cayenne pepper, and use 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning instead. Top the finished fries with a little freshly grated Parmesan for a delicious final touch.
- Classic. Simple salt and black pepper make an excellent, always satisfying everyday option.
Any of these seasoning combos would be delicious with a sweet potato fries dipping sauce like this Skinny Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip.
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover fries in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm fries on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F until hot.
- To Freeze. Lay the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer the fries to an airtight freezer-safe storage container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Fries
As with my scrumptious Roasted Sweet Potatoes, these fries are a treat all on their own, but here are some of my favorite dishes to pair with them:
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Baking Sheet. These are heavy-duty and will be a workhorse in the kitchen.
- Mixing Bowl. You’ll find so many uses for these easy-to-store bowls.
- Sharp Chef’s Knife. A perfect tool for easily cutting your fries.
The Best Chef’s Knife
This high-quality chef’s knife will make a world of difference in your meal prep.
When these healthy sweet potato fries are on the menu, there’s no reason to split. Once you taste just how addictive they are, you’ll be relieved.
If you try this recipe for oven sweet potato fries, I’d love to hear what you think! Your comments and reviews are so helpful for others, and they mean so much to me too.
DO YOU LOVE SWEET POTATOES?
Be sure to check out the stellar recipes for Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (5-Ways!) from The Well Plated Cookbook.
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Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
- 1 egg white use 1 additional tablespoon oil if you prefer the fries vegan
- 2 pounds 2 large or 3 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed and dried, peels on
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon curry powder optional, for flavor
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt plus additional to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder optional, but highly recommended
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, for heat
- Chopped fresh chives or parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Preheat oven 400 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the egg white in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Briskly whisk until it is foamy.
- Cut potatoes into fry-shaped sticks that are about ¼- to ½-inch wide and 3-inches long. Make the pieces as uniform as possible, so that the fries bake evenly. Place the fries in the bowl with the egg white as you go.
- Drizzle the fries with the oil.
- In a small bowl, stir together the curry powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne.
- Sprinkle the spices over the fries. Toss to coat the fries evenly. Try to get them to be as evenly moistened and seasoned as possible.
- Spread the fries onto the baking sheets, dividing them evenly between each. Make sure the fries are not crowded or they will steam and not crisp up.
- Bake the fries for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pans from the oven, then flip the fries over (I recommend using a large spatula—scoop the fries in big sections, then use a fast turn of your wrist).
- Rearrange the fries back into a single layer to make sure they are not overlapping. If any look like they are browning too quickly, keep these towards the center or front of the baking sheet (the back of the oven tends to be the hottest).
- Return the pans to the oven, switching their positions on the upper and lower racks.
- Continue baking until the fries are crisp and brown on the outside and tender on the inside. The ends may look very dark on some of the fries and you’ll see lighter brown spots in a few places. This will take about 10 to 15 additional minutes, depending upon your oven and what size you cut the fries.
- Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with a pinch of additional salt. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Adapted from Run Fast Eat Slow.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover fries in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm fries on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F until hot.
- TO FREEZE: Lay the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer the fries to an airtight freezer-safe storage container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen.
Nutrition
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Oh I’m so happy for a sweet potato fry recipe that DOESN’T include the time of soaking OUT the starch and then the mess of tossing IN cornstarch… And then they usually burnt and took too much time to feel worth it. Today I remembered that I had sweet potato I needed to use up and u came across your post. Magic. What a delicious lunch with hummus 😋
PS. I got the shipping notification for your cookbook and I can hardly wait to get it next week!!!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Jenn! Thank you for sharing this kind review AND for your preorder!!
Simply delicious. Looks mouthwatering. I Will try and give my feedback. Thanks for sharing such awesome recipes.
I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it, Tina!
I don’t if it was my oven or I made an error somewhere but I found 20 minutes on one side an additional 10-15 on the other at 400F was WAY too much. My fries were black by the time they came out of the oven. I reduced it to 10 minutes on one side and 10 on the other and that was PLENTY (for my oven). I also switched the baking pans on the racks as suggested.
I’m sorry your first batch burned, Jonas. Did you use the oil? It’s so hard to say what might’ve happened, as each oven is different. I hope the second batch turned out delicious!
No worries…yeah…it’s definitely my oven I think. It’s one of those small 24″ NYC apartment ovens and I have a sense that the heat doesn’t always circulate well. But but but…as you well know, the process of figuring these things out, what works, what doesn’t, the how-tos is much of the fun. And so, yes the second batch was much better. Because the oven is so small I couldn’t fit all of the sweet potato fries in on the first go. I learned from the first batch, adjusted my cooking time and voile! Sweet potato fry heaven! A VERY happy and healthy New Year to you Erin. Please know how much I have come to love your website, your recipes, learning, and sharing these creations with others. This was great! xo
I’m so happy that you were able to enjoy the second batch, Jonas! Thank you for your kind words!