Baked Sweet Potato Fries {+Air Fryer Instructions}

Next time try these amazing sweet &sweet spicy roasted sweet potatoes!

Table of Contents

• ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
• Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 🥄 Equipment
• 📚 Related recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

Isn't it frustrating when you make an oven baked sweet potato fries recipe and they end up in a limp heap, languishing weakly like a teenager that's just been asked to do the dishes?

Hold up, y'all! This recipe comes out crispy, sweet, and a little spicy - the perfect accompaniment to that meatloaf that you've been craving.

Plus I've added air fryer instructions, too.

Ingredients

It's always amazing to me how a few simple ingredients can results in something delicious.

• Sweet potatoes or yams are fine - just make sure they are the raw ones from the produce section and not the canned ones. Here is an article about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams.
• Coconut oil is my preference for these but olive oil works great, too.
• Cornstarch helps with the crispness.
• Garlic powder tastes great and it keeps away vampires.
• Smoked paprika gives the sweet potato fries a warm, smoky flavor with an earthy spice.
• Cinnamon enhances the sweetness and spice flavor.
• Chipotle powder adds to the smokiness plus creates a creeping warmth that tingles for a few seconds in the nicest possible way.
• Brown sugar brings out more of the sweetness.
• Salt and pepper to taste are always important to pull all of the flavors together.

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

These fries are so easy that you'll be making them as a side dish all the time! Follow these steps and tips for perfect baked sweet potato fries every single time.

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Mix the salt and cornstarch in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Mix the seasoning blend and set aside.
4. Peel the sweet potatoes.
5. Pat dry with paper towel.
6. Cut in ¼-inch "fries". Make sure they are all uniform sizes.
7. Pat dry with paper towel, again.
8. Toss in the corn starch salt mixture.
9. Drizzle with oil and toss lightly.
10. Arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet that's been oiled. Don't crowd.
11. Bake at 425F.
12. Remove from oven and season with the seasoning mixture.

Air fryer Instructions

These fries made in an air fryer are just as crispy and the ones made in the oven... maybe even a little crispier. If you've got an air fryer try making the fries in it, too - then decide which you like best.

1. Toss the peeled and cut sweet potatoes in a mixture of the salt, pepper, cornstarch, and about ¼ of the spice mixture.
2. Drizzle with oil and toss lightly.
3. Arrange in a single layer in the air fryer basket without crowding.
4. Air fry at 375F for 8 minutes, flip the fries and air fry 8 minutes more.
5. Remove from oven and season with the remaining seasoning mixture.

How to cut the fries

One of the secrets success is cutting the fries in even, ¼-inch slices. How do you make evenly sized, straight sided fries out of a roundish sweet potato? No problem!

1. Peel your sweet potato.
2. With the potato on its side on your cutting board cut off ¼-inch from the long side furthest from you to create a flat surface.
3. Place the sweet potato on the flat side you've just created.
4. Cut longwise into ¼-inch thick slices.
5. Continue to cut into evenly sized slices turning the sweet potato to a larger flat side as needed to keep it stable.
6. Cut the slices into ¼-inch thick fries.

Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.

Here are some more things to know about getting the best results from this recipe.

• It's been said but it bears repeating - be sure to cut the fries in thin, even pieces- about ¼-inch thick.
• They can be cut a day or two ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake. If you keep them in a bowl of water with a little squeeze of lemon in it they won't discolor. Just be sure to pat them very dry before finishing the recipe.
• Put them in a single layer on the sheet pan.
• Always flip the fries about halfway through.
• Don't crowd them or they will steam rather than oven-fry.
• Let fries rest for around 5 minutes after they come out of the oven to crisp up even more.
• Don't let them sit too long or they will get soggy.
• They are best when they come right out of the oven but you can warm up leftovers in the oven until they crisp back up.

In the winter we like these served with ranch chicken sandwiches. It's a great combination!

🥄 Equipment

You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

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I went too many years without a good knife! A good knife is safer, easier to use, and just feels better in your hand. This is the chef's knife
my husband bought me last year and I love it!

What’s new? Check out my Restless Chipotle & Co. Store on Amazon! Thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!

📚 Related recipes

Here are some more of my favorite side dishes! They're family favorites and I bet your family will love them too!

Pan Fried Potatoes - The classic recipe that your mom probably made.

Southern Corn Pudding - Thanksgiving wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it but it's great with grilled meats and BBQ, too!

Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole -Creamy, rich sweet potatoes are mashed and flavored with bourbon then covered with a crunchy-sweet praline topping, and baked. 

So y'all, sweet potato fries haven't ever been one of those recipes I was dying to try.

You see, years and years ago (before they were even a thing) I was taking some out of town friends to the airport late at night. We had planned to stop and get a little something to eat but everywhere had either a long wait or it was closed.

We ended up at this little diner that looked like it could have popped out of an episode of Happy Days. The words quaint and charming come to mind. Since we were all adventurous cooks we decided to give it a try...

One of the items on the menu was sweet potato fries with brown sugar dip -- I thought it sounded absolutely amazing. I love sweet potatoes and the idea of some sort of juxtaposition between sweet potatoes and French fries? Yes please!

When the fries were put on the table we all looked at them expectantly. Our first indication to beware the unknown should have been the way the fries cowered together limply on the red checkered paper in the basket.

The paper was discolored from a pool of oil that seeped from them like the tears of chefs all over the world who could feel that something had shifted in the universe.

"I'll try them", I said with what I hoped was my most cheerful voice.

I picked up one of the fries and it immediately fainted in my fingers like an overly dramatic 1920's heroine.

I looked dubiously from the limp fry in my hand to the thick, grainy, dip to my right. My friends watched with horror and intrigue as I forced the fry into the dip and took a bite.

The dip was pure Crisco and brown sugar. We paid our check, left hurriedly, and grabbed some fast food at the drive-thru.

So now y'all have an idea why I was hesitant to jump on this particular train. I am happy to say that my baked fries are crispy and light - and you can add whatever kind of sauce you like best.

No judgement from me.

Serve these with your favorite burgers fresh off the grill, fried chicken, or as a snack!

And, be sure to go back and read through the tips section before you make them to get the very best results.

📖 Recipe

First published December 26, 2018 - last updated September 3, 2021 for better reader experience.